fan reaction coach schlarman

Bobbi mcswine spoke to some solid blue fans who say schlarman was inspiring on and off the field.

###### "i don't think the word quit was in his vocabulary."

Lifelong cats' fan....and sports podcast co- host...jason hazelrigg says it was tough watching u-k play saturday without offensive line coach john schlarman.

Jason: "seeing him as a fan, you know - being on the sideline, going to practice after chemo therapy.

It's just - wow."

That's why schlarman's death thursday...after a two year battle with cancer...was hard for hazelrigg to process.

Schlarman's last game coaching for the cats was the win at tennesee october 17-th.

Jason: "you knew he was tough, and when you know someone like that you just don't want to believe that."

Solid blue fan denny rice feels the same.

Denny: "you hope that was something that was going to be temporary and he was going to be back on the sidelines to make his contrbutrions like he always did."

Rice...a former football coach himself...says he knows it takes more than on-field nstruction to be someone players look up to.

Denny: "i think it's important that we put our best foot forward - that we're positive, encouraging, and that we're teaching not only football, but life lessons as well."

Something he says schlarman clearly lived up to.

Denny: "you can see the tributes that are out there - how they rallied around him.

It's a devastating loss for the university."

Hazelrigg says saturday's win was significant because it's in line with schlarman's mantra...just keep going.

Jason: "go big blue and just keep pushing forward."

Denny: "go big blue."

In lexington...bobbi mcswine...abc 36 news.

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