Back to the Kentucky Wildcats Newsfeed

Celebrating Nate Northington, UK's first black football player | Fletcher Page

Jon Hale/The Courier-Journal

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The story is about a kid from Louisville who decided to play football at the University of Kentucky.

That's an adventure.

The football player dislocated his shoulder during his freshman year. He hurt it again as a sophomore, the first week of preseason camp. He kept practicing so he could play.

That's grit.

Also in preseason camp of sophomore year, his best friend, roommate and teammate was paralyzed from the neck down during a drill in practice, was hospitalized for 38 days and passed away on the eve of the first game.