True freshman receiver Clevan Thomas Jr. did not ask to wear 18. Offensive coordinator Eddie Gran surprised the early enrollee with the distinction of the number that has evolved into a status of consequence, distinction, and expectation for the Kentucky football program. The rookie from Miami understands its historical inference and is humbly willing to be judged in context to its storied past.
Full disclosure, I wore the number 18 at the University of Kentucky. However, I did not start the trend of numerical association with on-the-field achievement. That modern-day distinction belongs to Jacob Tamme.
I was no superstar.