The story behind Kroger Field’s repeated announcement: Why No. 4 is now No. 41
The best compliment that can be awarded to a kickoff unit is to be called boring.
Through three games, Kentucky’s kickoff team certainly qualifies with kickoff specialist Chance Poore placing 16 of 19 kickoffs in the end zone for touchbacks.
Only 12 kickers in the country have a higher touchback percentage than Poore. While not as flashy as a dynamic return or clutch field goal, the kickoff team might actually be the most successful of UK’s special teams units so far.
But that success seems a little unfair to at least one Wildcat.
As anyone who has attended one of UK’s three games at Kroger Field knows, on Wildcat kickoffs, “No. 4 for Kentucky is now No. 41.”
The referee makes that announcement over the public address system before each Kentucky kickoff. The announcement has been the most dependable element of the game day experience thus far this season, but the referee does not actually specify which player is changing jersey numbers.
That player is running back JuTahn McClain.
Both he and safety Jalen Geiger usually wear No. 4, but they cannot wear the same jersey when both are on the kickoff unit. Since Geiger plays defense and might have to stay on the field for the next play after the kickoff, the task of changing jerseys falls to McClain.
“It’s a lot of work putting that thing on,” McClain said with a laugh when asked about the pain of changing jerseys when Poore’s touchback percentage is so high. “Those jerseys are tight.
“… Anything for the team.”
The irony of McClain having to change jerseys so he and Geiger don’t wear the same number on the same play is that neither McClain nor Geiger wore No. 4 when they arrived at Kentucky.
McClain was No. 17 for his first three seasons as a Wildcat. Geiger switched from No. 34 to No. 4 before the 2022 season.
No. 17 was “kind of forced on me,” McClain said, so when the No. 4 jersey on offense opened this year following the transfer of wide receiver DeMarcus Harris to Marshall, McClain jumped at the chance to move to the single digit number as an homage to his core group of three friends at home in Fairfield, Ohio.
Geiger originally followed his father and brother in wearing No. 34. Eventually, he decided he wanted to forge his own legacy. Geiger claims no special connection to No. 4 but decided he wanted to wear a single digit number.
UK’s roster includes 23 sets of duplicate numbers, but it only becomes an issue if both the offensive and defensive player with the same number play on the same special teams unit.
“It’s not that hard to put (the extra jersey) on,” Stoops said after joking they had to keep longtime equipment manager Tom Kalinowski busy. “It’s really not. There’s no reason to change the number. There’s plenty of people in college football that duplicate numbers. We probably do it less than most people, I’d say, to be honest with you.”
While the referee’s repeated announcement of the jersey number change might get tiresome for fans in attendance, especially in a high scoring game where Kentucky is kicking off more than normal, it is mandated in the NCAA rule book.
Two players are not permitted to wear the same number on the same play, and any player who changes his jersey number to accommodate that rule must report to the referee, who informs the opposing coach and announces the change. If McClain, or any other player in that situation, fails to report to the referee, he would be assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
When he realized he would have to change jerseys before every kickoff, McClain first asked if he could switch to 99 — “If we’re going to do this, just make it funny at least,” he said — but that suggestion was nixed in favor of 41.
While 41 was likely chosen due to its one digit difference from No. 4, it is a number with recent history at Kentucky.
No UK player has been assigned the No. 41 jersey on a full-time basis since Josh Allen wore it during his national defensive player of the year season in 2018. Like his older brothers, Stoops wore No. 41 when they played at Iowa, too.
Of course, none of that intrigue matters much when McClain changes his jersey just to watch Poore kick the ball into the end zone.
“We still work the heck out of kickoff (coverage), believe me,” Stoops said last week before Poore failed to record a touchback for the first time this season. “… As Coach (Jay) Boulware talks about all the time, there will be one where he mishits and we better be covering it. Our guys are really running, and we’re playing very hard on special teams. We need to keep that going.”
Next game
Kentucky at Vanderbilt
When: Noon Saturday
TV: SEC Network
Records: Kentucky 3-0 (0-0 SEC), Vanderbilt 2-2 (0-0)
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Series: Kentucky leads 48-43-4
Last meeting: Vanderbilt won 24-21 on Nov. 12, 2022, in Lexington
Is it time to reshuffle Kentucky’s offensive line again? What’s wrong with Cats’ star WRs?
Facing former team is next challenge in Ray Davis’ quest to be one of nation’s top backs
‘A lot of frustration again.’ Everything Mark Stoops said after Kentucky’s win over Akron.
Kentucky football’s failures on offense in one area have Liam Coen’s frustration boiling
Kentucky football starts SEC play on Saturday. Its offense isn’t ready.
