Former Kentucky LB Chris Oats was on the sideline at Kroger Field on Saturday

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.

It was just a couple of months ago that former Kentucky linebacker Chris Oats was able to take his first unassisted step since suffering a medical incident in 2020. On Saturday, Oats was on the Kroger Field sideline meeting with his old head coach, Mark Stoops, ahead of Kentucky's showdown with Ole Miss in Lexington.

Although Kentucky came up short against the Rebels, 30-23, it's moments like this that remind you life goes far beyond the game of football. Major credit to Stoops for bringing Oats back to UK again. The Big Blue Nation sure does miss watching him make plays up and down that field.

Oats was a former four-star high school recruit out of Cincinnati's Winton Woods before committing to Stoops and the Wildcats. He totaled 27 tackles across 13 games played as a true freshman in 2018 before recording 46 tackles (fifth on the team) as a sophomore in 2019. Oats started two of the 12 games he appeared in that season, totaling a career-high eight tackles against South Carolina.

Unfortunately, his football career was cut short after that. He suffered a stroke in the summer of 2020 that has since restricted him to a wheelchair, but he's making strides every day. If you follow him on social media, you know he hasn't let this incident stop him from living his life to the fullest. The Kentucky football program even honored him for Senior Day in 2022, to which he received a loud ovation.

It was around this time last year that Oats was standing on his own. Progress is being made every single day. You can still support Oats on his journey by clicking the link here. His fundraiser, 22OatsStrong, recently surpassed the $250,000 mark.

#OatsStrong