Music City Bowl Notebook: JJ Weaver Prepares for First Bowl Appearance
The Music City Bowl will be Kentucky’s seventh straight postseason appearance, but the first bowl game for J.J. Weaver. The fourth-year outside linebacker from Louisville can’t wait to hit the field at Nissan Stadium.
“I’ve been hurt, I got Covid, so I’ve been excited ever since I got here,” Weaver said Thursday afternoon. “Last night at the team event, we seen Iowa for the first time. It was just a good environment, everybody was rowdy. I think everybody’s ready after last night.”
Kentucky kept Weaver on the sideline for the 2019 Belk Bowl to preserve his redshirt. The following year he tore his ACL in a November game at Florida. In 2021 he tested positive for COVID-19 hours before the Citrus Bowl kicked off. An elbow injury sidelined Weaver for two games early in the 2022 season, but now he’s feeling as healthy as ever.
“I’m one hundred percent. Because of my elbow, I took two weeks off and ever since then I’ve been perfect.”
Weaver is ready for one final ride with his longtime running-mate, Jordan Wright. The two have known each other since they were children in Broward County, Florida.
“We’ve been having crazy emotions throughout the week… That relationship’s so crazy,” said Weaver. “I’m gonna miss that boy.”
Brad White Cherishes Moments In-Between White Lines
The hand-wringing over bowl games has gotten ridiculous. Hot take artists can’t resist the low-hanging opt-out fruit. Meanwhile, there are hundreds and thousands of college football players loving every minute of bowl season. From Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White:
“When you cross that white line, especially when it’s a game, the fact that nothing is guaranteed, nothing’s guaranteed. You don’t know how many games you have. And you get to play in another game on national television so your friends and your family and people that don’t even know you get to watch you, you need to step up and perform,” said White.
“I think watching, you can see it when you watch bowl games. You see the excitement, you see guys cheering. It doesn’t matter where you’re at, what venue, how many fans, what’s at stake, football is fun. Making big hits is fun. Making big plays, celebrating with your teammates, we can’t lose sight of that.
“I put it out there on signing day. People start to lose the joy and how big signing day is. It’s a life-changing moment for a young man and their family. Bowl games, it’s a chance to come out on a national stage and perform. For a young player that’s never played much or an old guy that can be playing his last game before he gives a shot at the next level, where nothing’s guaranteed, these moments matter. They matter for relationships. They matter for coaches, the players and you only get a limited amount of time with guys. You gotta make the most of it. I try to cherish every moment with our guys.”
Dane Key Not Tipping Hand on Kentucky Quarterback
“It’s been great,” Dane Key responded to a question about the quarterbacks. “We’ve been flying around. All of the quarterbacks have been throwing it to us. We trust in all of them, whichever one plays. We can’t wait to find out. We don’t know which one as receivers. We’re just going to go out there and do what we do.”
Sure, you don’t know who will start at quarterback in the Music City Bowl. Sure. He did say this about Destin Wade, the likely starter who spent plenty of time throwing passes with the ones during Music City Bowl practice.
“Destin is a playmaker. He can do it on his feet and he can throw the ball. I just think as a quarterback, that brings a lot to the table, coming out and using his legs. It’s dangerous for him if he gets loose out the pocket on his feet. But then if he stays in the pocket, he can make that deep ball throw, or any type of throw.”
Dane ain’t lying.
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