Schlarman is the first nominee for Orange Bowl Courage Award

Kentucky offensive line coach John Schlarman has been nominated for the 2018 Orange Bowl Courage Award, it was announced Tuesday by the Football Writers Association of America. So far, he is the only nominee on the list for the award that is given annually to a player, coach or support person in college football who displays courage on or off the field. As I'm sure you've heard, Schlarman has remained on the UK sideline and at practice while battling cancer and undergoing several hours of chemotherapy each week. His perseverance has become an inspiration for the team, and on Saturday he was given a game ball after the Cats upset Florida in The Swamp. [caption id="attachment_246836" align="alignnone" width="1200"] @UKFootball[/caption] “It was a special moment,” Mark Stoops said. “With what John is going through, the way he’s handling this, the way he’s handling the adversity in his life is something that we all respect and for his players to perform the way they did, and the way they care about him says a lot. I thought it was fitting to recognize John and all of our players really felt good about doing that. John is a special guy, very talented and is also a great example of how you handle the diversity in your life.” The Orange Bowl Courage Award is voted on by a select group of writers from the FWAA. A new nominee will be added to the list each week before a winner will be selected at the end of the season.