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Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Turnaround Cat
Greater Louisville, KY
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Paul Calhoun recalls his days on the gridiron for Bishop David and the University of Kentucky
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Most importantly, he helped to deliver what the recruiters had promised him: Paul Calhoun helped turn the Cats around.
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With 20 years of government service behind him, Paul Calhoun has earned his retirement and the chance to sit back and relax. But, he’s not one to kick back. “I’m working harder now than ever--I’m remodeling homes,” he says.
Calhoun knows a little about hard work. As a senior at Bishop David High School in 1981, he was recruited by Fran Curci to play for the University of Kentucky Wildcats. There, he was thrown into a team whose season record would be 0-10-1. “That was a tough year. But the recruiters sold it to me that should I come and play for the Wildcats, I would be part of history in helping turn the team around,” Calhoun says. And, it was close to home.
Calhoun had his options. His other visits included Notre Dame, Tennessee, Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Michigan. But he chose Kentucky over other teams with winning records.
He laughs when asked about his career highlights, and quietly mentions just the team’s overall achievements. As the conversation goes on, he humbly recalls that he had been awarded second team All American for two positions; punter and defensive back. A deeper dig for Calhoun’s stats on a UK website reveals that awards were abundant: first team All SEC, second team All American, third team All American, Most Valuable Senior Award, Outstanding Defensive Back, Special Teams Award, member of the Hula Bowl and Japan Bowl Teams in 1984 at Free Safety, and he was part of the 1983 and 1984 Hall Of Fame Bowl teams.
Most importantly, he helped to deliver what the recruiters had promised him: Paul Calhoun helped turn the Cats around. The year after the 0-10-1 season, the Cats secured a Bowl Bid with a 6-4-1 record. The 1983 squad tied for the Nation’s Most Improved Team. Although Kentucky lost in the Hall of Fame Bowl that year, they went on to play again in the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1984, winning by one point. A pass intercepted by Calhoun was instrumental in the win, ultimately leading to points on the board.
After his senior year, Calhoun tried out for St. Louis two years in a row, and then again for the Denver Broncos strictly as a punter, but didn’t make the cut.
Armed with a degree in business from the University of Kentucky, Calhoun landed a position with the State Attorney General’s office, where he spent seven years. For the next 13, he worked for the Louisville Fire Department, thus giving 20 years’ service to local government, entitling him to a youthful retirement.
Calhoun is married to Lisa, whom he met when she was a senior at Angela Merici. “She was a year older than me and was on her way to college. We dated through school and were married.”
Calhoun’s daughters keep him involved in athletics. He has not coached teams since grade school basketball, but he volunteers time to help the competitions run smoothly. Mckenzie, the oldest at 16, has been a competitive cheerleader for Assumption for the last three years, but will cheer her senior year for Trinity. Alex, 15, also at Assumption, plays field hockey. And Jenna, 9, plays basketball at St. Martha and swims for Woodhaven Country Club.
For fun, Calhoun spends weekends on Rough River or Nolin Lake with family and friends.
Although his attempts to make it in the professional leagues never panned out, he seems to be a very content man. “You know,” he says slowly, almost hesitantly, “it would have been fun to play in the pros for a couple of years. I know for sure the money would have been fun. However, you never know how things are going to go. And I’m happy with what I’ve got.”
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