Celebrating 40 Years!
with Kentucky Football TOM KALINOWSKI
To all former UK Football Letter Winners,
This upcoming football season brings a very big milestone for one of our very own in the UK Football Family. Tom Kalinowski will be serving in his 40th year as the University of Kentucky Football Equipment Manager. From serving as a student manager at UK in 1974 to completing his undergraduate degree in 1978, Tom, or “TK” as he is affectionately known, has dedicated his whole career to serving and outfitting Kentucky Football under eight different head coaches (Curci, Clairborne, Curry, Mumme, Morriss, Brooks, Phillips, & now Stoops).
Over those past 39 years, anyone who has worn the Blue & White have been outfitted - from shoelaces to shoulder pads, jockstrap to chin strap – by TK. And it's a job that never stops, with 80 hour work weeks and no days off to packing a semi-trailers with tons of football gear days before away games and hitting the road so its waiting when you arrive to loading tons of uniforms into huge washing machines so they’re ready to go for the next game. It goes on and on and on. He has done as much if not more, not just for the program, but for all those individuals who dressed in the Blue & White.
Several former Kentucky Football Alumni have reached out to the K Club in an effort to help organize a fundraiser to show our appreciation for TK and say thanks for the past 40 years that he has served and dressed in the Blue & White. So after contacting as many former Kentucky Football players and coaches to help us raise funds towards a new vehicle for TK, their generosity paid off and we were able to reach our goal of $25,000!! With the help of Paul Miller Ford, we were able to present a new Ford Escape for TK! Also, a very special thank you to Coach Mark Stoops and his coaching staff for their contributions to this effort.
For someone who has given so much to Kentucky Football, we hope TK enjoys this special gift. We also hope players and coaches from the past 40 years can stop in and say thank you to Tom Kalinowski for his devotion, loyalty, and commitment to the University of Kentucky.
Thank you to everyone for your generosity and support. Go Cats!