Ledford Proud of Efforts From Program During Offseason

Between adhering to the new normal & keeping their spirits high in the face of potentially having the season cancelled, Louisville OC Dwayne Ledford is proud of the program's overall efforts to ensure game week would finally arrive.

It's officially game week for Louisville, but for while there was real doubt we would ever get to this point.

Ever since the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic made its way into the sporting world back in mid-March and caused widespread cancellations & postponements across every realm of sport, many believed college football was next.

And it was, and to a degree still is under the mercy of the virus. Leagues such as the Big Ten & Pac-12 postponed competition in all fall sports to at least 2021, while some who are staying the course have experienced scheduling hiccups due to cluster outbreaks.

The Cardinals have been dealt an updated schedule because of the virus and still have to adhere to league & university instituted protocols & guidelines, but the program does indeed have live football on the horizon when the visiting Western Kentucky Hilltoppers come to town this weekend.

In an offseason where it would have been very easy to lose your motivation to play, offensive coordinator Dwayne Ledford is proud of the efforts by the program to keep spirits high while waiting for football's potential return.

"As a program - it starts with coach Satterfield and from the coaches down - we've down a great job keeping that positive attitude of like 'hey, we're gonna play a season'," he said in teleconference Tuesday after practice. "We've not really let (negative thoughts) creep up into our program."

The program was halfway through their spring practice period when the virus shut down Louisville's campus and sent the entire student body home. Players did not begin to return until June as part of AD Vince Tyra's phased plan to return them back the campus.

Ledford has previously lauded the efforts of head trainer Matt Summers and his staff for helping keep the program safe during this time, but he also commends the players for following along with the new normal that was presented to them.

"I think our guys did a really good job with that," he said. "I know it's been hard on them at times throughout this whole time, but I think for the most part these guys have done a really good job." 

He's not the only one who's excited to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Quarterback Micale Cunningham went as far to say that it's 'overwhelming' to get a chance to finally play another team, and that both sides of the ball are ready to lace them up for the season opener.

"All the players are up and happy, we're ready to go," Cunningham said. "If the game was in two hours, we'd be ready."

One of the many leaders on this squad, the redshirt junior believes that the Cardinals won't be lacking any motivation or energy despite there being a reduced amount of fans allowed in Cardinal Stadium for the 2020 season.

"We would love (to have more fans). It would help us on both sides of the ball, but us as players - we're motivated ourselves," he said. "It's basically self motivation, so we just have to bring our own juice."

Louisville is set to kickoff the season against the Hilltoppers at home on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 8:00pm on the ACC Network.

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