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PATHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF COACH BRADSHAW TOTALITARIAN COMMANDO FOOTBALL, HIS ASSISTANTS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY IN 1962  

[Reference: A Longitudinal and Retrospective Study of The Impact of Coaching Behaviors on the 1961-1962 University of Kentucky Football Wildcats”, Kay Collier McLaughlin, Ph.D., Micheal B. Minix Sr. M.D., Twila Minix, R.N., Jim Overman, Scott Brogdon]

• 2008 RESEARCH RESULTS:

• Section 1. Psychological Athlete Abuse Research:
• The Psychological (Emotional) Athlete Abuses, at the hands of Charlie Bradshaw and his assistants, that were sustained by the last team recruited by Coach Blanton Collier and his assistants, was Post Traumatic Shock Reaction (Disorder), a condition similar to that of Vietnam veterans, according to 2 psychologists close to the University of Kentucky football program in 1962 and professionally experienced with Vietnam veterans.
• Their concerns prompted us to survey our 1961-1962 University of Kentucky freshman team. The result was “A Longitudinal and Retrospective Study of The Impact of Coaching Behaviors on the 1961-1962 University of Kentucky Football Wildcats”, Kay Collier McLaughlin, Ph.D., Micheal B. Minix Sr. M.D., Twila Minix, R.N., Jim Overman, Scott Brogdon
• 100% of the players who responded to the survey and who from recollections of their football experience in 1961-1962 manifest some degree of Post Traumatic Stress Reaction (Disorder) from the physical and psychological athlete abuse from Charlie Bradshaw and assistant coach perpetrators. 100% suffered verbal and psychological (emotional) abuse. Other more serious emotional conditions were evident but not surveyed.

• Section 2. Physical Athlete Abuse Research:
• The total population of players on the 1961-1962 University of Kentucky Freshman Football Team was _____48______ at the beginning of the 1961 Fall season.
  A total of ___47__players were mailed the questionnaire. One of the players was never found.
  47 of 48 (97.9%) of the players or their families were contacted and provided with study questions.
  A total of ______24______players responded to the study questionnaire.
  _____1___ player was excluded because of random error.
  A total of ____23_____players made up the sample population included in this study.
  100% of the players were Caucasian.
  The average age was ____18 ____ in 1961-1962.
  100% of the players were male.
  Their religious affiliations were not determined in this survey study.
  ___63__%__(30 players)__of the original 48 players were from Kentucky.
  ____37__%__(18 players)__were from outside Kentucky.
  A total of ___55_____% team replied with answers to the questions.
  A total of ____45____% team did not reply with answers to the questions.
  A total of ____20_____% of team families replied with answers to the questions for their deceased member, because they knew the answers. They only answered the questions they knew.
• Of the population sample of players who replied to the questions the following were the results:
• A total of __100____% of the players in this sample met at least one positive coaching abuse criterion as described in the method. Every player who answered received multiple forms of abuse.
• “The physical abuse was so common place (20+ times per player per practice) ……..it seemed the Coaches were gunning for them”, one player said.
• 100% of the football athletes received no water during conditioning, work-outs and practices.
• A total of __21____% were struck by a coach’s fist, or punched one or more times.
  __26____% forearmed by coaches one or more times in the face.
  ___9___% kicked by the coaches one or more times.
  ___4___% teeth were broken by the coaches fists
  ___13___% received broken or injured bones
  ___13___% were head butted by the coaches one or more times in the face.
  A total of ___61___% received no medical attention for their football injuries that occurred during practice one or more times. .
  A total of ___52___% played while they were injured.
  A total of ___52___% had improper medical or surgical treatment
  A total of ___9___% were told according to a second opinion that their treatments were improper by the team physicians at the University of Kentucky.
  In addition ___30____% offered additional coaches’ mistreatments that were not asked in this survey.
  In addition ___9____% offered additional coaches’ physical abuse not asked as a question in this survey study.
• Male life expectancy hit a record 75.2 years in 2004, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced.
• 13 of the 1961 Freshman team members, continued with Bradshaw in the Fall of 1962, according to football program.
• One freshman, the last player signed by Coach Collier in late December, 1961, who enrolled in the Spring Semester, January 1962, continued with Bradshaw in the Fall of 1962 as a red shirt.
• Another player was attending school on football scholarship but not playing football and not a member of the team in the Fall of 1962. He finished UK having never played football under Bradshaw in an agreement facilitated by basketball head coach, Coach Adolph Rupp.
• Only 10 players from the 1961 freshmen team of the 13 were included in the Thin Thirty team picture.
• 2 Thin Thirty 1961 Freshman who remained with Bradshaw are deceased. Both suffered fatal heart attacks.
  4 “Pullout” 1961 Freshman who did not continue with Bradshaw in the Fall of 1962 are deceased.
• Football players are generally in good physical condition. Most college football players are taken care of well. Among the 8,961 pro-football players born in the last 50 years, at least 130 are already deceased.
• Among 4,382 professional baseball players, 31 are known to have died. That means 1 in every 69 football players is deceased compared to 1 in every 154 baseball players.
• 14 % of the pro-football players born in the last 50 years are deceased = 1 / 69
• 11.4 % of the last team recruited by Coach Blanton Collier are deceased. = 12 / 105 players. 6 Upperclassmen and 6 freshmen in the fall of 1961.
• 27 % of The Thin Thirty are Deceased = 8 / 30
  These include both freshmen and upperclassmen.
  Their ages now would be about 65-66. (when published 2012)
• 30 % of The Thin Thirty Upperclassmen are deceased or = 6/20
• 12.5 % Of the 1961 UK Freshmen Football team are deceased. These include The Thin Thirty Freshmen members + Freshmen “Pull Outs” = 6 / 48
• 20 % of The Thin Thirty freshmen are deceased = 2 / 10
• 10.5 % of the “Pull Out” freshmen are deceased = 4 / 38 The percentage deceased for The Thin Thirty Freshmen, who remained with Bradshaw the 1962 season was near double The “Pull Out” Freshmen football players.
• THE 2nd SURVEY STUDY RESULTS
• The total population of players on the 1961-1962 University of Kentucky Freshman Football Team was _____48______
  A total of ___47__players or their families, if the player was deceased, were mailed the questionnaire
  _________1_______player was not found.
  A total of ______31______players responded
  _____1_______ random error was excluded.
  A total of ____30________players were included in this survey study sample population.
• The following were the questions and how they were answered:
  Would you want you son to play football for a coach like Charlie Bradshaw as Bradshaw behaved in 1962 ?
• Yes________ No______97%______
  No son ____ 3% or 1 / 30_______
• Have you forgiven Charlie Bradshaw for mistreating you?
• Yes___46.5 % ____ No___50 %____ N/A___3.5 %__
• Are you working on forgiving Charlie Bradshaw?
  Yes___14.8%____ No____51.9 % _____
• ince Bear Bryant, the 2 winningest University of Kentucky Football coaches are Bear Bryant and Blanton Collier. Coach Blanton Collier is winningest coach against Tennessee.
• § “Coach Bear Bryant coached Kentucky 1946-1953 seasons. He compiled W-60 L-23 T-5 record in 8 years. “Bryant’s 60 victories are still a UK football record for head coaches. Bryant UK W-68.18%.
  • Bryant UK vs Tennessee W-1 L-5 T-2
  • “Blanton Collier coached UK 8 years and compiled W-41 L-36 T-3 1954 to 1961.
  • Coach Collier is the winningest coach against Tennessee W-5 L-2 T-1.
  • Coach Blanton Collier Career at UK W-51.25%
  • Coach Blanton Collier Career at Cleveland Browns (after UK) W-76 L-34 T-2 W-69.1%
  • Coach Rich Brooks W- 45.3% Coach Joker Phillips W- 35.1%
• Charlie Bradshaw (who followed Coach Collier at UK) won 38.6% of his games during his tenure as head University of Kentucky football coach. [Official Site University of Kentucky Wildcats]

PTSD SECONDARY TO COACH BRADSHAW AND THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY TOTALITARIAN COMMANDO FOOTBALL, February 10, 2017 

Frequently UK football alumni contact this scientific investigator because of my advocacy and promotion of Athlete Safety 1st and advocacy for the prevention of Child and Youth Athlete Abuse, research and my medical profession.

In response to a former Bradshaw UK Football Athlete, who was a terrific player and was likewise physically and psychologically abused, and who, after 57 years continues his Bradshaw UK Football ‘nightmare’, which also continues for many former UK football athletes, this scientific investigator responded:

• Dear…… ......, 
• I feel your pain about UK Bradshaw Football deep into my bones. I am so sorry you have suffered from his torment and mistreatment all these years.
• Recently, someone asked me why loud noises shake me; make me flinch, jerk and react. I explained, that even though I am 74 years old, I remain ‘shell-shocked’ from Bradshaw UK football. I am still in some ways a ‘punch-drunk Joe Palooka’, to some extent. ‘Punch-drunk’ from both psychological and physical jabs and hooks, With age both inflictions ferment and worsen, if  not confronted.
• Concussions make present and past Athletes 'on-edge and jittery.
• Like your team, my class of 1961 teammates and I were physically and psychologically conditioned like ‘Pavlov dogs’, drilled and repeatedly concussed and dinged-on-the-head to ‘fire-out’ at the ‘drop of a hat’, an instant signal or usually humiliating, derogatory scream. Some, who were singled out to be “ran-off” (sic coaches terms) the screams were often followed by coaches’ kicking or head butting the player’s nose (face guards were one bar or no bar), knocking-out or loosening a players’ teeth and several coaches jumping the unsuspecting athlete and then with fists beating him repatedly.
• And like you, the tough football didn’t bother us. We grew up in tough football. Injuries sustained from the legal play of football were often ‘sucked-up’ and ‘played-through’, but, emotional and physical mistreatment, which crossed the line and emotional and physical abuse did bother us; particularly watching our buddies, horrifically mistreated.
• Some of the 'keepers, about 25, weren't beat-on as severely and not expected to continue in UK football, but were also subjected to the other abvuses. But their buddies were relentlessly beat like miserable beasts until they gave-up
• The coaches’ abnormal behaviors confused us players. Our mental concepts of how the game of football should be properly played, as mentored before Bradshaw, was altered. 
• The fundamentals of sportsmanship were cast aside. The disregard for players’ safety and well-being were bewildering and shocking.
• The ‘win-at-all-costs’ to eager football athletes and lack of concern for us human beings was horrific and scandalous. 
• We football players in those days were too honorable, disciplined and traditional to complain to anyone, particularly our parents, about our struggles. That wasn’t proper in those days. 
• ‘Total commando football’, absolute control, manipulation designed for ‘lesser players’, not student athletes, was Bradshaw’s modulus operandi. 
• As a result, the nightmares form Bradshaw UK Football has plagued all of us with PTSD for our lifetimes.
• There are 2 persistent messages derived from Bradshaw UK Totalitarian CommandoAbusive football:

1. Coaches should not Physically and Psychologically (Emotional) mistreat and abuse their Athletes
2. Athlete Victims who suffer from Physical and Emotional mistreatment, and everyone who suffers Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), no matter the cause or culprit, should:

• • Come to grips with the causes of their Abuse and Trauma
  • Come to grips with their persistent recurring symptoms
  • Become Educated about their Physical and Emotional mistreatment and PTSD
  • Employ Anxiety Management; seek advice and instruction.
  • Explore ways to cope with the emotional and physiological reactions that occur secondary to re-experiencing the Trauma that is stored in their memory, other internal and external persistent injuries, reminders and situations.
  • Revisit the Trauma
  • Don’t bury the Trauma in your mind
  • Discuss the Trauma with you Teammates, others and professionals
  • Pray about the Traumatic Events
  • Write a letter to the perpetrator, wad it up, throw it in the garbage and move on
  • Personal Forgiveness of the Perpetrators is different from Reconciliation
  • Reconciliation can occur when the Perpetrator Apologizes to you directly
  • Realize that True Justice is for God alone
  • Deal with the Trauma. Otherwise the Trauma will “eat at you the rest of your life”
  • Seek professional medical and psychological help if indicated

• Since Bear Bryant, the 2 winningest University of Kentucky Football coaches are Bear Bryant and Blanton Collier.
• Coach Blanton Collier is winningest coach against Tennessee.
• “Coach Bear Bryant coached Kentucky 1946-1953 seasons. He compiled W-60 L-23 T-5 record in 8 years. “Bryant’s 60 victories are still a UK football record for head coaches. Bryant UK W-68.18%.
  • Bryant UK vs Tennessee W-1 L-5 T-2
  • “Blanton Collier coached UK 8 years and compiled W-41 L-36 T-3 1954 to 1961.
  • Coach Collier is the winningest coach against Tennessee W-5 L-2 T-1.
  • Coach Blanton Collier Career at UK W-51.25%
  • Coach Blanton Collier Career at Cleveland Browns (after UK) W-76 L-34 T-2 W-69.1%
  • Coach Rich Brooks W- 45.3% Coach Joker Phillips W- 35.1%
• Charlie Bradshaw (who followed Coach Collier at UK) won 38.6% of his games during his tenure as head University of Kentucky football coach. [Official Site University of Kentucky Wildcats]

The sobering facts about our 1962 UK football experiences are that our obligations to family, the human race, and the Almighty, as the result of our blessings, are more important, than football. You were a magnifificient football player. Go with God’s Speed.

The publiction of this research is for others research, education and scholarship, not this resdearch journalist's bitterness, who is doing life well. This scientific investigator forgiveness of Charlie Bradshaw resulted from being a God-Centered physician. God gave me my gifts and I forgave Charlie Bradshaw. It took many years. In forgiving Charlie Bradshaw for his transgressions against me, I fulfilled the Gospel of God, as a physician. My forgiveness was from my heart filled with the connection with God, a manifestation of my spirituality.

The practice of medicine has always been heart-ffelt, not from my billfold. My practice of medicine, one of the 8 fields of knowledge, was one of the main ways I worshiped God. Medicine connected me spiritually with God.

One morning in 2010, after awakening I told my wife that I had forgiven Charlie Bradshaw for abusing me, because I finally realized that he was mentally ill and, as a physician, I must do everything possible to heal him, even after his death. Even though I could not reach his physical being, his soul was within the reach of a physician’s healing prayer.

Then, my wife and I went to the Centenary Methodist Church in Lexington, Kentucky that Sunday to hear my nephew Mark Minix Jr. play the largest pipe organ in Kentucky. He played all the songs for 3 services. We were proud of his performance and amazed by the pipe organ sounds.

I had never attnded Centenary Methodist Church. During the service the minister, it seemed, vionsarily preached forgiveness. She used Forest Gump and Jenny as the analogy. Jenny, who had been abused by her father, fell down in front of the house where she had been abused. She began throwing rocks at her old home.

Forest Gump said, “there are never enough rocks to throw” at evil, after Jenny ran out of rocks. The minister said, like Jenny, we needed to throw our heavy, burdensome rocks away and forgive our trespassers.

Jenny had been sexually abused, a different form of abuse than the physical and emotional abuse we football athletes suffered. Even so, Abuse and Mistreatment are still Abuse.

After the minister instructed us, while walking out of the of the sanctuary, I tossed a piece of paper into the trash can with the words: “I forgive Charlie Bradshaw for abusing me in football”. My heavy, burdensome rock was thrown in the trash can.

Since then, I have experienced relief and more peace from the anxieties secondary to Bradshaw’s football Trauma.

The publiction of this research is for others research, education and scholarship, 

The Thin Thirty, Book, 2007 by Shannon Ragland, Set Shot Press, gives a marvelous account of the UK Football Tragedy.