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Mark Stoops calls on donations for Kentucky LB Chris Oats for wheelchair-accessible van
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Kentucky linebacker Chris Oats continues to recover from a stroke suffered in May 2020.
A GoFundMe page dedicated to raising funds for medical bills and other needs for Oats’ care, under the “22OatsStrong” banner, has raised over $60,000 as of Sept. 9. The page was created by Wildcats tight end Keaton Upshaw.
Head coach Mark Stoops on Thursday called upon Kentucky fans to consider donating, especially as Oats is in need of a wheelchair-accessible van.
In addition to helping pay for medical bills, the https://t.co/cGrL5ZCK79 @gofundme page is raising funds to get a special, wheelchair accessible van to help in his everyday life. Any amount helps. pic.twitter.com/OS0Aytu7k8
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) September 9, 2021
A native of Cincinnati that starred at Winton Woods High School, Oats was a former 4-star recruit out of the class of 2018 for the Wildcats. He registered 27 tackles and 3.0 tackles for a loss as a true freshman in 2018 while becoming the team’s 5th leading tackler a season later with 46.
However, in May 2020, he was admitted to the hospital for a “medical issue”. That was later revealed to be a stroke, and he has been recovering ever since.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
