Thank You Letter From Padgetts

Courier-Journal writer "The Silver Fox" Rick Bozich posted a letter from the parents of David Padgett that they wanted to be passed along to the Cardinal Nation. David Padgett has found a home on a team in the Canary Islands, but will always have a home in Louisville. I'm sure he's drop-stepping and hooking the big guys over there just like he was here. Let's hope he stays healthy and gets a fair shot at the league.

Cardinal Fans.

November is here, the month when basketball is fully underway - always a favorite month for David Padgett's family. With the Cardinals' first regular season games fast approaching, a reality has finally set in - our chapter of Louisville Basketball is truly at an end. We have no airline tickets and no reservations at our favorite Louisville hotels. Our memories of a pre-game meal at Penn Station or celebrating a Cardinal victory at some very special local establishment will be just that, a memory. We miss the excitement already. However, even though we won't be in Freedom Hall on game days this year, we will be cheering loudly for the Cards as we watch or listen to the games out here in Reno. Our family would like to express our sincere appreciation to the citizens of Louisville for the kindness and support you all showed David during his four years at U of L. He couldn't have been in a better place! As parents, it was comforting to see our son treated so kindly everywhere he went and we are very grateful that David has a very special home right in the heart of Kentucky. So, thank you Louisville!We would also like to thank the wonderful people involved in U of L athletics. There so many we can't list them all, but we'd like to thank Athletic Director Tom Jurich for hiring a brilliant basketball coach, Stephanie Diebold for answering all of our questions, Tim Sypher for his east coast humor and endless supply of basketball socks, Coach Ganong for helping David stay strong, Matt Morris for his endless nights in the film room, Vinnie Tatum for being David's best friend, and all of the assistant coaches, past and present, who were there to give David encouragement and share a laugh with. To David's teammates, we thank you for taking such good care of him after his surgery and for always having his back on the court, just as he had yours. And to the fans in the stands, you're the best in college basketball! A very special thank-you goes to two extraordinary people involved in David's U of L career. Dr. Norman Scott, you gave David new knees and the chance to continue his playing career. We can never thank you enough for your exceptional talent and excellent care. Fred Hina, you were David's salvation after surgery and provided more than rehabilitation care, you were, and are, one of David's closest friends. We thank you for helping David achieve his college basketball dreams and caring for him as you would one of your own.And lastly, there is no way to sufficiently express the gratitude and respect we have for Rick Pitino. Sometimes you have to take the long road to get to the right place, and that certainly is the case with David's journey to U of L. But Coach Pitino was waiting patiently at the end of that road and led David on an excellent four-year adventure culminating in last year's trip to the Elite Eight. Along the way, he coached David, not only in the game of basketball, but also in the game of life displaying the same compassion and care someone would share with his own children. As parents living 2,000 miles away, we couldn't have asked for more. Coach Pitino, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you've done for David. We will be forever grateful to you and will always be your biggest fans.Now, it's on to a new basketball season. Good luck to the team and, as always, GO CARDS!!!


With our gratitude,


Debbie and Pete Padgett