Kentucky football running back Seth McGowan knows the sins of his past followed him to Lexington. He knows there are people out there who will never let it go. Never let it not be a part of his description.
And he knows now that it’s not his problem.
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“I’m aware of others’ awareness of my past, and I simply take that into consideration,” McGowan said. “I don’t want to say I’m necessarily walking around on eggshells, but I do know that there will be a quicker tendency to label me on something that they may just see or hear or whatever.”
McGowan doesn’t deal with hearsay, he’ll tell you himself. He is transparent in acknowledging his bad judgment as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2020, when he and two former teammates were arrested and kicked off the team for a drug-related robbery. He ultimately pleaded guilty to a larceny charge.
But enough about his troubles. McGowan should be allowed to write a new chapter at UK without having to constantly revisit his worst moment.
He’s already paid a considerable price for it. The former four-star running back, who seemed to have a promising future with the Sooners, instead spent three months in jail before being sentenced to a year of probation.
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No schools would touch him while his legal troubles played out. There were times when he believed he’d never play football again. His lowest point came while he was locked up and his brother died by suicide.
“I think God just kind of slowed me down,” McGowan said. “The way that I was at the time, and the way that I was living was not sustainable. And, at the time, I was too immature to see that.”
It’s been a long journey to get back to playing at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, but McGowan is thankful for all the steps along the way. He credits meditation and growing stronger in his faith for helping him find peace.
He was back on the field in 2023 at Butler Community College and parlayed that into signing with New Mexico State last year. McGowan led the Aggies with 823 yards rushing last season and was the team’s only player to surpass 1,000 total yards from scrimmage thanks to an additional 277 receiving yards.
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His production isn’t the reason to be excited about McGowan’s potential with the Cats.
His journey is.
“This is the most confident I’ve been out of any season that I’ve ever played football just because I know what I’m playing for,” McGowan said. “I know what I’ve been equipped with, and I’m just ready to put all that on display for this program, for the state of Kentucky and for my family.”
McGowan knows it’s his last and best chance to make an impression on NFL scouts. That’s still his dream that he once took for granted when he came out of high school in Mesquite, Texas, with offers from all the powerhouse schools including Alabama, Texas and Michigan.
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Because of how he got to this point, McGowan is way more appreciative of his opportunity at UK. McGowan said running backs coach/special teams coordinator Jay Boulware kept up with him “when football wasn’t even a reality for me at one point,” and his encouragement meant a lot.
Because he’s treated every rep with so much urgency, he’s been told to tone it down in practice, but he’s never been told he needs to pick up his intensity.
“I just want people to know this is what choosing faith looks like,” McGowan said. “When you choose faith, you focus on the opportunity and not the obstacle.”
McGowan has cleared his biggest obstacle and left it where it belongs: in his rearview.
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Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football: Seth McGowan took wrong turn but now on right path
