Trainor deserves ‘job well done’

FAYETTEVILLE — From his start in the 1980s as a student assistant in the University of Arkansas sports information department into now his seventh season as the Razorbacks associate athletic director for public relations, Kevin Trainor has done outstanding and calmly understated work.

But it’s hard to imagine he’s done anything more outstanding or calmly understated yet appreciated than this last weekend.

David Bazzel, the former Razorback and the emcee for Saturday’s celebration of Frank Broyles’ life, credited Trainor with coordinating the weekend’s tribute to the Razorbacks’ legendary football coach, athletic director and athletic director emeritus who remained the face of the Razorbacks, even through his Alzheimer’s years during which he functioned amazingly well for the bulk of them, until his death Aug. 14.

The Broyles family could not have asked for a better tribute than last Saturday’s six speakers, including Broyles’ oldest son, Jack, former UA Chancellor Dan Ferritor, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, former UA football coach Ken Hatfield and Razorback color football analyst Quinn Grovey, among others. Grovey, who was the All-Southwest Conference quarterback during the Hatfield era, was personally touched by Broyles’ Alzheimer’s Playbook for Caregivers, which was based on Broyles’ caring for Barbara during her battle with Alzheimer’s.

Grovey’s mother died of Alzheimer’s, but the care her son provided improved nearly 100 percent after reading Broyles’ book.

Everything, including the videos interspersed with the speeches, was first-rate.

It took a first-rate job coordinating it all. Kevin coordinated it like he’s one of the family, which he is. He is married to Ruth Whitehead Trainor, mother of two extended Broyles-Whitehead family granddaughters.

Kevin would have done superbly under all conditions, but his connection to the family showed start to finish.

Hatfield credited Broyles’ life as a “job well done,” and it should be extended to Broyles’ son-inlaw, too.

Open week vs early opener

The Florida A&M Rattlers have a head start on the Razorbacks this week but could be worn out because of it by the time they open Arkansas’ season at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

For this week, even with Monday’s start of UA fall semester classes, coach Bret Bielema’s Razorbacks likely will feel locked more in tedious preseason than a game-week mode.

Florida A&M of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opens its season Saturday on ESPNU against Texas Southern of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

However, the old adage of a team improving the most between its first and second game shouldn’t scare Arkansas.

The underdog Rattlers’ short week recovery from Saturday’s game before a Thursday game won’t be helped by riding the bus from their Tallahassee headquarters to Little Rock.

At least the Rattlers’ head coach, Alex Wood, is familiar with Arkansas and Little Rock.

Wood coached quarterbacks in 2006 and receivers in 2007 for the Razorbacks of former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt.

Backup QB

By the end of this week, Bielema has said he and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dan Enos plan to designate a top backup quarterback between third-year sophomore Ty Storey of Charleston and redshirt freshman Cole Kelley of Lafayette, La.

The No. 2 position likely will be an empty title if senior in-

cumbent starter Austin Allen of Fayetteville stays healthy but obviously would become paramount if Allen became incapacitated.

Of course No. 2 now seems a head start for the No. 1 next spring with Allen moved on. However, by then presumably redshirting scholarship freshman Daulton Hyatt should be a candidate.

And if Jack Lindsey and Carson Proctor keep improving like what media saw of them in this month’s preseason scrimmages, don’t exclude walk-ons them from next season’s battle to succeed Allen.

Schedule

Bielema scheduled a closed practice Sunday and customarily uses Monday for the players to get established on their first day of UA classes before resuming drills Tuesday.

Bielema will be in Little Rock today addressing the Little Rock Touchdown Club and addresses the Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club Wednesday.