VAUGHT: Tywanna Patterson a unique parent

One of the best parts of my job is the people I meet. Someone I am growing to like more and more is Tywanna Patterson, the mother of UK standout Patrick Patterson. The next KSR magazine will feature the Patterson family. To whet your appetite, here's an excerpt on why Patterson and her husband went to California to watch UK in the NCAA Tourney even though their son was injured and could not play.

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What speaks even louder is that Tywanna Patterson was genuinely surprised that anyone would have been surprised that she and her husband continue to support the Wildcats in person when their son couldn’t play.

“That never crossed our mind (not to go). We wanted to be there for the team (at the NCAA Tournament). We are there to support him and the team. I know some parents might not come if their son was not playing, but we are not like that. We wanted to be there,” she said. “We made plans for California right away. We were even at the team hotel. We go to the games because we support him and the team. Patrick was there to support the team, and we were there to support Patrick and the team.”

Patrick Patterson never doubted his parents would make their way from Huntington, W.Va., to California for their first NCAA trip even though he wasn’t playing.

“My family feels that they are obligated and have to come to every single game, but they also enjoy coming out to game. They didn’t want to miss one in California. They didn’t care about the plane ticket or the cost. They just wanted to be here for our team,” Patterson said.

Tywanna Patterson recalled how both her and her husband went to two high school games when Patrick had a sprained ankle and couldn’t play. He missed two more games due to a suspension for receiving two technical fouls in one game his junior season, and they were at both games.

“We’ve just always been there for him. He never had to really sit on the bench (and not play), but if he had, we would have been there, too,” Tywanna Patterson said.