Cards' football Kickoff an upbeat start to 2014

Charles Gaines and his teammates stole the show at Thursday's University of Louisville Kickoff Luncheon at the downtown Marriott.

The junior cornerback, who was just named a captain for 2014, had season-ticket holders in stitches when he took the stage for a short interview with event emcee Sean Moth.

"Can I have another steak?" Gaines started.

A minute later, he said offensive tackle Jamon Brown was the best singer on the team, likening the 6-foot-6, 325-pound senior to former "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard.

Brown wasn't a huge fan of the comparison, but that didn't stop him from coming on stage and singing an old church hymn.

That was the general spirit of Thursday's event, which lasted about 90 minutes. U of L fans will have another opportunity to see the players and coaches on Saturday, when the school hosts its annual fall sports Fan Day from 3-5 p.m. at Cardinal Arena on campus.

The Cardinals are scheduled for a 9 a.m. scrimmage on Saturday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. It's open to the public.

Athletic director Tom Jurich opened Thursday's luncheon by saying new coach Bobby Petrino was not only "the fans' choice," but he's also the most popular coach in U of L football history.

"I appreciate coming home," Petrino told the crowd before introducing his family and praising his players. "We had to adapt to the change as quick as possible."

He also urged fans to help with the Card March, when players and coaches exit their team buses and head inside the stadium roughly two hours before a game. And he said he hopes the "blackout" for the Sept. 1 opener against Miami will start the season with a bang.

"This is one of the hardest places to play in the country," Petrino said.

The luncheon was a brief break from the team's preseason camp. The Cardinals worked out Thursday morning and have two practices scheduled Friday.

But for at least one lunchtime, the players could let loose a little bit.

Expected starting quarterback Will Gardner said his favorite golfer is Bubba Watson. The redshirt sophomore has taken to golf since arriving at U of L from Douglas, Ga., but he told Moth, "I'm not thinking much about golf right now."

Defensive end Sheldon Rankins pleaded with his teammates to return some of the movies they borrowed from his collection of about 300 DVDs.

Another team captain, defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin, was asked who the best dancer on the team is. He cleared his throat.

"Moi," he said, then broke into the Nae Nae with teammate Kevin Houchins.

Senior offensive lineman Jake Smith was the last player on stage, and the former high school pitcher in Jacksonville, Ala., offered some help for the U of L baseball team if it needs his 6-foot-4, 307-pound frame to block the plate.

"I don't really bring any skills to the table, but I can do some dirty work," he said.

Reach Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter @jeffgreer_cj.