DEMAREE: Pulley and Masthay will be key

The last time we tried to interview Curtis Pulley, I did a bad job…tsk tsk. Unfortunately for Pulley, it was right after a loss at Boyle County in the high school football playoffs. He was pretty despondent and distraught and wasn’t able or unwilling to talk. This time it was different because it’s all guns ahead to Friday and hopefully a Kentucky All-Star victory over the Tennessee All-stars.

Let’s start by saying there have been many inaccurate figures thrown around about Pulley’s height and let’s get that straight. We’ve seen heights listed from 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-4. He is a legitimate 6-foot-3 1/2.

Pulley, a part of a quarterback duo that will be depended on heavily to win the game. Punter/place kicker Tim Masthay is equally as important to insure victory. The Tennessee roster features 21 of the 41 players as major Dl players. The Kentucky features 21 Dl players, also.

Head coach David Buchanan exhibited his excitement when we were preparing to talk to Pulley. On the fly, he stuck his head in a said: “Heah, I know it sounds like I talk about to you like I know you well but I have done a lot of research on you and have heard so many good things about your character and I am pretty fired up about having you.”

Just like Pulley and Masthay’s importance in the game Friday, their need to the UK program is equally as important. Based on spring practice, the backup quarterback position is wide open as well as the punting job.

The Wildcats almost didn’t have the services of Pulley. He almost went to Louisville to play for the Cardinals. “I was thinking about it a lot,” he said. The pressure of the recruitment was getting to me and just like a lot of teenagers change their minds, but in the end I stuck with UK.”

He was asked what was it about UK that made him decide to stick his guns? “They were there from the beginning and calling me every week and Louisville came on late.” he said. So, if Louisville had come in a little earlier, it might have been different? “Yeah,” he said.

We ask him that given there is no established backup quarterback a UK, how confident is he that he can come in and learn enough of the offense to be able to go out on the field and play in this league? “I think I can come in learn the basic offense and if the team needs me, I can go in a run the offense,” Pulley replied.

How disappointed was he that he didn’t make Mr. Basketball, too. “I wasn’t too disappointed because basketball was my backup sport and something I liked to do,” he explained. Pulley will double up and play in the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star basketball game, also. “I plan to drive home Friday night to quiet house and get plenty of rest, heal up and play the basketball game,” he said.