Tuesday, December 30, 1997

Former Cooper player hopes to make it to the NFL

By TED DUNNAM / Assistant Sports Editor

Jay Pugh must have had mixed emotions watching the Dallas Cowboys this year.

There was this hope that they would succeed, but that hope, week after week, had to give way to an underlying message that delivered one big plea in the Cowboy camp.

WANTED: OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

Pugh, a former Cooper baseball and football standout, recently completed his senior season at Texas Tech, capping the campaign by being named as the Associated Press' all-Big 12 Conference second team center.

At 6-3 and 300 pounds, he's sure not to be overlooked on the field and in scouting reports.

"I'm going to give it a shot," Pugh said of playing in the NFL. "I'd kick myself in the behind if I didn't. People have shown some interest in me so I feel obligated to give it a shot. If it doesn't work out, then I'll go from there."

Pugh entered Tech at 6-1 and 265 pounds and departs a much bigger and stronger person. He's also just eight hours away from his degree in exercise sports science.

He's enjoyed the good times and weathered the bad. But during Tech's roller-coaster ride, Pugh has remained on an even keel.

"As a team, we had a lot of ups and downs this year, but I thought we hung together real well," Pugh said. "On the offensive line, we got better throughout the year. We had a young backfield and we had to mature in a hurry.

"I felt I was pretty consistent throughout the year. Week in and week out, we didn't change much. Being more experienced than most people on the line, I had to play by example. I had to set the example for the younger guys."

Tech finished the season at 6-5 and possibly could have gone to a bowl game, but the school withdrew itself from consideration because of NCAA violations that have seemingly dangled above the Red Raiders' head for much of Pugh's final two years.

Nevertheless, Pugh was able to maintain his focus each week.

"It seemed early on in the year that we had a lot of adversity. About Thursday of every week, you were wondering what was going to happen next," Pugh said. "We just had to overcome it, and the coaching staff did a good job of not harping on it."

From an individual standpoint, Pugh handled it well and went on to have a banner season.

He believes he's a good pass and run blocker, plus he handled all of Tech's deep snapping duties.

"I can't really say whether I'm a better pass or run blocker. Two years ago, we had Byron Hanspard and he rushed for 2,000 yards," Pugh said. "This year, we didn't really have a running game until late in the season. It seems like it's been different every year. But I think I got better at both with each succeeding year.

"Three hundred (pounds) is a comfortable playing weight for me. I know people don't throw me around as much as they used to."

Since Tech's season ended on Nov. 22, Pugh has been lifting weights and running four days a week. He says he runs "about a five-flat 40" and the second fastest lineman on Tech's team runs about a 5.2.

He'll continue to work out until the NFL draft, and if he isn't selected, he'll go the free agent route.

"I don't know if I'll get drafted and haven't really thought about it," he said. "A lot of it is being in the right place at the right time.

"It would be nice to go to the Cowboys, but then again if I had to go to New England, that would be OK, too. I just want to go somewhere that I can hopefully fit in. I just want an opportunity."