Pulley signs to play at Lincoln

SIKESTON -- Sikeston senior Treston Pulley was simply looking for another opportunity to play football.

He found his chance with Lincoln University.

Pulley recently signed a letter of intent to play football for Lincoln University in Jefferson City.

"Lincoln was the school that gave me the opportunity to play," Pulley said. "Not too many schools looked at me. I'm just blessed to have this chance to play."

If one was to take a quick glance at Pulley's stats from just a season ago, the school to give Pulley a chance may have landed a hidden gem.

The Bulldog linebacker had a total of 133 tackles including seven sacks in his senior campaign.

Pulley had a knack for catching the offense behind the line of scrimmage. He set the Missouri high school record with 32 tackles for loss.

He also added one interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in the Bulldogs' second-straight 13-1 season.

"If you think about going into last season, he may have been overlooked by some of the so-called 'names', if you will," Sikeston football coach Kent Gibbs said. "But certainly, we thought Treston was going to be a good football player for us.

"I don't know if people realize but he was also a very good offensive player. As a linebacker, he certainly made a lot of plays for us."

Pulley is entering Lincoln University in a time of change.

The Blue Tigers will begin their first season with a new coaching regime headed by former Missouri Tiger and St. Louis Ram, Mike Jones.

Jones, who is known by many for making "The Tackle" in Super Bowl XXXIV against the Tennessee Titans spent the previous season as linebackers coach at Southern University in Louisiana.

"He's a straight-forward guy," Pulley said about Jones. "He'll let you know up front what he wants from you and what he's going to do with you. They let me know about how I play. He's a straight-forward guy and I like that.

"They're a whole new program. We have a whole new coaching staff, new defense and new offense."

Before his time at Southern, Jones spent six years at Hazelwood East High School in St. Louis. He led Hazelwood East to a state title in 2008.

"He's looking to get a fresh start and was actually interested in a lot of kids here," Gibbs said about Jones. "He was able to get Treston and I think he's the type of kid they're looking for. He's going to be a hard-working type and a no nonsense type that's going to go out and do what he needs to do everyday."

Pulley is planning to spend most of his time on the field as blitzing linebacker and a defensive end. He will also get to play with a former Bulldog in Jarian Wims, who is a running back for the Blue Tigers.

"Treston had a really good career here," Gibbs said about Pulley. "We're just tickled pink that he gets the chance to play some more. We don't know how a kid will react once he gets the opportunity. But, the ball, so to speak, is in Treston's court.

"I think he's going to fit in the program nicely."