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Baseball saved Joker Phillips football career.

Joker is quick to tell you that without success as a catcher, which almost didn't happen, there would have been no football.

Dr. John Kelly, who Joker is still close to, drafted him at nine. He made UK's football coach a catcher.

"I was really afraid of it," says Joker.

"But he would not let me quit. I ended up being one of the best catchers in the league and making all-stars as a catcher. And that was the first sporting event I'd ever done. Had I not had success in baseball as a catcher, I probably would not have continued on the next sports."

That's tough to even picture, no Joker as a sure handed, tough blocking wide out. Or the people friendly coach who learned his craft at a number of schools leading up to becoming the head coach at his school.

"I was just a nine year old. I wasn't really a catcher. He made me into a catcher. And that was something I was afraid to do. I could not imagine being able to focus on the ball while bats were swung over the top of your head. I had a hard time with that."

Being scared or wanting to quit when they first put you behind the plate is normal. Most at 9 either don't want to, or won't do it. You can't blame them.

"When you are 9 years old, what 9 year old isn't scared because I saw 13 year olds already in the league. Some of them were already shaving. That's what I saw. They looked like they were seven foot tall falling off mountains."

The word afraid comes out a number of times.

"I was really afraid to get behind the plate. The first couple of weeks I had a lot of bruises on me from getting beat up with the ball with my eyes closing and the ball grazing me in the chest, or in the helmet, whatever."

Give Joker credit. Not only did he have a great heart, but the right kind of coaching when you are young can shape and help make your life.

"I think it taught me a lot of lessons. Number one, staying with something. Sticking with something. And continue to work hard at it."

When you look at Joker's past, it's easy to see the present, which might help a lot with Kentucky's future, a program that Joker promises will stress discipline.