Cottonwood's Kaufusi proves situations can always change

MURRAY — Wednesday's National Signing Day was important to Cottonwood senior Keni Kaufusi, but not because he himself signed with a college that day.

Instead, it marked the day that more opportunities would be available for the defensive lineman.

That's because Kaufusi, who didn't play a complete high school season until this year, didn't think he'd be academically eligible to play for a Division I program. But after one of the coaches' wives took a look at Kaufusi's transcripts, his options changed.

"It was Michelle Cate who learned that we even had a sniff at Division I," said Kaufusi's proctor father, Steve Martinez.

Scott Cate, the Colts' offensive coordinator, said college coaches had expressed interest in Kaufusi all year, but they didn't think the senior would be able to meet the NCAA's academic requirements. Kaufusi was thrilled with the news, even though it meant spending several hours a day making up classes from his freshman and sophomore years.

"I was excited," he said. "I was just pretty happy to be able to go D1."

Kaufusi and his coaches point to the fact that going to a larger school usually offers better facilities and academic support staff.

Kaufusi is the biological older brother of Steve Martinez's son, junior John Martinez, a highly recruited offensive lineman who fielded four offers Tuesday and Wednesday himself from LSU, USC, Miami and Florida.

Kaufusi had been in and out of juvenile corrections facilities most of his teenage years and began to stay out of trouble and do well in school, when a judge allowed him to move in with the Martinez family early last fall.

"He was hanging out with a bunch of kids who would rather hang out than go to school," Martinez said.

When Kaufusi was attending classes, he was a good student and earned a 3.4 GPA last quarter.

Kaufusi said it was a number of things and people who made him realize he would regret squandering his talent. He said "just about everybody around here sat me down and talked to me." But he singled out his cousin, Jason Kaufusi as especially instrumental in helping him stay motivated to do well in school.

"When I was younger, it seemed boring," he said. "But when I was out of school, I started noticing that I was missing a lot of stuff. I looked around and didn't want to be a nobody."

Kaufusi said he was surprised to hear coaches thought he was talented.

"I didn't think I was really that good," he said with a smile. Steve Martinez said Kaufusi has always been athletically talented.

"Keni was always so amazing physically," Steve said. "Here was a kid who never touched a baseball until age 9 and then by 11-years-old, he's on an all-star team as a dominating pitcher and hitter. He's just so big, so fast and so physical."