FAYETTEVILLE — Junior defensive end Gabe Richardson walked into the Arkansas football facility over the weekend and saw cornerback Ryan Pulley hard at work.
Pulley was running cone drills. Later, the sand pit. Richardson says Pulley has had the "killer instinct" as long as he's known him. He can tell Pulley wants to make good on his senior season, and it all began out of the public eye.
Defensive coordinator John Chavis can attest to that.
"It's him and several others. The excitement is what they're creating by how hard they're working," Chavis said. "The way they train in the weight room before we ever got on the field. ... Let's be honest about it: You win or lose games in the offseason based on what you do in the weight room.
"He’s got a lot of fire. He’s got the right mentality, there’s no doubt about that."
Pulley was one of the more lively players on the field during Arkansas' second spring scrimmage on Wednesday, bouncing around with loads of energy on a gloomy, rainy day outside Walker Pavilion.
The weather didn't deter Pulley from getting in the faces and minds of the receivers he was matched up with.
On three occasions, Pulley got in the face of receiver La'Michael Pettway -- once after breaking up a pass over the middle of the field and twice along the defense's sideline. Pettway returned one of the verbal back-and-forths with a shove to Pulley's chest.
"It was real fun. We're just out there competing - the whole team, actually," Pulley said. "The DBs and the receivers are just competing every day no matter what. ... The whole secondary, honestly, we're playing real well."
It didn't keep him from passing off that energy on the rest of the defense either, particularly the defensive backfield.
Even standing on the sideline, Pulley was demonstrative, hustling as far as 20 yards downfield to wave down and grab the attention of a defensive back to give him props and a secret hang signal for a pass breakup or straightjacket coverage.
As one of the primary leaders in the secondary, Pulley says he's taken it upon himself to bring an animated nature to the practice field.
"I feel like I can get the energy up," he said. "I'll bring the energy up any time we make a play and get everybody hyped up. We're going to have a good day.
"We were out there (Thursday) doing the same thing. We just bring the attitude to get each other better each and every day."
Chevin Calloway, working the corner opposite Pulley with the first team, considers himself to be a quiet guy by nature, but finds himself in on the trash talk after a pass breakup these days. Calloway had several in Wednesday's scrimmage.
Santos Ramirez also exchanged words with Cole Kelley after a play at the goalline when Ramirez touched the quarterback down inside the 5. Ramirez declared the 1-on-1 would have ended shy of the end zone in a game situation. Kelley thought otherwise.
"I’m obviously thinking I’m going to win that battle every time," Kelley said Thursday.
Richardson was another of the defensive players involved in some after-the-whistle action on Wednesday, locking horns with offensive lineman Jalen Merrick. The flare Pulley provides has been evident, he said, and its spread to each level of the defense.
"We talk about being self-motivated all the time, but Pulley, you don’t have to be self-motivated around Pulley," Richardson added. "He’s going to make some plays, talk it up and we’re going to be right there with him. We’re going to back up everything we talk about.
"Pulley’s got that attitude."
The right one.