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By: LARRY VAUGHT
Craig Yeast’s speed at Kentucky made him a playmaker that could turn the simplest pass completion or kick return into a long gain or maybe even a score.
His son, Russ, a junior receiver at Ross High School in Fremont, Ohio, where his dad is the head football coach, recently gave his verbal commitment to Kentucky. He’s bigger than his dad — 5-11, 17 — and has a different type speed.
“If you lined me up to run the 40 (yard dash) at his age I would have run a 4.3 or 4.4 (second) right off the bat,” said Craig Yeast, a former Harrodsburg High School and UK standout. “I was a fast starter. I was a lot quicker coming off than Russ.
“Russ is a lot longer than me. Where it took me one step to get to full speed, it takes him two or three. That’s why our speed is different. He would be in the high 4.4’s or lower 4.5’s. He can run. He can pick them up and put them down. He is bigger, stronger and a little more straight line than me. I could go 4.3 forward or side to side. He is not like that. He is more of a tackle breaker because he’s a physical kid, but he can run.”
Craig Yeast specialized in taking short passes from Tim Couch and turning them into big plays. He left UK in 1998 as the all-time leader in receptions in the Southeastern Conference with 208 catches for 2,899 yards. He went on to play in the NFL and Canadian Football League.
“To be honest, he has better hands than me,” Craig Yeast said. “He has great hands. And he is significantly bigger. He is much more of a vertical threat than I was.”
Yet there’s a chance Russ Yeast will be playing quarterback, not receiver, the next two seasons. It’s a similar position switch Craig Yeast made at Harrodsburg to help the team.
“He’s at least going to compete at quarterback. I want him to continue to be a leader on offense and continue to make plays,” Craig Yeast said. “He is a great athlete. One thing I harp on him, and all the players, is to get better at all the little things because that is what will make you a great player.”
Russ Yeast is also an improved cornerback and his father is not yet convinced that will not be his best position in college. Russ Yeast says currently he’s more comfortable on offense because he’s played on offense more.
“I think right now he has a chance to be a shutdown corner at the high school level and maybe project to play that spot in college,” Craig Yeast said. “He is very athletic. He has really good feet, is really long and has great ball skills. He is really improving and we are working with him on his hips and staying low and some other little things. The more he plays corner, the better he will get. For longevity, that’s why I think cornerback could be his best position.”
Yeast calls his son a “student of the game” due partially to his upbringing.
“He has been around football since he was born. When I was in the CFL, he went to practice with me about every day for two years,” Craig Yeast said. “He watches and learns and then really tries to apply what he learns.”
Craig Yeast said it was no secret that him, his wife and his daughter all wanted Russ to pick Kentucky, but they refused to pressure him.
“He made his own decision. I didn’t make it for him,” Craig Yeast said.
Craig Yeast played at Kentucky with current UK offensive line coach John Schlarman. He feels all the coaches are “personable” and made a big impression on his son.
“Recruiting is completely different now than when I played. I think really there is too much exposure early, but you have got to play the game,” Craig Yeast said. “As a coach and father, you have to keep young guys who get that exposure in check. But he’s comfortable with all the coaches at UK and we’re just excited with what lies ahead for him the next two years in high school and then at Kentucky.”
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