Andalusia’s T.K. Bullard started out this season with the coaches questioning where he could fit in best on the team.

Now, heading into the ninth week in the football season, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior running back and safety has found his place, already racking up 64 carries for 427 yards and 23 receptions for 292 yards.

Bullard started playing football in the fourth grade when he played in the termite league.

“I started playing football in the fourth grade in the termites,” Bullard said. “I play football because I just wanted to see how I could play. Everybody else was doing it, but then I started liking it.”

Bullard said his family is the inspiration for what he does on the field each Friday night.

“Mostly my family, my uncle Kendrae Bullard and my grandparents inspire me along with my mother Katrina Florence,” he said.

Players have to find their role on any team, but for Bullard, he said his role is to be a good example for the younger players.

“I think some of these kids look up to me, but I try to do what would be best for the team,” he said. “If I’m doing right, than they’re doing right.”

On the season overall, Bullard said the team can do better than what has been done.

“I believe we have a good team, but I think we have made a couple of mistakes and if we just sit down and talk about our mistakes than we’d do better,” Bullard said. “Sometimes we’ll get off our blocks or read the play wrong. Some weeks we have good weeks and some weeks we have bad weeks.”

Head coach Brian Seymore said Bullard has been a valuable asset for the team on and off the field.

“T.K.’s coming on strong since the first of the year,” Seymore said. “At the first of the year, we didn’t know where he was going to fit in on offense. He’s a good sized kid and real athletic. He’s got good hands and he’s becoming an asset on offense.”

Seymore added that Bullard is becoming a player that wants what is best for the program.

“He’s becoming one of our big play guys and probably one of our most reliable receivers,” he said. “I’ve been impressed with him because he is a team player. He’s team oriented and wants what’s best for the team. He goes out there and plays the line every Friday night. He’s someone you can count on week in and week out to give a good performance.”

Seymore added that Bullard will do anything the coaches ask him to do.

“We’ve used him on defense at cornerback and safety some,” he said. “I think he’ll do whatever we ask him to do. He’s stepped up big for us in the return games. Wherever we ask him to play, he’s done it for us. He was a question mark coming in, but I think he’s one of our most solid performers offensively.”

Bullard said of Seymore that he is exactly what the team needed at this time.

“I think he’s a good coach and he’s just what we needed,” Bullard said. “We needed a coach that’s committed and that’ll stay here with us.”