There’s something about the pride of an offensive line worth admiring.Though the offensive linemen don’t get to soak in the shower of praise their brethren shine in, they don’t complain.  They’re the guardians for their quarterback and the bulldozers for their running backs. They take pride in keeping jerseys clean and don’t care if they’re left out of the spotlight when a tailback gets 100 yards or a quarterback throws three touchdowns passes.But every man’s pride has its breaking point, and the offensive linemen felt like they were shunned and overlooked in the preseason. With the loss of four starters and a new offensive line coach coming in, there were major questions from fans and media alike as to how well a new and restructured line could hold up on an offense stocked with returning skill players.”I’m pretty sure they (heard the questions),” offensive line coach Mike Summers said. “I’m pretty sure their coach did too.”Their pride was a bit wounded.”We came out and were determined to not be the weak link on this team,” junior offensive guard Stuart Hines said. “People said that we were going to be the weak link, and we told ourselves that we were going to prove them all wrong and not be the weak link. So, we worked our butts off to become the leaders of the team and be the group teammates look to and see how hard we are working and rally to work that hard. And that’s what we strive to do, be role models for the rest of the team.”They’ve answered the questions by becoming arguably the most consistent and reliable position group on the team. Kentucky has allowed just two sacks through four games, tied for 13th fewest in the nation.”Our offensive line is playing really well, communicating well, playing physical,” head coach Joker Phillips said. “We’ve got to try to get more up to the second level this week. We didn’t get to the second level as much as we’d like, but I thought we did a good job on the down four (linemen) last week.”Summers credits much of the line’s success to the players’ mentality to want to prove people wrong.”I think that any time that you perceive yourself as a weakness, if you are a competitor, you try to do anything you can to not let that be a weakness,” Summers said. “These guys have rallied together as best they can to try and develop a cohesive group, and I’ve been really proud of them.”But mentality alone doesn’t win the battles when you’re going against 300-pound Southeastern Conference defensive linemen. Although Kentucky’s offensive line had seen marked improvement over the last two seasons, Phillips wanted an offensive line this year that was known for its physicality and “nastiness.”Phillips didn’t have to look far for a man that could install that play into UK’s line, bringing back a former staff member in Summers, who served as a graduate assistant at UK from 1980-81. Phillips said he really liked how Summers’ offensive lines at Arkansas and the Atlanta Falcons “got off the ball.”Last year at Arkansas, Summers helped the Razorbacks’ to the nation’s 20th-best offense, and in 2007 with the Atlanta Falcons, running back Michael Turner accumulated the second-most yardage in the NFL behind Summers’ line.”The physicality of this offensive line is a lot higher than it has been,” Hines said. “I think overall strength and athleticism may be higher on this line, so we have enough talent to have one of the best offensive lines in the country.”That’s why it should come as no surprise that with Summers leading the offensive line, Derrick Locke has rushed for four straight 100-yard games, the first time a UK back has accomplished that feat since Artose Pinner in 2002.”That is something we definitely take pride in is rushing yards,” Hines said. “That (and protecting our quarterback) is our two big things because the offensive line doesn’t really have stats.”The line wouldn’t have been nearly successful this year without the players’ willingness to accept new roles. The transition from the defensive line to offensive tackle has been “very difficult” for junior Chandler Burden, according to Summers, but Burden has performed above expectations after the Louisville game. Junior Billy Joe Murphy has earned the role of the swing guy, UK’s first lineman off the bench and most versatile lineman in terms of positions.Last week at Florida, with Hines out with an ankle injury, the 294-pound Murphy slid inside from his normal position of offensive tackle to offensive guard.”It shows (Murphy’s) character and love for Kentucky football because he has the attitude that if we tell him to go do it, he’ll go do it,” Summers said.But the chances the line would have been as successful as it has been this year without Hines would have been very rare. As the only returning lineman with significant starting experience, Hines was thrust into a leadership role. Even though he’s a quiet-natured player, Phillips has called Hines the “emotional leader” of the group.”I feel like my teammates can turn to me now and talk about anything,” Hines said. “Last year there were four seniors on the line, so I wasn’t that person last year. Now I feel like I’m in more of a position to help the younger guys. Even when I’m not able to practice, I’m still out talking to the guys and giving them answers to questions they have about what the defense does, and just being there for them in that aspect.”Hines missed last week with a sprained ankle and sat at home as Florida rolled Kentucky 48-14.”It was really tough,” Hines said. “I felt like I was seriously depressed for it because, first of all, you have to miss the game, and on top of that, you have to miss playing against Florida at The Swamp. Being a leader, you miss being and playing with guys. It was a big bummer.”Both Hines and Phillips said he should be able to go this week against Ole Miss. He will certainly be needed against arguably Kentucky’s stiffest defensive line test to date.Ole Miss lost one of its starting defensive linemen, Kentrell Lockett, to a season-ending injury last week, but the Rebels rank second in the SEC and are tied for 13th in the country with 13 sacks.”They come from everywhere and don’t give you the same look two times in a row,” Summers said. “It will be a huge challenge for us to stay in front of them. Their proof is in their stats. They are very good pass rushers even when you number up and get engaged with them, they win the one-on-one battles and it makes it very tough.”