With the success of the “Where are they now?” series, every so often here at Cat Scratches, we’re going to (try to) post an update on a former Kentucky Wildcat in the professional ranks. Because there are so many former Cats playing in the pros, we’ve decided to pick one a week and offer a brief highlight of what they’re doing. The updates will generally coincide with each season’s sport. This week, we take a look at Super Bowl champion Tim Masthay.The skinnyTim Masthay, a former All-American UK punter, enters his second season as the starting punter for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.UK backgroundMasthay came to UK from Murray, Ky., in 2005 as a basketball, football and baseball star. He earned a role as the starting punter immediately, handling every punt for the Wildcats during his freshman season and averaging 36.4 yards on 54 punts. He returned in 2006 much-improved. He upped his yards per punt average to 39.2 and UK used his athleticism on a handful of trick plays. He ran for 17 yards on a fake punt against South Carolina and threw a 10-yard pass for a first down during a Music City Bowl victory. He also handled kickoff duties and had 12 touchbacks in 59 kickoffs. During his junior year, he earned UK Special Teams Player of the Year honors, increasing his punting average to 39.8 yards. As a senior, he took things to another level. He averaged 45.2 yards per punt and led the SEC with 23 touchbacks.Professional updateMasthay’s stellar senior season earned him a spot in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts. He competed for a roster spot with former West Virginia punter Pat McAfee, eventually losing out. Knowing how rare it is for punters to catch on with an NFL team right out of college, Masthay rededicated himself to his craft. When he arrived to training camp with the Green Bay Packers in 2010, he was a different player and took over as the starter. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing when the regular season started. His early season struggles were punctuated by a disastrous game against the rival Chicago Bears in week three. He averaged 50.0 yards per punt, but all three were returned by Devin Hester, including a crucial touchdown in the fourth quarter that propelled the Bears to a 20-17 victory.Masthay, though, bounced back. He played a crucial role as the Packers earned a wild card berth in the NFC, including the final game of the regular season against the Bears. He punted in eight times in wintry conditions, four of which landed inside the 20-yard line. In the playoffs, his season came full circle as the Packers faced Hester and the Bears for a third time. In a tight 21-14 win that sent Green Bay to the Super Bowl, Masthay again punted eight times. This time, five of his efforts ended up inside the 20-yard line. The Packers would go on to win the Super Bowl.Masthay returns as the starter in 2011 and has done nothing in the preseason but solidify that role. In three games, Masthay has punted 17 times to the tune of a 49.3 yard average. If he sustains that form, Masthay could be in line for his first Pro Bowl berth.What they’re saying about MasthayTim Masthay opens preseason with some booming punts (Associated Press)Masthay shows long-term promise at punter (Pete Dougherty, Green Bay Press Gazette)Lack of competition doesn’t hurt Masthay (Tom Silverstein, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) Masthay plays major role in Packers’ Super Bowl run (Guy Ramsey, UK Athletics)