New coach brings intensity to practice

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

Sound is never lacking near the offensive line drills at Purdue football practice.

While players hitting one another and pads clacking add their distinctive notes, offensive line coach Danny Hope is the primary source of the commotion.

Hope's players spark into motion at his voice as he moves in and out of formations, sparingly using his whistle as he instructs his players. First he's crouching to show the proper technique for pass blocking, then he's hustling his players through chutes - the low bars that linemen run under to teach them to stay low in their stances.

The message is clear: The momentum never stops for the offensive line.

"He's intense, but he gets the job done," junior guard Eric Hedstrom said. "He's always there to actually coach you up. Even though he'll yell ... he'll also sit there and coach you up."

Hedstrom mentioned a film session where Hope demonstrated a technique at the front of a room. Sophomore tackle Ryan Prater recalls the first day of spring practice when Hope explained how to cut block in an impressive manner.

"He dove out and destroyed the little blocking dummy, and he got up and he hurt his back, you know," Prater said. "I've never seen a coach do that, have that much energy to do that."

None of this is strange for Hope, whose coaching philosophy demands a certain tempo from the coaches and the players.

"I've coached the same way all along. You know, get out here and get involved in what's going on and try to demonstrate and try to keep the tempo at a high," Hope said. "So we have quite a challenge ... but we're making progress and we're giving good effort and we're starting to get better."

While both Hope and his players must adjust to each other this spring, Hope is optimistic that the players will soon understand his system and how they can improve within it. Players are already motivated to play for Hope, Prater said.

"We're a long ways away tempo-wise, and coming out here in practice and (trying) to set the tempo for our offensive line, and they still have to buy into it," Hope said. "We have a long ways to go tempo-wise. We have a long way to go technique-wise, but that's what we're focusing on and that's what we're trying to get done this spring."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on April 3, 2008

Defensive end prepares for draft

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

Growing up, Cliff Avril would have liked to be the future of the Dallas Cowboys' defense.

Unfortunately for the former Boilermaker defensive end, Anthony Spencer took that job last year. But the two former Purdue standouts may still be drawn down similar paths.

Projected by many scouting services as a 'tweener' defensive end/outside linebacker player in the NFL, Avril could expect the same position change that Spencer underwent after being drafted by the Cowboys in the first round last year. Spencer played primarily as a defensive end at Purdue before switching to linebacker in Dallas' 3-4 style defense.

"I feel like I am athletic enough that, if I have to drop back into coverage or pass rush, you know, I could do both," Avril said. "It's just more so being in shape to be able to do it, but for me I think I'm conditioned."

However, the draft experts of the world may be too quick to take the lineman out of a stance. According to Avril's agent, Jim Ivler, Avril has taken several visits to different teams in the league, including teams that run traditional 4-3 defenses similar to Purdue's. Avril has been projected as either an end or a linebacker in these systems, Ivler said.

"It's been a great postseason, and I think that that reflected on where he's going to go on the weekend," Ivler said. "He can flourish in any system that there is."

Even with all of the talk about his rising draft stock, Avril remains content to not dwell on his future fate. Saturday will be spent at his home in Texas, watching the draft with family and close friends rather than in front of the media.

"It's not in my control anymore; I can only worry about what's in my control, that's just me," Avril said. "I'm just trying not to think about it until Saturday and see how it goes."

How the draft goes for Avril will likely be determined by how teams view his work since the Motor City Bowl. Avril followed up his senior year, in which he totaled roughly half of his tackles from his junior year total, with solid showings at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.

Avril posted the fastest time for defensive ends in the cone drill at the combine and has spent the remaining time before the draft working out in preparation for camps after the draft.

"I'm just trying to get prepared mentally (for camp) and get right for that," Avril said. "There's no telling where I'll be next week, and I'll just be waiting on it."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on April 24, 2008

Paint Crew tickets out quickly; still opportunities to join

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

With the expectations for the 2008 Purdue men's basketball team so high, fans spent hours waiting in line for tickets on Wednesday.

The line of students waiting for Paint Crew tickets wrapped around Mackey Arena well before the 9 a.m. opening of the ticket windows in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility. With fewer than 2,000 tickets available for the Paint Crew section, student were eager to claim their spot.

Cameron Capper, a sophomore in the College of Science, said his group had someone in line since 8:30 a.m. and they had yet to get far enough through the line to be inside the building early Wednesday afternoon.

"We can hope that it's going to be worth it," Capper said.

Tom Nielsen, a sophomore in the College of Science and the Paint Crew's treasurer, said the Paint Crew officials were taking steps to ensure everyone would get a fair chance at Paint Crew seats. To keep people from jumping the line, the Paint Crew collected the group sign-in sheets before groups got to the window.

"Before we put this plan in place, they could easily hop up in front and say, 'Hey, we don't know you, but can we join your group,'" Nielsen said. "That just makes it unfair for the people who have been waiting since 9 a.m."

The long wait may have come from the ticket office printing the holder's name on each ticket. When a group reached the window, each game ticket for each person in the group was printed right then.

The demand for tickets was so high that Paint Crew officials knew at 9:30 a.m. that they had more fans in line than they had tickets. The officials told fans towards the rear of the line that they likely wouldn't be able to get tickets. Some stayed, hoping those in line ahead of them might have to leave, but most will have to settle for upper bowl tickets, Nielsen said.

According to Paint Crew president Dylan Reynolds, those students who didn't get a chance to get Paint Crew tickets still have the opportunity to be members of the Paint Crew, including the shirts, events and other member opportunities. The membership fee for the Paint Crew is $15.

"We kind of feel bad that there are people that got there before 9 ' the time it was supposed to start ' that aren't going to be able to join the Paint Crew," Reynolds said. "All the other (events) of the Paint Crew, except for the general admission seating ' students can still be part of the action."

The dedication of the students in line, as well as the quick sellout for the Paint Crew, made an impression on coach Matt Painter.

"The fact that the Paint Crew section sold out in one day demonstrates a loyalty to Purdue as well as a feeling of belonging with a season we hope will be very special," Painter said. "We are looking forward to giving the Paint Crew and all of our fans a season they will be proud to be a part of."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on October 16, 2008

Defense excels despite loss

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

COLUMBUS, Ohio - With the likes of quarterback Terrelle Pryor and running back Beanie Wells, No. 12 Ohio State's offense has the big names. On Saturday, names like Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan and Chris Carlino made the big plays.

It didn't prove to be enough to get the win, but Purdue's (2-4, 0-2 Big Ten) defense played well enough to keep the Buckeye (6-1, 3-0) offense out of the endzone for all of its 16-3 loss in Ohio Stadium. They also held Wells to 94 yards, the first time he hasn't achieved 100 yards rushing this season.

"It's pretty hard, when you go on the road in this environment, to play that well on defense and say we're disappointed in anything the defense did," coach Joe Tiller said. " I thought (Ohio State was) strong enough physically, with their speed on the outside, they were going to score against us. We were hoping it'd be one or two scores, but to have none is pretty amazing."

The only touchdown for either team came in the first quarter. Junior kicker Chris Summers had his punt blocked, with Ohio State linebacker Etienne Sabino returning for the score. Ohio State entered the red zone two more times, but came away with only field goals.

Kerrigan, a sophomore defensive end, harassed Pryor continually, totaling six tackles as well as two sacks on the freshman quarterback. According to Kerrigan, the key to containing Pryor was a focus on assignments and knowing what formations he ran out of.

"They definitely had a great game plan and did a nice job of keeping him in the box," Ohio State senior tackle Steve Rehring said about Purdue's containment of Pryor. "We didn't execute as well as we could have and I think that had a lot to do with how well their defense played."

Defensive coordinator Brock Spack went so far as to compare Kerrigan with past Purdue greats like Anthony Spencer and Chike Okeafor.

"Those guys were powerful guys," Spack said. "This guys a little longer, he's 6-foot-5, and he's really strong. He's hard to handle and he's going to be a really good player."

Pressure by Kerrigan and senior defensive tackle Ryan Baker allowed Purdue's linebackers to make plays as well. Senior Anthony Heygood led the team with 12 tackles, while Carlino, a freshman making his second start, was second with seven.

"Chris plays well," Heygood said. "He's a freshman guy, he doesn't exactly have his weight yet, and he doesn't always know what he's doing, but he's really tough. He'll get down in the run game and he'll hit somebody."

The defensive play in the second half was a departure from previous games, where Purdue has allowed opposing offenses to dominate after halftime. The difference was intensity, Kerrigan said.

"I think we came out with more intensity this second half and we had a little more focus, and that really transitioned to not have a second half letdown like we've had in previous weeks."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on Oct. 10, 2008

AD takes time for being a fan, working on gameday

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

Of all the job responsibilities of a major university's athletic director, one that may often be overlooked by the public is the responsibility of being a fan.

Morgan Burke, athletic director for Purdue, takes that responsibility seriously on home football Saturdays in West Lafayette. For him, it's the game to be played, and watched, that is most important.

"I'm a fan," Burke said. "You have to be careful of that, because sometimes I'll have to maintain my composure and I'm sometimes more of a fan than I need to be."

But gamedays aren't only about the game for Burke. For him, they are all-day affairs, often beginning with an early swim at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center.

"I get a half hour to forty-five minutes just to kind of get myself composed," Burke said.

Leading up to kickoff, Burke will join the team for its pregame meal and chapel. From 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., he makes himself available for any recruits that men's basketball coach Matt Painter, women's basketball coach Sharon Versyp, volleyball coach Dave Shondell or any other coach may want him to visit with.

Then comes the time when Burke likes to roam, as he puts it, and one of his favorite times of the day other than the game. He likes to visit with the fans, picking different sections of the tailgating crowds each week to observe. He likes to see what fans are interested in and what they don't like, but often the conversation leads to a common tailgating tradition.

"They always want to give me a libation," Burke said. "I say 'I don't think that would would be appropriate. I'll take a Diet Coke.'"

After watching the band make its way from Slayter Hill to Ross-Ade Stadium, Burke will visit with the fans in suites, including Purdue president France C'rdova and the visiting school's athletic director. Then it's to his own suite, where he admits he'd rather just watch the game, but often he's joined by a member of the John Purdue Club who helps Burke and his wife, Kate, host.

"I probably don't talk a whole lot during the game," he said. "I try not to be rude to my guests, but that's why there are other people hosting."

Senior associate athletic director Nancy Cross, who often crosses paths with Burke on gamedays, feels that his intensity goes beyond just being a fan of Purdue athletics.

"He's not an intense fan; he's an intense athletics director," Cross said. "He knows the kids personally ... he wants them to be successful.

"He knows what (the athletes) work on; he knows how hard they work, and so he wants them to be successful because of what they put into this."

That relationship is made clear when Burke talks about his time with the football players following the game. Win or lose, Burke walks with the team off of the field and joins the team in the locker room, making sure to comfort the players who have had tough days while congratulating the players who have performed well.

"Every time there is a dropped pass, or a play is called back or an incompletion ... it's like he's the one that made that pass or dropped the ball," Cross said. "He lives vicariously through their them and wants them to be successful."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on Oct. 24, 2008

Former Purdue star adjusts to NFL

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

NFL rookie Dustin Keller has always wanted to dunk a football through the goalposts to celebrate a touchdown. When he got his chance on Sunday, he realized it may not have been such a good idea.

"The next thing I think, I just caught this touchdown pass from a living legend, Brett Favre," Keller said. "I went to the ref and said, 'Where's that ball at?' He said, 'You dunked it ... you dunk the ball, it's gone.'"

The former Purdue tight end and first-round draft pick for the New York Jets has had several of those moments in his short time in the NFL. One of the fun adjustments for Keller is playing against other former Boilermakers, like Arizona's Chike Okefor on Sunday.

Another one was the announcement of quarterback Brett Favre and his powerful arm joining the Jets, and the need to buy stock in football gloves.

"I never thought I'd get to play with one of the all-time greats," Keller said. "I couldn't ask for a better situation, or a better guy to learn from.

"I've had to go through numerous amounts of gloves. I get new ones every day, and they get ripped every day ... which gets kind of expensive, so I'm going to give him the bill."

Through four weeks of the season, Keller has caught six of Favre's passes, two of them for touchdowns. But to get to see the field in the NFL, it took a lot of work before the season learning just how exact NFL offenses are.

"The amount of time you spend in the film room and the preciseness of everything," he said. "(In college) you're not going into that deep, specific stuff where, on third down and six, what are their tendencies, what do they like to do. They don't get that deep into it."

Outside of football, adjusting to life on the east coast has also been a long process for Keller. The Lafayette native has been living in New Jersey since four months before the season started, living in hotels and dorms until he found the house he's recently moved in to.

He's also kept family close, as Keller's brother, Drew, is living with him and handling his marketing and outside-of-football needs.

"It's been a big change; people move a lot faster, talk a lot faster," he said. "If you think that there's five o'clock traffic in Lafayette or Indianapolis, you've got another thing coming."

With all of the changes that Keller has seen in his life, he's shown that he can adjust and perform with other NFL players. But he is now a professional football player, and that may be the most important adjustment.

"You get to this level, it's no longer a job, like something to do while you look for the work that you're going to be doing. It's your work, it's your occupation, it's how you make a living."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on October 2, 2008

Keller waits to hear where he will be taken

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

It's the same stadium that made him a star at Purdue.

The same field that saw "The Block," where he pulled a juke move right out of a Madden video game and scampered to the end zone.

And now it will be where he finds out where his NFL future will take him.

Former Purdue tight end Dustin Keller will watch the 2008 NFL Draft with family and close friends in attendance from a suite in Ross-Ade Stadium this Saturday, waiting for his name to be called. The former Lafayette Jefferson High School star is predicted to be a late first round pick, with mock drafts placing him anywhere from pick 25 with the Seattle Seahawks to pick 30 with the Green Bay Packers.

But until that pick, it is still a waiting game for Keller. And while he tries not to think too much about his future past Saturday, his brothers keep him updated on his draft status.

"So-and-so says I'm gonna be here, so-and-so says that. It kind of, you think about being in that city, what it would be like teaching myself a new offense," Keller said. "But that's as far as I go with it. I try not to look at real estate or anything like that."

Despite Keller's rapid rise up teams' draft boards, his former position coach John McDonell has given his former starter advice on how to handle the hype.

"I try to tell Dustin to keep a level head. All of (the predictions are) speculation," McDonell said. "Some team might show you more interest, and then the one that shows you the least ends up taking you. You never really know."

Whichever team ends up taking Keller, any new offense that he plays in next year will likely take advantage of the spread offense he played in at Purdue. It included many different routes and formations that Keller has perfected, meaning he can make an impact immediately for a team.

"All the teams that are looking to pick me up, they want me to play right away � not just special teams but they want me to play offense immediately," Keller said. "I'm going to make a deal that gets me into camp as soon as possible. I'm going to have to learn the offense, and a lot of times that's hard for rookies, but I think I'm going to do really well at camp."

Keller's rise to the top of the tight end draft prospects came quickly after the NFL combine in February. Keller had the best or second best performance in six different tests, including running his 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds, best for tight ends this year.

McDonell had seen the then-senior Keller make plays in pads, and didn't expect anything but the best from him at the combine.

"I told (the scouts), once the NFL combine comes out, he's gonna knock your socks off, and that's exactly what he did," McDonell said.

With the draft now one day away, the only part of Keller's future under his control is likely how he plans to handle the rookie camps that follow the draft. Both he and McDonell acknowledge that this period will be Keller's first look at NFL life, but McDonell has no doubt in Keller's ability to handle the test.

"(The camp) will be a cram session. It's going to be NFL football 101, and they're gonna throw the whole playbook at him ... and they're not going to slow down," McDonell said. "Football all the time; I think that will be something that he will look forward to. I think he'll be able to handle (the NFL) just fine."

Published by the Purdue Exponent on April 25, 2008

Former Boiler tight end waits to impress NFL scouts

By Chad Husted

Assistant Sports Editor

Purdue football's latest MVP will not be showcasing his talent with former Boilers Cliff Avril and Dorien Bryant at this weekend's Senior Bowl.

Coming off a season in which he was voted the team's most valuable player by his teammates, former Purdue tight end Dustin Keller is looking to show NFL scouts that he is one of the best tight ends in this year's draft.

He just doesn't think playing in the Senior Bowl is the way to do it.

"After speaking (to NFL executives), they said they have seen enough of me playing on film," said Keller, who caught 68 balls last season. "If I went to the Senior Bowl, it would give me a chance to talk to representatives, but it wasn't completely necessary for me to be there."

Keller's older brother, Drew, who has been heavily involved with Dustin's preparation for the NFL, added that the Senior Bowl would feature Dustin in a traditional tight end role, including working as a blocker, not as a receiver.

"He's more of a receiving tight end, and so I don't think the game would have helped him," Drew said. "He wouldn't have been able to show his true skills, which are receiving and being more a part of the offense."

Since the end of the season, Dustin, who also declined an invite to the East-West Shrine game, has been working out in Tampa, Fla., on a program designed to get him in peak shape for the NFL Combine in February. He works out daily with his own personal trainer, who uses exercises specifically designed to make Keller as fast and strong as possible.

"It's everything: speed, explosiveness and working on position-specific stuff as well," Keller said of the program.

Both Keller brothers have expectations that the program will leave Dustin in the best shape of his life.

"They don't let him eat any of the foods he likes," Drew said. "Before, he didn't have much body fat, and now he's just completely ripped."

ESPN.com has Dustin rated as a quality backup and an adequate starter at the next level, but even as hard as Dustin is working to improve his draft status, he has no idea where he is being projected to be drafted at.

Instead, he says, wherever it is, he'll prove it wrong.

"I told (my agent) I didn't want any type of projection, I didn't want them to tell me anything before the combine because I truly believe that after the combine, my stock is going to rise a lot," Keller said.

Before he began his training, Keller spent the week following Purdue's win in the Motor City Bowl away from football to relax with his family and refresh his body in Lafayette.

"You have a 13-game season, including the bowl game, with no time off, no bye weeks or anything like that," he said. "So your body is going to have a lot of bumps and bruises. I just needed the week to regenerate ... and at the same time it was really good to spend time with my family."

The NFL Combine will be held from Feb. 20 to 26 in Indianapolis.

Published in the Purdue Exponent on January 24, 2008