Are you sitting down for this?
1. S Simeon Smiley is one of my favorite players to talk with. After our conversation today, I noticed he was wearing a Patrick Star necklace. Yes, THAT Patrick Star. Turns out, it is his favorite character on "SpongeBob Square Pants." Yes, Smiley is a dedicated fan. Yet another reason to like Smiley.
2. Don't be shocked if freshman running backs King Doerue and Da'Joun Hewitt both play this year. Each has looked good, especially Doerue. He is a 5-10, 210-pound bull who is well-built, tough and quick. Plus, Doerue runs hard. He may be slightly ahead of Hewitt at the moment. Both can catch the ball. This is a nice situation. Just wait until four-star RB Tirek Murphy arrives in 2020.
3. Yes, that was a David Bell sighting on the practice field. No. 3 has been dealing with a hamstring issue that nagged him prior to the start of camp. He is dressing out and was seen with the full squad today. Perhaps he can make a move next week. Speaking of injured players: freshman S Marvin Grant was working with the full squad after missing most of camp with injury.
4. Sounds like redshirt freshman OT Eric Miller will be out a while. Backup center Sam Garvin was on the field wearing a red jersey. He is dealing with concussion protocol. OL Mark Stickford will be out a while.
5. CB coach Greg Brown coached at Purdue in 1990 under Fred Akers. I had to ask him for a fun memory from his previous stint in West Lafayette.
"(Then-Purdue D-line coach) Bill Kollar (now d-line coach of the Broncos) is the one who got me up here," said Brown. "I was at Wyoming at the time. He called and told me I needed to get up here and look at this hard. Fred (Akers) calls me up. I stayed at Bill’s house (the night before the interview). Bill said Fred may not like my hair, which was a little long at the time. It wasn’t real long, but long for Coach Akers, I guess. It was night time, and there was no place to get my hair cut. Bill said he’s got it. He goes to a drawer and pulls out scissors and cuts my hair. Bill Kollar cut my hair with big ol' kitchen scissors. He said: 'All right, you are good for your interview.' "
Brown got the job.
6. You have read about my gushing over freshman TEs Garrett Miller and Kyle Bilodeau. Both look good, but both have a lot to learn from a playbook standpoint. Don't be surprised if neither uses a year of eligibility this fall. It could happen. Time will tell. But Purdue looks pretty solid at tight end with Brycen Hopkins, Darius Pittman and Payne Durham.
7. I can't overstate this enough: Purdue really needs C Viktor Beach to stay healthy and keep developing. That's all I am gonna type.
8. Redshirt freshman OT Will Bramel is looking solid. He was the No. 1 right tackle today, with Matt McCann at right guard. The issue with Bramel: He needs to get stronger. That will come with time.
9. DT Jeff Marks should be back soon. He has been dealing with an illness. DT Giovanni Reviere also remained out today. He was at practice.
10. Talked to the father of freshman O-lineman Spencer Holstege. He said the freshmen will live off-campus in Hi Vine Furnished Apartments on Vine Street in the Village. For years, freshman players lived in the dorms. Maybe Jeff Brohm has always had freshmen live off campus during the school year. Living off campus makes you grow up a bit quicker.
Thanks for reading!
1. S Simeon Smiley is one of my favorite players to talk with. After our conversation today, I noticed he was wearing a Patrick Star necklace. Yes, THAT Patrick Star. Turns out, it is his favorite character on "SpongeBob Square Pants." Yes, Smiley is a dedicated fan. Yet another reason to like Smiley.
2. Don't be shocked if freshman running backs King Doerue and Da'Joun Hewitt both play this year. Each has looked good, especially Doerue. He is a 5-10, 210-pound bull who is well-built, tough and quick. Plus, Doerue runs hard. He may be slightly ahead of Hewitt at the moment. Both can catch the ball. This is a nice situation. Just wait until four-star RB Tirek Murphy arrives in 2020.
3. Yes, that was a David Bell sighting on the practice field. No. 3 has been dealing with a hamstring issue that nagged him prior to the start of camp. He is dressing out and was seen with the full squad today. Perhaps he can make a move next week. Speaking of injured players: freshman S Marvin Grant was working with the full squad after missing most of camp with injury.
4. Sounds like redshirt freshman OT Eric Miller will be out a while. Backup center Sam Garvin was on the field wearing a red jersey. He is dealing with concussion protocol. OL Mark Stickford will be out a while.
5. CB coach Greg Brown coached at Purdue in 1990 under Fred Akers. I had to ask him for a fun memory from his previous stint in West Lafayette.
"(Then-Purdue D-line coach) Bill Kollar (now d-line coach of the Broncos) is the one who got me up here," said Brown. "I was at Wyoming at the time. He called and told me I needed to get up here and look at this hard. Fred (Akers) calls me up. I stayed at Bill’s house (the night before the interview). Bill said Fred may not like my hair, which was a little long at the time. It wasn’t real long, but long for Coach Akers, I guess. It was night time, and there was no place to get my hair cut. Bill said he’s got it. He goes to a drawer and pulls out scissors and cuts my hair. Bill Kollar cut my hair with big ol' kitchen scissors. He said: 'All right, you are good for your interview.' "
Brown got the job.
6. You have read about my gushing over freshman TEs Garrett Miller and Kyle Bilodeau. Both look good, but both have a lot to learn from a playbook standpoint. Don't be surprised if neither uses a year of eligibility this fall. It could happen. Time will tell. But Purdue looks pretty solid at tight end with Brycen Hopkins, Darius Pittman and Payne Durham.
7. I can't overstate this enough: Purdue really needs C Viktor Beach to stay healthy and keep developing. That's all I am gonna type.
8. Redshirt freshman OT Will Bramel is looking solid. He was the No. 1 right tackle today, with Matt McCann at right guard. The issue with Bramel: He needs to get stronger. That will come with time.
9. DT Jeff Marks should be back soon. He has been dealing with an illness. DT Giovanni Reviere also remained out today. He was at practice.
10. Talked to the father of freshman O-lineman Spencer Holstege. He said the freshmen will live off-campus in Hi Vine Furnished Apartments on Vine Street in the Village. For years, freshman players lived in the dorms. Maybe Jeff Brohm has always had freshmen live off campus during the school year. Living off campus makes you grow up a bit quicker.
Thanks for reading!
