Day Three of Spring Practice is in the books!!! Best news: The squad was in full pads for the first time this spring on Friday. A glorious vision.
Check out my "10 Things" from today's session inside the Mollenkopf Center.
Deep breath ...
1. Several ex-Boilers were back at practice today, returning from training sites to go through Purdue's Pro Day on Tuesday inside the Mollenkopf Center. Among those I saw and/or talked to: David Blough, Kirk Barron, Cole Herdman and D.J. Knox.
Blough trained in the Dallas area (Michael Johnson Performance) and told me he will throw to Issac Zico, Terry Wright, Cole Herdman and D.J. Knox, along with a player from Marian University: TE Brandon Dillon. Blough has a dinner scheduled with Browns assistant G.M. Eliot Wolf while he is in W.L. Wolf is the son of legendary Packers G.M. Ron Wolf.
Blough had future bro-in-law Christian Gonzalez along, also. Purdue is after the touted Texas DB. Another fun note: The only former Boiler in Blough's up-coming wedding is DE Danny Ezechukwu.
"It was tough to pick," he said. "But guys like Barron and Eric Swingler will be there."
Blough will honeymoon in a cabin in the Denver area. His wife-to-be is training to be on the Columbian Summer Olympic team as a 400-meter hurdler.
Kirk Barron is--what else?--stoked for Pro Day. He has been training in south Florida. The barrel-chested Barron told me he hopes to pump out 43 reps with 225 pounds. He has gotten 38 reps at 225 in the past.
"But I don't want the guy to count them out," he said. "That distracts me."
Barron estimates about 30 scouts will be at Purdue's Pro Day.
I asked Barron about the o-line. He said G Will Bramel is the most complete of the three redshirt freshmen. G Jimmy McKenna and T Eric Miller are the other RSFrosh.
As for Alex Criddle ...
"I always thought Alex Criddle would be a good offensive lineman," he said. "But I am not sure about his pass-pro skills."
2. Sophomore C Viktor Beach was out with some sort of injury; not expected to be serious. Was dinged Wednesday, too. True freshman Spencer Holstege was snapping with the "ones." Also, sophomore QB Nick Sipe was out of commission. Hear it is a back issue. Nothing serious.
3. Former Boiler Jeff Zgonina was on hand with his wife. And he looks like he still could play. Zgonina was at Purdue from 1988-92, and was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 1992. Anyone who saw the Z-Man will attest to his prowess. He was one of thickest and strongest DTs EVER at Purdue, with massive arms, legs, neck, thighs, etc. UNBLOCKABLE. Zgonina arrived in 1988 with DE Frank Kmet and LB Jim Schwantz, a touted trio from Chicagoland.
Zgonina is a cyborg, playing 17 seasons at DT in NFL. He lives in Houston and told me he currently is doing nothing after having NFL assistant jobs with the Texans, Giants and 49ers.
At one time, he was showing dogs (Neapolitan Mastiff) and may do that again. Zgonina visited with new Purdue CB coach Greg Brown, who was on the Boiler staff when Zgonina played at Purdue!!! He told me he hasn't been back in four or five years.
4. Several recruits were around including DT Steven Faucheux and LB Jacob Wahlberg. Let me just say this: Each passes the eyeball test. Wahlberg's dad told me his son will arrive in June with the other 2019 signees but won't go on scholly til Aug. 1, with his scholarship counting toward the 2020 Class. He wants to be a MLB but looks like he could grow into a DE. Faucheux is HUGE.
5. Oscar Brohm, the patriarch of the first family of Purdue football, was on hand. Always good to see him!
6. With this being the first full-padded practice, things got physical. The peak time was during board drills, where players matched up one-on-one and clashed. Yes, Rondale Moore got the best of his man.
7. Big DT Lorenzo Neal was roaming about in a sweat suit. Neal is out this spring recovering from knee surgery, joining LB Markus Bailey (hip), SS Brennan Thieneman (leg), LB Cornel Jones (foot) and RB Richie Worship (knee) as players out this spring.
8. K J.D. Dellinger looked good. The rangy junior was showing good oomph, piercing the uprights with a 46-yard FG at one point. Hunter MacDonald and Grant East worked as long snappers.
9. Your obligatory offensive line update:
First unit: LT Grant Hermanns; LG Jimmy McKenna; C Spencer Holstege; RG Will Bramel; RT Matt McCann
Second unit: LT Mark Stickford; LG DJ Washington; C Sam Garvin: RG Alex Criddle; RT Eric Miller
10. Co-OC/receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard said post practice the team will scrimmage on Wednesday. He also was asked about Rondale Moore's blocking: “He still stinks. Just so we are all clear on that. Today, he had a great opportunity to showcase his ability to block and he stunk. I have to do a better job as a coach, sticking and moving his feet.”
The guy is a quote-machine. And one heck of a coach, too.
Check out my "10 Things" from today's session inside the Mollenkopf Center.
Deep breath ...
1. Several ex-Boilers were back at practice today, returning from training sites to go through Purdue's Pro Day on Tuesday inside the Mollenkopf Center. Among those I saw and/or talked to: David Blough, Kirk Barron, Cole Herdman and D.J. Knox.
Blough trained in the Dallas area (Michael Johnson Performance) and told me he will throw to Issac Zico, Terry Wright, Cole Herdman and D.J. Knox, along with a player from Marian University: TE Brandon Dillon. Blough has a dinner scheduled with Browns assistant G.M. Eliot Wolf while he is in W.L. Wolf is the son of legendary Packers G.M. Ron Wolf.
Blough had future bro-in-law Christian Gonzalez along, also. Purdue is after the touted Texas DB. Another fun note: The only former Boiler in Blough's up-coming wedding is DE Danny Ezechukwu.
"It was tough to pick," he said. "But guys like Barron and Eric Swingler will be there."
Blough will honeymoon in a cabin in the Denver area. His wife-to-be is training to be on the Columbian Summer Olympic team as a 400-meter hurdler.
Kirk Barron is--what else?--stoked for Pro Day. He has been training in south Florida. The barrel-chested Barron told me he hopes to pump out 43 reps with 225 pounds. He has gotten 38 reps at 225 in the past.
"But I don't want the guy to count them out," he said. "That distracts me."
Barron estimates about 30 scouts will be at Purdue's Pro Day.
I asked Barron about the o-line. He said G Will Bramel is the most complete of the three redshirt freshmen. G Jimmy McKenna and T Eric Miller are the other RSFrosh.
As for Alex Criddle ...
"I always thought Alex Criddle would be a good offensive lineman," he said. "But I am not sure about his pass-pro skills."
2. Sophomore C Viktor Beach was out with some sort of injury; not expected to be serious. Was dinged Wednesday, too. True freshman Spencer Holstege was snapping with the "ones." Also, sophomore QB Nick Sipe was out of commission. Hear it is a back issue. Nothing serious.
3. Former Boiler Jeff Zgonina was on hand with his wife. And he looks like he still could play. Zgonina was at Purdue from 1988-92, and was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 1992. Anyone who saw the Z-Man will attest to his prowess. He was one of thickest and strongest DTs EVER at Purdue, with massive arms, legs, neck, thighs, etc. UNBLOCKABLE. Zgonina arrived in 1988 with DE Frank Kmet and LB Jim Schwantz, a touted trio from Chicagoland.
Zgonina is a cyborg, playing 17 seasons at DT in NFL. He lives in Houston and told me he currently is doing nothing after having NFL assistant jobs with the Texans, Giants and 49ers.
At one time, he was showing dogs (Neapolitan Mastiff) and may do that again. Zgonina visited with new Purdue CB coach Greg Brown, who was on the Boiler staff when Zgonina played at Purdue!!! He told me he hasn't been back in four or five years.
4. Several recruits were around including DT Steven Faucheux and LB Jacob Wahlberg. Let me just say this: Each passes the eyeball test. Wahlberg's dad told me his son will arrive in June with the other 2019 signees but won't go on scholly til Aug. 1, with his scholarship counting toward the 2020 Class. He wants to be a MLB but looks like he could grow into a DE. Faucheux is HUGE.
5. Oscar Brohm, the patriarch of the first family of Purdue football, was on hand. Always good to see him!
6. With this being the first full-padded practice, things got physical. The peak time was during board drills, where players matched up one-on-one and clashed. Yes, Rondale Moore got the best of his man.
7. Big DT Lorenzo Neal was roaming about in a sweat suit. Neal is out this spring recovering from knee surgery, joining LB Markus Bailey (hip), SS Brennan Thieneman (leg), LB Cornel Jones (foot) and RB Richie Worship (knee) as players out this spring.
8. K J.D. Dellinger looked good. The rangy junior was showing good oomph, piercing the uprights with a 46-yard FG at one point. Hunter MacDonald and Grant East worked as long snappers.
9. Your obligatory offensive line update:
First unit: LT Grant Hermanns; LG Jimmy McKenna; C Spencer Holstege; RG Will Bramel; RT Matt McCann
Second unit: LT Mark Stickford; LG DJ Washington; C Sam Garvin: RG Alex Criddle; RT Eric Miller
10. Co-OC/receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard said post practice the team will scrimmage on Wednesday. He also was asked about Rondale Moore's blocking: “He still stinks. Just so we are all clear on that. Today, he had a great opportunity to showcase his ability to block and he stunk. I have to do a better job as a coach, sticking and moving his feet.”
The guy is a quote-machine. And one heck of a coach, too.
