A player's perspective: Danny Anthrop, Week 1
Local product Danny Anthrop, who had about 1,400 receiving yards during his career, played for the Boilermakers from 2012-2015. Throughout the season, Anthrop will offer unique insight for GoldandBlack.com into Purdue, its program and players, and his experiences playing for the Boilermakers.
After Gold and Black reached out to me about writing a weekly column for the website, I wasn't sure if I should do it or not. The more I thought about it, I realized that I have a fairly unique perspective on Purdue football. I grew up as a lifelong fan of the Boilermakers, and I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to wear the gold and black for four years. Now, I return to the perspective of an alumni fan, eager to see the success of the Boilermaker football team.
Week 1 of the 2017 season is a very exciting time for the Purdue Boilermakers. Camp is finally over, and life returns to some semblance of normalcy for the guys. There is always a sense of relief coming out of training camp healthy and prepared for the first game. The new football complex was recently unveiled to the players, and it is truly a top-tier facility. I first had the opportunity to tour the new building last week, and it left a great impression on me. The brand new locker room, training room, weight room and meeting rooms are incredible. It's difficult not to be jealous of the current players from an alumni prospective. These improvements are awesome to see, and I believe they will pay off big time for the program.
While there is a great deal of excitement for this season, there are plenty of challenges for the players. A new coaching staff is always a tough situation for the guys left over from the previous staff. I've been through it, so I know from experience how it goes. Change is good, and improvement is the goal of a coaching change. When a new staff comes in, obviously they are going to put focus on building around "their guys." This doesn't just mean they are looking to play the guys they just signed during the offseason. When I say "their guys," I mean they are looking to build the team around players they trust. The players have to keep making a positive impression to Coach Brohm and his staff that they can be trusted to learn the system, make plays and be held accountable for their actions.
This year’s team has the opportunity to make a statement Game 1 against a quality opponent on the big stage. We will get our first impression of this team under the lights, in Lucas Oil Stadium against a ranked opponent led by the defending Heisman winner. Week 1 is a great opportunity to play against a good team because you have more time to prepare for it than any other game the rest of the season. From the end of spring ball through fall camp, you are always preparing for that first opponent. From the perspective of a WR, you should know everything about the entire starting secondary and their backups. Knowing things like height, weight, speed, tendencies on film, hometown and high school can give you a competitive advantage in the game. I even used to look at if opponents played other sports in high school to evaluate their versatility. If a DB was an all-state track sprinter in high school, it would be safe to assume he'll use his speed to his advantage. If a LB was a state champion wrestler, I would be on high alert for him to constantly seek contact and to attempt to end my life when I ran routes over the middle of the field.
This season opener will be personally exciting for me as I get to watch my younger brother Jackson in his first game action for the Boilers. I can't wait to watch his career unfold in the gold and black, and I wish him good luck and good health this season.
I hope the readers of GBI enjoy my first submission. I was definitely not an English major at Purdue. However in ninth grade, I was published in the Lafayette Journal & Courier for winning the "Finish the Scary Story" contest. I'm sure those are all credentials I need.
Boiler Up!
Danny Anthrop
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