Grant Hermanns loved his time at Purdue.

You can hear the energy and enthusiasm in his voice when he reflects back on his playing days in West Lafayette. Now, that time is over. After starting 33 games at left offensive tackle and being a mainstay on the Boilermaker offensive line the last three seasons, Hermanns has left the building.

The 6-7, 305-pound native of New Mexico is training for an NFL career in Nashville at Boost Performance, and he hopes for an invite to the NFL Combine coming off a strong effort each of the last two seasons. Hermanns will take part in the College Gridiron Classic in Fort Worth, Texas, Jan. 17-18. And he received an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl, Jan. 19-20, where virtual interviews with NFL teams will take place. Hermanns is hoping for a combine invite.

GoldandBlack.com caught up with Hermanns--a consensus honorable-mention All-Big Ten pick in 2020--for an exit interview.