Gold and Black @ 30: Year 24--2013-14

Related links: Year 1: 1990-91 | Year 2: 1991-92 | Year 3: 1992-93 | Year 4: 1993-94 | Year 5: 1994-95 | Year 6: 1995-96 | Year 7: 1996-97 | Year 8: 1997-98 | Year 9: 1998-99 | Year 10: 1999-00 | Year 11: 2000-01 | Year 12: 2001-02 | Year 13: 2002-03 | Year 14: 2003-04 | Year 15: 2004-05 | Year 16: 2005-06 | Year 17: 2006-07 | Year 18: 2007-08 | Year 19: 2008-09 | Year 20: 2009-10 | Year 21: 2010-11 | Year 22: 2011-12 | Year 23: 2012-13

Gold and Black Illustrated is celebrating 30 years of publishing. Over the next few weeks, we will look at each publishing year, recalling the moments that took place in that particular year.

Note: Captions describing each cover are not available on mobile platforms.

In one measure, it was our worst year.

Heck, in the history of Purdue sports, it was one of the program's worst years.

In 2013-14, the Boilermaker program finished dead last in the Big Ten in two of its most visible sports: football and men's basketball. It is only time that "feat" has happened in the same calendar year in the modern era.

It was a bit depressing, to be sure.

But the year didn't start out that way. I remember the hopefulness that was rampant for the Hazell Era as it began. The team bused to its first game in Cincinnati and stopped on Monument Circle for a Pep Rally. The crowd was large and hope was flowing like the noon-time beers.

And it remained that way when the Boilermakers made their way to the Queen City.

For about a half.

I remember senior quarterback Rob Henry keeping on an option and scoring late in the second quarter and it looked like Purdue might go into the intermission tied, on what was a scalding hot day in Cincy. But Purdue gave up a late touchdown just before the break. And in the second half, Purdue wilted in the 90-degree heat and was blown out, 42-7, by a middling Bearcats unit.

Two weeks later in a Saturday night game against Notre Dame, optimism dared to rear its head again when Purdue led Notre Dame, 10-0, well into the second quarter. But, the Irish scored 31 of the next 38 points, and it was all downhill from there.

Readers don't need to be reminded that Purdue finished the season with a 1-11 record.

I recall doing a story on two Big Ten coaches, Kirk Ferentz and Barry Alvarez, who, like Hazell, won just one game in their first seasons at Iowa and Wisconsin, respectively. Alvarez told me he used to sleep on his couch in the relative privacy of his office and cry himself to sleep. The Badger legend, in his early days, recalled being embarrassed to be seen by family or fans. He took losing that hard.

Hazell was a coach that was quiet and didn't appear to relish being in he public much. One was hard-pressed to glean how tough that first year at Purdue was on Hazell, because the coach's response was always the same. Hazell rarely raised his voice, or openly expressed anger. That was his personality.

He was likable, considerate and pleasant. Great attributes in a person, but maybe not in Big Ten football coach.

But I knew things weren't headed in the right direction as we later found out. Hazell spent most, if not all, of his Sundays in the office by himself watching game film, with a lot of his time focusing on special teams. His unemotional, reclusive personality didn't seem to bode well to getting his team to dig deep and turn things around.

Yes, Hazell and Purdue showed some promise for a couple week period the following year, but it was all too brief. And, in all truth, by midway through the 2013 season, the fans had lost any momentum Hazell had built up after his hiring. And, for the most part, he was never able to get it back.

Recruiting.

It almost goes without saying that it is an always relevant topic, whether it is a pandemic or the middle of a championship season.

And securing a 4-star talent like Gelen Robinson never grows old. Yes, he had a path paved to Purdue thanks this national hoops player-of-the-year father, but Robinson attracted some attention. He was tough, as evidenced by being a state championship wrestler.

I remember going to the photo shoot at Lake Central H.S. and seeing that Robinson was like the pied piper of the student body. He was a sharp young man who came to Purdue with lots of expectations. He couldn't have been a better young man, and his peers seemed to know it.

And looking back at his Boilermaker career, he was a good football player. He played defensive end, but was a little short for the position. But he grew into being a more-than-serviceable Big Ten player.

I also recall that the cover received some push-back, somewhat tongue in cheek, from one of Hazell's assistants

"He hasn't played a down yet, and you are making him out to be a star," the coach said in one of those half-joking but totally serious comments. I have found over the years, especially before the explosion of social media, that some coaches like the idea of publicity but often don't like it once it is, in fact, in the public.

Oh, in case you are wondering: What did Hazell have to say about Robinson being featured on the front of our magazine?

As you might expect, Hazell said absolutely nothing.

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