MORE: A look at the walk-ons
Purdue has a growing reputation for attracting receivers. And Grant Summers is part of that family.
Back on May 14, Summers announced of Twitter he was coming to Purdue. The native of Atlanta will be a preferred walk-on, coming in June with other teammates in the Class of 2019. Williams will arrive after spending last season in Bradenton, Fla., at IMG Academy, which bills itself as "the world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and educational institution."
"(Purdue coaches) came down (to IMG) I would say in late December," said Summers. "They talked to Coach (Kevin) Wright to find out more about me. Coach (Jeff) Brohm came down and talked to Coach Wright. They got feedback on that. Then, I went up on a visit in March during spring break and got familiar with the coaches and players. I came back for spring ball to watch them practice."
That is when the 5-11, 180-pound Summers was offered the chance to come to West Lafayette as a walk-on. Summers estimated he made "about 12 catches" last year for "at least 300 receiving yards."
Prior to being at IMG, Summers attended Wesleyan School, a small private institution in Norcross, Ga. He played football as a freshman and sophomore before giving it up to focus on basketball as a junior. He estimated he had over 700 yards as a sophomore and was receiving interest from schools like North Carolina and Wake Forest.
During the summer of his junior year, Summers say he received interest from Notre Dame. At that point, he went to camp in South Bend. And he knew if he was going to pursue football again, he had to go to get reestablished and attend a school where he would be able to succeed.
"I had gone off the map (as a football player)," said Summers. "My old school wasn’t very big or well-known. IMG was a perfect place to come down, compete and measure myself against the best. Coach Wright and (Receivers) Coach (Desmond) Tardy (a former Boilermaker WR) looked at my film, liked it and asked me to come down."
Summers says speed is his strength.
"I like getting out in the open field, running past the defender," said Summers, who claims a 4.5 40-yard dash. "I am very sharp in my cuts. I have really great hands. I take pride in that."
What's he need to work on?
"Everything," he said. "Getting off the line, releases, that’s probably my weakness right now. I can always work on blocking. Those are probably the biggest areas I need to work on."
Summers' father works in computers in Phoenix, commuting back and forth from Atlanta. His mother passed away in 2014. No doubt, Summers has had to grow up quickly. Now, he's ready to take the next step: attending Purdue. He graduates IMG on June 7 and will be on campus in West Lafayette on June 9.
This time next year, Summers hopes his roommate and teammate at IMG--WR Michael Redding--is coming to Purdue. He is a four-star recruit with over 20 offers. Purdue is one of them. For now, Summers hopes to find a role for himself.
"I am excited for this opportunity," he said.
Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?
Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook
More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2019. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.
