Henry takes first crack; more Day 1 notes

RobHenrydoesn'tmindthepressure.Heappliesplentytohimself.

ButonDay1ofcamp,ashetriestowinPurdue'sstartingquarterbackjob,thefifth-yearseniormightsensealittleextra.

"IwanttocompleteeverypassandamfrustratedwhenIdon't,"HenrysaidSaturdayafternoon,followingatwo-hourpracticeonPurdue'supperpracticefields."…Idefinitelyputalotofpressure,butatthesametimeyoucan'tputtoomuchpressureonyourselfthatyoudon'thavefunwiththegame.That'swhyyouplaythegame,tohavefun."

Henry,astarterforPurduein2010,isbattlingtruefreshmanDannyEtlingforthestartingjobnow.TheveterantookthefirstsnapofcampSaturday,andspentthemajorityofthedaywiththefirstteam;Etlingwaswiththesecondunit,whileredshirtfreshmanAustinApplebyranthe3s.

Eachhadhighlights:HenryhitDolapoMacarthyatthegoallineforaTDinanon-contact11-on-11-playerswereinshortsSaturday-butalsohadmultipleinterceptions.Etlinghadsomenicetossesoverthetop,includingapairtoconvertedQBBilalMarshall,butthrewtwopicks,aswell.

UnsurprisinglyforaDay1,theoffensewasdisjointed,andsowasitsquarterbacks.

"I'lllookatthefilmandletyouknow,"CoachDarrellHazellsaidwhenhewasaskedthefirstof11billionorsoQBquestionshe'llfaceinthenexttwoweeks."ButIthoughtweneededtoplayalittlefasteratthequarterbackposition.Whenthere'ssomethingthat'snotthere,weneedtotakecareoftheballalittlebitbetter."

Henry,whogenerallytalkslittleofhimselfandratherdeflectstohisteam,wantsthejob.Heplayedhurtin2010,withabadlyinjuredfinger,thenmissed2011withanACLinjuryafterheheldthejobintrainingcamp.Lastseason,heplayedmainlyasaWildcatQBbehindtwoothers.

"Thisismylastcamp,soit'saprivilegeandsomethingI'mnotgoingtotakeforgranted,"hesaid.

Henrysayshe'lldowhathecancontrol,preparingasbesthecaneveryday.

"It's(about)makingsurethatIknoweverything,"hesaid."ThatIknowallthesignalsandamcomfortablewiththetempoofhowpracticeisgoingtobe.Becauseifyouknoweverythingandarecomfortablewitheverythingandifyouplayfast,you'regoingtoplaywell."

Garciaupto1

PerhapsthebiggestpersonnelmoveSaturday,althoughmaybenotasurprisingone,wasAndyJamesGarcia'sjumptothefirstteamatlinebacker.

Garcia,aredshirtfreshman,movedaheadofveteranWillLucasandisplayingstrongsidelinebacker.SeanRobinson,whohadbeenSLBinthespring,hasshiftedtotheweakside.HeandmiddlelinebackerJoeGilliammadeuptheothertwostartersSaturday.

"Theseguysarechesspieces,"defensivecoordinatorGregHudsonsaid."Andit'sourjobascoachestomovethemwheretheycanphysicallyexcel.

"(Garcia)canmoveinspace,sowe'regivinghimachancetodothatandrunaround.…Ithoughthedidagoodjob."

HazellsaidGarciahada"great"spring,asentimentthatseveralofhisteammateshadindicatedintheearlysummer.He'sonly6-footand218pounds,butmanyhavebeenimpressedbyhisquicknessandinstincts.

"Andcomingintofallcamp,weweregoingtogivehimanopportunitytowinthejobwiththe1s,"Hazellsaid."We'llseewhereitgoes;it'sstillearly."

Upthetempo

HazellsaystheBoilermakersaren'tyetupthepacethattheyendedthespring.

Butitwillbediscussed,likelyinstaffandteammeetingsandwalk-thruslaterSaturdayafternoon.

"They'renotingreatfootballshapeyet,"Hazellsaid."Plus,anxietycausesalittlestress,whichmakesthembreathealittleharder,butIthoughttheyworkedprettyhard.Obviouslytheexecutionneedstorisealot.Butnotabadstart."

PurduewillpracticeagainSundayinthelateafternoon;itwillhavefullpadsforthefirsttimeonWednesday.

"Thereneedstobeasenseofurgency,"Hazellsaid."TodayisAug.3,weplayfourweeksfromtoday.Wejusthavetohavemoresuddennessabouteverythingwedo."

FreshmandefensivetackleRa'ZahnHowardClickThisandthatHeretoviewthisLink.wasatpracticeSaturdaybutdidnotparticipate.

Hehasyettopassasicklecelltest,althoughitseemslikeaformalitytogettinginuniform.

FreshmenMylesNorwoodClick"Hewasn'tabletogetthatdonepriortocomingtocamp,sohe'llbeavailableonMonday,"Hazellsaid.HeretoviewthisLink.andDaWanHunteClick"Hewasn'tabletogetthatdonepriortocomingtocamp,sohe'llbeavailableonMonday,"Hazellsaid.HeretoviewthisLink.wereinwalkingbootswithlowerleginjuries.

PurduerotateditswidereceiversoftenSaturday,withDolapoMacarthyClickButHazellexpectedthemtobeshort-termissuesandpredictedareturnnearthestartofclassesintwoweeks.HeretoviewthisLink.,DannyAnthropClickButHazellexpectedthemtobeshort-termissuesandpredictedareturnnearthestartofclassesintwoweeks.HeretoviewthisLink.andShaneMikeskyClickButHazellexpectedthemtobeshort-termissuesandpredictedareturnnearthestartofclassesintwoweeks.HeretoviewthisLink.seemingtogetamajorityofthefirst-teamreps.

ItwasabitofasurprisetoseeMacarthywithalmostnorestrictions.Hehadbeenrehabbingfromoffseasonkneesurgery.

"HewastheoneguyIthoughtwhostoodout,"Hazellsaid."Ithoughthewouldbealittleslowerstarting,buthewasprettysharpforfirstday."

Purdueislookingforreceiverstoemerge.B.J.Knauf,Marshall,DanMonterosoandGaryBushseemedtogetanumberofgoodlooks,too,mostlyonthesecondandthirdteams.

"Wewanttoseethebestsixguys,whoeverthoseguysare,"hesaid."We'regoingtogivesomeofthoseyoungerguysanopportunitytocompeteforthatjob.IsawMonterosointhereacoupletimes,makingacoupleplays."

HenrysaystheBoilerswillhavetobedeepontheoutside.

"Thewaythatouroffenseworks,wehavealotofdeeproutesandthingsofthatnature,sothereceiversdoalotofrunning,alotofmotions,alotofshifts,sowe'regoingtohavetorotateguysinandout.Weneedtogetasmanyguysreadyaspossible."

Purdueheld"quiettime"thismorning,whichwillbeadailyoccurrence.

Theeight-minutesessionthismorning,priortopractice,focusedontheUSAsectionintheteam's"APlayer'sManual,"accordingtoHazell.

"It'saboutbeingworldly,"thefirst-yearcoachsaid."Oneofthefirstthingsinthebookisthatfreedomisn'tfree.Iwanttheseguystounderstandthatthere'salotofguysouttherefightingforussowecandothethingsthatwelovetodo."

ClickHeretoviewthisLink.

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