Herman doing all he can to stay healthy for Purdue

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These days, Jimmy Herman is spending extra time doing small — but extremely important — tasks.

The senior linebacker is stretching frequently, making sure he body is loosened up before and after practices. He’s warming up, then cooling down. He limbers up before bed and after he gets up.

He’s not missing an opportunity to make sure his body feels good. It’s all in an effort to stay healthy, which has been a struggle the last year, first with nagging hamstring injuries during much of 2015 then with a shoulder than needed repaired during the offseason.

“It’s definitely a significant amount of time,” Herman said Monday following the Boilermakers’ fourth practice of training camp. “… It’s always in the back of my mind. I’m always going to be thinking about it, always going to be doing things, thinking about getting an extra stretch here or there.”

So far, so good, as Herman has made it through the first four days of training camp without incident. It wasn’t this way a year ago, when a right hamstring injury first occurred at about this time, sidelining him for a couple weeks of practice leading to the opener.

But he played through it once the games started, including a big performance vs. Indiana State in which he had eight tackles, 2.5 for loss and a sack. But then vs. Virginia Tech in Week 3, he pulled his left hammy, sidelining him for a couple weeks. But when Ja’Whaun Bentley was injured, tearing his ACL, before the Minnesota game in Week 6, Herman tried to return, but it was too soon. The hamstring pulled again and he returned to the sideline.

Although Herman played again later in the season, it wasn’t pleasant physically. The hamstrings were bothersome, but so was his shoulder; it had been hurt back in training camp, as well, although not severely enough to put him to the sideline.

But once the games ended, he needed cleanup surgery, putting him out most of the spring.

“All these things are just ticky-tacky things,” Herman said. “Even the shoulder wasn’t major. It was just kind of a wear and tear kind of thing. I think about it, but when I’m playing it’s not on my mind, because if I’m doing what I’m supposed to do before, stretching and getting the treatments, this, that and the other, then what else can I do? There’s no reason to worry because I have confidence that I’ve done what I can do. If I get hurt, it is what it is.”

Purdue would like to have Herman available, because the 6-foot-4, 230-pounder is one of the Boilermakers’ most experienced and versatile defenders. He’s made 15 starts over the last two seasons, but has missed six games due to injury.

And he’s played multiple positions, getting in as a strong-side linebacker in Greg Hudson’s system early last season before moving to the middle after Bentley was injured. He had 41 tackles, six for loss, the sack and a forced fumble.

Now, he’s playing in the middle with the second-unit as Bentley’s backup.

“But I’ll play everywhere,” he said. “I know all three positions, but we’re in a position now where we have some depth, especially the way we’re running the defense (with only two linebackers on the field).”

Although he’s a backup now, it doesn’t mean Herman won’t be used. Purdue wants to get several ‘backers in, trying to keep everyone as fresh as possible.

“We’ve got six guys who we feel like can go out there and play,” linebackers coach Marcus Freeman said. “So we’ll put the best group for the game on the field.

“Jimmy is a smart kid that can play all three positions. We felt right now for fall camp, the best one (for him) is to be at Mike and to be a guy to go in there and make sure we don’t have a step down when our 2s and 3s go in. He’s doing a great job, he’ll have a great role for our defense.”

Herman’s ready for whatever role necessary, just wanting to be on the field as much as possible. It’s why he’s spending so much extra time making sure his body is right.

“Nothing more fun than being able to go out there on Saturdays and being able to make plays for your team and help your team win,” he said. “So whatever I’ve got to do. Some guys don’t have problems, and I’ve had the history, so I’ve got to do things a little bit differently than other people. That’s part of it. I have to put in a little extra work to play, but every guy has a thing they need to work on and that’s the thing that I work on. If I have to do that to do what I like to do, then I will.”

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