Purdue seniors hope for lasting legacy

More: Players grasp Bucket stakes | Number Crunching | Palm talks bowl scenarios ($)| Purdue has extra motivation | Purdue on the verge

Analysis ($): Vs.: Coaching or players?

Before this season, Purdue’s seniors had won only nine games since the start of the 2013 season.

It’d been a rough go, to say the least.

But they’ve got a chance now to change their legacy, significantly, in that they can be the group that led Purdue back to the postseason, if only Purdue can win a game against Indiana for the Old Oaken Bucket.

It’s important to the 16 who will be playing in their final games in Ross-Ade Stadium.

“Of course, since we got here, our goal is to be champions and we haven’t that success since we’ve been here,” senior cornerback Da’Wan Hunte said. “In our last go-around, we want to make sure we put ourselves in position to do that. Of course, (we want) to leave that legacy and to be able to say we started something here.

“Coach (Jeff) Brohm is going to do a great job of bringing in great recruits, things like that, but as of right now, we want to be the team that people remember that started everything. That’s been our mindset since we got here. We’re going to make sure we go out the right way.”

Following is a glance at four seniors who hope to make that happen.

Ja’Whaun Bentley almost doesn’t want to admit it.

Despite his team-leading 81 tackles and team-high-tying 9.5 tackles for loss — both career highs — and despite his general physical tone-setting for one of the nations’ most improved defenses, Bentley almost has to be pushed to say just how special this year has been.

“I’m my own worst critic,” he said Wednesday, after one of his final regular-season practices, when asked what more he could have done this season. “I’ve taken wrong steps. I’ve taken bad steps that have put me out of position. So things like that. I’ve missed tackles. A lot less than usual, but I still missed tackles. So I take it down to the little things. I try to critique everything.”

At least, then, Bentley seems to relent for a moment.

“I had a good year and I’m going to continue to have a good year,” he said to finish the thought, “but I definitely have to focus on those little things.”

Few can doubt the production.

And the importance of it for Purdue.

Bentley earned his playing time as a true freshman — he wasn’t thrust into a role because of injury — by starting Week 1 on the outside. Later that season, he moved to his current (and best) middle spot after an injury. But Bentley already had established his potential and flashed considerable ability in Year 1. He had a fantastic start to Year 2 before tearing an ACL, and last season as a true junior, nagging injuries, including lingering soreness from the knee surgery, were a factor in a season that could be considered a disappointment. Based on potential, if nothing else.

But Bentley made sure there would be no repeat.

By all accounts, he had his best offseason, transforming his body into what he said was the best shape of his life, to be able to seize opportunities that would be presented in Nick Holt’s defense. It’s one that’s designed to maximize talented linebackers by allowing them to play downhill and be physical.

Bentley, a three-time captain, has thrived in the system.

He’s not only pursuing the ball with aggression — and for a 260-or-so-pounder, he’s moving quicker than one would think — once he reaches it, he consistently delivers blows. His ferocity often ignites the defense.

And that’s an element even his teammates were waiting to see again.

“To see Ja’Whaun have this bounceback year, it was expected because we all knew what Ja’Whaun could do,” senior teammate Antoine Miles said, “but the defense last year maybe didn’t put him in as good of a position as it is now to make plays. But he’s a playmaker. To see him take on that leadership, to be the guy to make the plays when we need the plays made, I tip my hat to that guy. He works so hard. He leads us, even as seniors, he leads the seniors. Ja’Whaun is a player you need on your defense. That’s a middle linebacker that you need in your defense.” (SC)

When Da’Wan Hunte came to Purdue in 2013, he thought he’d be a starter from Day 1.

An injury, though, stopped that. He suffered a hairline fracture of his ankle two weeks before the start of training camp, breaking the same bone that had cost him the state title game his senior year at Miami Central in Florida. He had to sit out a season.

And that set off a journey of self-discovery, when Hunte learned it might take him a bit longer — and require more work — for him to settle in as an impact cornerback.

“It was humbling,” the senior said. “It helped me to be the player that I am today. I got a chance to sit back behind some great guys, learn the game more, learn the speed of the game and just see things from a different perspective. I hadn’t sit out a whole year since I was five-years-old, so coming in and having to sit out hurt at first, but from talking to teammates and getting encouragement from the guys around me, it just helped me through the process. I just continued to work on my craft and put myself in the best position to be able to play.”

Hunte has done that the last couple years, becoming a consistent starter for the Boilermakers. This season, he has 28 tackles, an interception and five pass breakups. But his impact is more than numbers; the Miami native has become one of Purdue’s most vocal leaders too, seeming to have a knack for speaking up at just the right moments. He did so early in training camp this season and again after Purdue’s loss at Rutgers. This week, he’s been cited often as talking to the Boilermakers about the meaning of the Bucket, its importance, and expectations for the intensity of the rivalry game.

“First of all, he’s been a fantastic leader, a senior,” co-defensive coordinator Nick Holt said. “He provides really good, good solid play. He’s played really, really good for us and has been fantastic as far as being consistent. In the room, he’s excellent, always on time, always has a bright eye about him, always engaged. Just a good, good person.”

Hunte had a solid group of teammates to learn from over the years, including Ricardo Allen, Anthony Brown, Frankie Williams and Landon Feichter, a foursome that he’s cited frequently. In those developmental years in 2013 and 14, they helped him understand what it took to play, not only physical ability but mental. And picked up on the veterans’ study habits, getting into the film room more frequently and preparing for each opponent. So when he became a full-time starter last season he was ready.

“They did a great job in their college careers and I tried to mimic some of the things they were able to accomplish here,” Hunte said. “I still talk to those guys. They still give me encouragement to this day and everything I can learn from a guy who is on the highest level, I try to, even a small piece of information, I try to take that and incorporate it into my game and then try to pass it on to the younger guys. Those guys, they took me in under their wings when I first got here and I made sure I did the same thing for the younger guys behind me. I’m just blessed and I can’t stop smiling; it’s been a long journey but I’ve been thankful for it.”

Now, as a captain headed into his last game, Hunte wants one more win and one additional game. He thinks it’d be a fitting way to end the journey.

“It’s been exciting, a lot of great things have happened this year,” he said. “We haven’t been this close to having a chance to go to a bowl game. And just being around my teammates who I’ve been through the mud with for four or five years and seeing the growth of those guys, but we’ve definitely become a mature team and I’m just excited, not only going out my senior year but the direction of the program is going in.” (KC)

The last few days, Anthony Mahoungou has felt relief more than any other emotion.

Sure, there’s been some excitement, catching seven passes for 135 yards and a couple touchdowns to beat Iowa will bring that. But for a senior who frequently allows slights to be his biggest motivator, he’s had some trouble embracing the success.

“It was hard for me to really get hyped and happy because I was expecting this kind of performance earlier in the season,” said Mahoungou, only a few days after helping Purdue to arguably its biggest win in years. “The feeling was bittersweet because I was happy but definitely not satisfied. I’m just happy that I was able to help the team.”

It’s the reason why Mahoungou has worked so hard over the years, like every day when he stays late after practice, wanting to put himself in position to help the Boilermakers win. Those victories haven’t come often, only in moderation this season. So that he was able to directly help in one of Purdue’s five — like he had done vs. Minnesota earlier in the season, when he helped set up the go-ahead touchdown — he takes pride in it.

Against Iowa, Mahoungou had five receptions in a two-drive span, twice scoring touchdowns that gave the Boilermakers a lead, then extended it. It was one of the most incredible individual performances, especially in the three-minute explosion, in recent Purdue history.

And it came after what had been a trying last month, when he was replaced as a starting receiver — Jared Sparks had been in his spot the last four weeks, taking a bulk of the snaps, as well — despite doing about everything he could.

“He has a great attitude and the guys really look up to him,” said Brian Brohm, Purdue’s co-offensive coordinator. “He’s a good leader for the team. He wants to be a great player, so he went out there and tried to prove himself and he tries to prove himself every single day. I was really happy to see him get that opportunity and make those plays.”

The Big Ten noticed Mahoungou’s effort, naming him a co-offensive player-of-the-week on Monday. Mahoungou said he hadn’t even thought about the prospect of getting the weekly award until it was announced, and was more interested in thanking others afterward.

“It’s a special feeling,” said Mahoungou, who has 32 receptions for 482 yards and five touchdowns this season. “I’m just happy because it shows that the quarterback (Elijah) Sindelar was doing just great. … The offensive line was able to block well enough during the game, and I’m happy for Coach (Marcus Shephard) too. I’m happy to be able to bring that to him. We’ve been struggling a lot this year (at receiver), and I’m happy to be able to help the team like that.”

Mahoungou, a native of Paris, France, doesn’t know what the future will bring — he’ll graduate next month with a degree in movement in sports sciences — could stay in the States or he might head home. If he does, he’ll likely be welcome as a hero.

He knows plenty have been watching him there, his friends and coaches at his club team and family, and thinks he’s represented well.

“I’m blessed to be here, at a great school like Purdue,” he said. “To be on the field with my teammates and brothers, have a great education. Many guys not only in Euro but America would love to be where I am today. I’m grateful for the opportunity.

“Nobody can say that Anthony Mahoungou wasn’t a hard worker. I’ve always put the team first and that’s something nobody can ever take away from me.” (KC)

Gelen Robinson doesn’t look the type.

He’s a solidly built physical specimen — new strength coach Justin Lovett called him an “action figure” this summer — with a burly toughness about him. He’s a defensive lineman, after all, so his football mentality is kind of predicated on being a vicious, relentless predator of quarterbacks after dispatching O-linemen.

But come Saturday before kickoff when he lines up for Purdue’s senior day festivities and is staring 20 yards away at his mom, Shantelle Clay, and his grandmother, Carolyn Crawford, that tough guy persona will evaporate.

Because, then, Robinson will be focused on his everything, his substantial support group, the women who have shaped him more.

And, it’s possible, Robinson just may be a mess.

“I hope not. I don’t know,” Robinson said, when asked if he’d cry. “Maybe. Because my mom might cry. So we’ll see.

“My mom has been excited for this moment for my whole time here at Purdue. I don’t know if she thought I would make it these last couple years at Purdue. She never thought I’d graduate. Now I’m graduating early and I’m just glad to see her with a smile on her face because she’s proud of me. That’s really all that it’s about is making her proud and walking out on senior day and giving her her time to shine, the 2 seconds when they call my name with her.”

Shantelle Clay has plenty to be proud of in her youngest son's final season — her oldest, Glenn III, won't be able to make the game because he has to work ... for the Pacers — as Gelen Robinson has turned in a career-type season.

At a position he didn't even plan to play when he first got to Purdue.

Gelen Robinson was a linebacker in high school and was excited to play for position coach Marcus Freeman, who built a great relationship with him in recruiting, but was switched to defensive end early in his career. As a young player, Robinson struggled at times, whether it be with consistent motor — a common critique from coaches — or finding a way to balance his incredible strength with his significant athleticism. Finally, it seemed to all come together last season, and Robinson had a career-best five sacks.

And then he got moved to defensive tackle by the new coaching staff.

It was an adjustment — less room to work, more bodies on him, different techniques — but Robinson soon learned he could thrive there, too.

He's been a menace for opposing lines, hardly kept out of backfields consistently, and his 9.5 tackles for loss are tied for the team high and also are a career high. His sacks are down (two), but that's not surprising necessarily in this scheme.

The numbers don't tell the entire story of his season.

“This defense is built differently than last year, so plays are going to come when they come," he said. "I’m not really worried about how many sacks I end up with or how many TFLs. It’s making those plays that help the team be productive in the long run.

"I think I’ve still had a really good season and been productive for my team and what they needed me to do, and that’s what is most important."

But the dominance has showed up, too.

Nebraska, simply, struggled to block Robinson. Play after play, he seemed to push back the linemen and get into the backfield. Not only did that surge produce plays for teammates, but he got some, too: A whopping 5.5 TFLs, including two sacks.

“Gelen has done a great job of playing, being real physical,” Miles said. “He’s one of the stronger guys on our team. So he dominates. Gelen is that kind of player. When Gelen turns it on and he goes, he can be a force.” (SC)

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