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L Feichter 'Fearless' At Safety andon Feichter's attitude might get him in trouble His unknown status might have given Feichter an one of these days. edge, too. Being a walkBut so far, he's only a broken hand to show for on, the Bishop Dwenger it. And that, suffered in the spring, is healing up graduate has had to now, which should allow the 6-foot, 189-pound fight for opportunities, junior to resume playing in his usual reckless first earning a role as a manner again in the fall. backup in 2011 before "I don't really care if I get hurt, I guess," starting all 13 games a said Feichter, a former walk-on who will enter year ago. his second season in 2013 as a starting safety. "He plays like he al"I don't know. I love throwing my body around. ways has a chip on his Being the undersized player, I guess, you kind shoulder," fellow startof have to, and I kind of have to have that mening safety Taylor Richtality. Luckily with the (few) injuries I've had, I ards said. "He's smaller haven't second-guessed myself or anything. than all of us, which is "It's kind of fun, though, being able to tackfunny (to consider), le people bigger than you, when the bigger guy because he doesn't fear Tom Campbell isn't really expecting it." anything. We love that Landon Feichter might be undersized, Feichter might have been the biggest sur- but that doesn't make him shy. He's not we can count on him." prise of the 2012 season for the Boilermakers, afraid to be physical near the line of Purdue will do the scrimmage. leading Purdue in tackles with 80 while tying for same in 2013. the Big Ten lead in interceptions with four. He In Greg Hudson's was named honorable mention All-Big by the media and new defense, the Boilermakers are allowed more freeshared team Defensive MVP honors with All-American dom to make their own decisions, freelancing off the Kawann Short. designed scheme. All that from a player who got a walk-on opportunity "I love that," Feichter said. "There's a few plays where in 2010 because Danny Hope confused him with being the safety comes down and we're just the free player. We part of a Boilermaker legacy, in probably one of the most just read the quarterbacks eyes. That's what I like. I love humorous recruiting stories in Purdue history. As the doing that kind of stuff, just read the quarterback and story goes, Hope offered Feichter a spot only after think- react to him. ing the Fort Wayne native was related to former Boiler"It's why I have fun." makers Ross and Randy Fichtner. Feichter figures to play a prominent role for the BoilOops. ers once again this season, one bigger than anyone But the confusion matters little now, particularly with would have imagined a few years ago. Feichter having earned his position first on the practice "The thing I like about him is that he likes football," fields at Purdue, then on Saturdays. Hudson said. "He's not afraid to speak his mind. … "I think it's kind of a neat story about how I wasn't He'll be a factor for us, a big one." even supposed to be on the team," he said. "It's pretty — Kyle Charters wild, pretty special." That could be beneficial to sophomores Watson and Rouse come the fall, when they'll at least be asked to be backups or perhaps more. "They did some things in there that were OK," Hudson said. "I think they are feeling their way and they're wondering. I tip my hat to them. It's tough to be 320 pounds and two guys are blocking you and we are telling 40 • Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 you to hold a point. What we ask them to do is hard, but it's also by choice that you do it when you play major college football." In the 2013 signing class, PurGBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com