Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/141859
"I want to find their willingness to suffer. What are you willing to give up? Or what are you willing to do that's extremely difficult that everybody else wants to quit? The willingness to suffer, of each kid, might be the biggest barometer, because there could be a great player that you know 'Well, he's not willing to go this far' to give up these things. I think if you know that, you really can gauge what you can do with a player. I really think they'll go as far as we'll push them. I want to know what they want to give up for the team because in the long run if you do that, the party is a lot better. It's just a better party (at the end of the year)." Gold and Black: Do you feel pretty good about your front four? Hudson: "I like where we are at least from the projection of one of our defensive lineman (Bruce Gaston) being considered one of the top players in the league. If he can live up to that hype, I'll feel good about that. I look at football a lot like baseball. defensive coordinator greg hudson The Reds were good because JohnGreg Hudson, Purdue's first-year defensive coordinany Bench and (Joe) Morgan, (Dave) tor, takes a no-nonsense approach to coaching. Concepcion and (Cesar) Geronimo It's a tactic that's served him well in stops as a coorwere right up the middle. And if we dinator at Minnesota and East Carolina and in his latest are good up the middle, we've got a assistant job as the linebackers coach at Florida State chance. If we are not, then we are the last three seasons. going to have problems. But if we "He's no-BS, doesn't sugar-coat anything," Purdue can solidify the guys close to the ball linebacker Sean Robinson said. "He clearly draws out playing well and then branch out what he expects from all of his players." from there, we'll be all right." Hudson, a Cincinnati native, has a proven track record. Gold and Black: Let's talk about In his three seasons at Florida State, he helped turn the Seminoles' the guys in the middle. How do you defense around, after it ranked No. 108 in total defense the year before feel about the middle linebacker? he arrived to second nationally in 2012. Hudson: "Really our (whole) lineIn the five seasons prior, he was the D-coordinator at East Carolina, backer corps, if you use the playwhich ranked as one of the top teams in the nation in takeaways during ground mentality and you lined them that stretch, totaling 145. In 2009, Hudson's final season as the Pirates' up and you and I were picking, it'd coordinator, they allowed fewer than 22 points per game, the best mark be interesting to see who we would in Conference USA. pick first, second, third and fourth to Hudson, who was Minnesota's defensive coordinator from 2001-04, play football in the parking lot. And succeeds because of his ability to explain concepts to his players. That's that's what we have got to get: The what defensive end Ryan Russell appreciated about his new coach in guys that make those plays, they're the 15 practices they had together during the spring. just nasty and they find a way. I still "(He's) great for the education of the game and for football IQ develop- think it is by committee. Nobody is ment, which I think is something a lot of players need coming from high completely separated from the pack. school to college, or trying to get from college to the NFL," Russell said. No one where you'd go 'Oh, that guy Hudson has coached in the postseason in 13 of his 22 seasons, in- is closer to the green room in New cluding helping Florida State to a victory over Northern Illinois in the York City than he is to anything else.' Orange Bowl on New Year's Day 2013. But that's not a negative. That just A Notre Dame graduate in 1990, Hudson, 46, played linebacker for means you've got a bunch of guys Lou Holtz's Fighting Irish and was part of the 1988 National Champion- that are close." ship team. He's also had coaching stops at Cincinnati and Notre Dame. Gold and Black: How do you "He's kind of a quiet coach," Robinson said. "He draws out what he create chaos in the backfield expects, but he's intense when he wants to be. He corrects you and isn't more consistently than what Purafraid to get after you and makes sure everybody hears what he's saying." due has done here recently? — Kyle Charters Hudson: "Well, it's easy to the 48 • Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com