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Austin Logan, DB You were initially recruited by the former staff but stayed firm in your commitment when the new group came. Why? "I told the old staff, 'Once I'm committed, I'm not going to look elsewhere. I'm going to stay where I'm at.' Me and my family are very loyal people, and we feel like once you give somebody your commitment it's like you're getting married to them in a sense. So that's how I looked at it when the new coaching staff came in. I was scared. But I knew that everything was going to work out and I was going to stay true to my word that Austin Logan says loyalty kept him I gave to Purdue, no matter what." a Purdue commitment even after the It would seem like it worked Boilermaker coaching change. out for you, knowing the integrity and values Darrell Hazell and his staff has. Did you find that out pretty quickly in the process? "I really did. It was nice having Coach Hudson, Coach Heacock and Coach Hazell to the house. They were very talkative. They got along with the family very well. I got along with him very well when I had one-on-one time with Coach Hazell at the school. As you probably heard, I sat down and played chess with him when he came over to my house. He beat me." He wouldn't tell us who won. Was it close? "Eh. It was a good match and then, I hate to make excuses, but they were telling us to hurry up because my mom was about to put dinner at the table. So I kind of rushed into it and he got a queen back, and let's just say that wasn't pretty. I was like, 'Oh, I forgot about that pawn right there.' And he's like, 'Yep.' " Dan Monteroso, WR What excites you most about coming to college? "With Coach (Darrell) Hazell coming, it's just exciting that maybe I'll get a chance to play as a freshman and contribute to the team. That's something I've really wanted to do since I was a young kid. I've always wanted to play college football." GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com You scored more than 2,000 points in basketball in high school. Did you think at all about playing basketball in college? "I thought about it. Like I said, I've always wanted to play college football. My dad is a coach. It's nice that I'll be playing college football. It's going to be tough not to play basketball, but I'm excited to start a new chapter in my life." There isn't much starting experience at receiver, so there should be competition in the fall for snaps. What are your expectations for your freshman season? "My dad is a football coach, so I was always taught at a young age to go in there and expect to play Johnny Daniels, DT What are you going to miss most about being away from home? "My family and I have a nephew – his name is Jaden – I'm pretty much going to miss him a lot, and my mom. My bed, too; I have a kingsized bed. It's comfortable." Yeah, I can imagine that. You're not going to have a kingsized bed, I don't think, in a dorm. … You're not far from home (Chicago), though, so on long breaks you can get back. "Yeah, it helps a lot. I was actually just talking to my mom about that, about how close it is and packing I have a few things, so with us staying so close it makes it easier because I know a lot of my other teammates are coming from the south or farther west and they have to fly and then buy their things at Purdue. So this is pretty good." Anything special you're bringing with you from home? "Something my grandma gave me: A necklace. My grandma passed away my sophomore year and I promised her that I was going to play college football and have a successful career. I always play with that on, or if I don't have it on, I keep it close to me as a reminder of her." Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 • 77