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immediately, expect to do something great. Don't expect anything other than great, nothing mediocre. So I'm going to go in there and work my tail off. There's a lot of great receivers there. It's going to be tough competing, but I'm going to go and try my best." Jason Tretter, OL Danny Ezechukwu, DE How do you pronounce your last name and is there a story behind it? "My last name is Ezechukwu (Eh-ZEH-choo-koo). As far as the story goes, it's pretty basic. I'm Nigerian." Have you been to Nigeria? "Actually, I have. I went awhile back. I went in like second grade for a vacation. I went to go see my dad. It was the last time I've been. Hopefully, I can I make another trip out there." So your dad is still there? "My dad actually lives there. It is what is it. I miss him dearly, but everything happens for a reason. I'm a firm believer in that. We talk frequently, pretty much every Sunday. He's had his hand in this whole, entire recruitment process, just as if he was here. I couldn't ask for a better father." Which coach recruited you and what were your impressions of the staff? You came in when the new staff was here already, right? "Coach (Jon) Heacock was the one who kind of started me off with Purdue because I knew him real well from Kent State, and he hooked me up with Coach (Jim) Bollman, who has already left. I developed a relationship with Bollman, and he left. I was kind of sad about that. But I just met Coach (Jim) Bridge, who I really like. I like him a lot. Then I knew Coach Hazell pretty well from Kent State, too." So did you build a relationship with Hazell David Yancey, RB while he was at Kent State? Why did you come early? "Yeah, I visited Kent State because "I planned on doing it's like a 20-minute drive from my that for awhile. As soon house, so I was there probably five as I committed, I wanted times or so and talked with him a lot to get here early because and Coach Heacock a lot." running back is a physiYou're 6-7, 310 pounds, and cal position, and I wanted that'd seem like you'd project out to get my body in shape. as a tackle. Are they giving you an I wanted to get here and idea? see how college life is as "It was before I came up for the a student-athlete early and spring game, they were saying it not just come in the sumcould be any position on the line, mer. Getting my school whatever we need you at. After the work done, trying to get spring game, I talked to Coach Bridge playing time, that's just a and he said we'd probably need you to lot of things to take in. So be playing tackle. So I think I'm going I wanted to come in early, to go in as a tackle. I played tackle all take it a little slower at high school." first and have my mind set You're pretty smart. I read an on school and then sports article that said you had a 3.7 and competing for a job." GPA. What do you think "Yeah, I have like a 3.75ish and about the opportunity about 29 ACT. So high school has been you have right now at Bob Strempka kind of a breeze for me. I'm going (to David Yancey made it a point to get to Purdue the position? There isn't major in) biology for pre-med." early, taking part in spring practices to get a much experience. jump on his college career. "My goal right now is 78 • Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com