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just to give 100 percent every time I step on the football field and in the weight room. There are great running backs coming back and we have some more right under them. But, yeah, there is a huge opportunity for me. Right now, I just want to give 100 percent every time I'm on the field. But I also want to compete, so we'll just see how things go." Danny Etling, QB Is this the best-case scenario that you envisioned by coming early: Having a chance to be the starting QB as a freshman? "I wouldn't have come early if I didn't think I'd have a chance to at least play. That's why I skipped out on that stuff. I had to make sacrifices. That's what I was trying to go for. I had a plan coming in to at least put myself in a position going into the summer, and I think I've done that from graduating early. I've gotten to know my teammates really well. It's been a huge benefit." There's not a lot of experience at the skill positions and the schedule is really challenging this year. Is this the recipe to play a true freshman quarterback? Are you ready? "I think the team actually is pretty good. Even though we're young, inexperienced, I think maybe that could play to our advantage. No matter who's the quarterback. We're a bunch of guys who don't have experience, so we're just going to go out there and we may be too cocky for our own good. We might just have our own kind of swagger and compete with the best of them. They might say we don't know any better, but I actually think we're a very good team and we can surprise some people this year hopefully." What are you doing this offseason to get prepared? "I've been trying to get some time with these receivers because a month off was kind of different timing. I've been trying to learn the new stuff this summer because the coaches can't talk to us too much, so I'm just trying to get into it and teach my class the offense and what I know about it. We've been having workouts in the morning, which are real hard, harder than spring even, so it's another culture shock again. But it's a good summer for us." GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com Keyante Green, RB What kinds of things did you work on during the winter to help you get ready for Purdue? "Coming off a state championship, it was very, very humbling in my opinion, because I knew for many years I was fast and then I get to my senior year, I wasn't as fast as I used to be. So I've been working on my speed, running a lot of hills, a lot of glute-hams, just to build my speed back up. I've got balance and vision and have a lot of power, but speed is definitely going to be a factor in my football career." Do you think you'll have a chance to play as a rookie? "All I can say right now is that I'm going to give the best I can. I have the opportunity to play at Purdue, but I'm going to give it my best knowing that there are a lot of guys fighting for that position. I'll give it my all, do hard work and be consistent, knowing that I can give 100 percent each play and 110 percent on blocking. I love to block. Most running backs don't like to block, so I'll try to give all I can so that I can produce for Purdue." OK, off-the-wall question: What was your favorite toy growing up? "I didn't really play with toys. I was an adventurous kid, I liked to go outside. My dad and my mom would let me go outside and I would pick up anything that was live, like lizards or snakes, anything like that. They use to freak out; I used to bring them in the house and they'd be like 'Take that back outside! Those are supposed to be outside!' I'd usually play with anything that's living. But now, I'm a kid that has sense; I'm not going to touch that." Matt Burke, TE What will you miss about home? "Definitely my family and friends and probably Florida, where it's 70 degrees in December and everything. You can go to the beach and stuff. But you have all your life to live on the coast or do whatever you want. I think West Lafayette will be awesome because I've always wanted to live out in the country a little bit." Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 • 79