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to convey to others how difficult it is to juggle all your school work, athletics, being beat up and 6 a.m. morning workouts, which they should outlaw those. Being a student-athlete is a very difficult thing to do and being able to say that I am a Purdue grad is pretty cool." While Light and Tiller may have been the marquee names on the card, messages of inspiration emanated from everyone who spoke. Whether it be family members of the three deceased inductees (Tony Butkovich, Alpha Jamison and Dick Walbaum) or Dr. Carol Mertler, WilPurdue lie Merriweather, Serene Ross or Matt Light talks with Coach Darrell Hazell after the event. Earlier in the evening, Stacy Lovelace, all shared the stoLight's former coach singled out Hazell as the "right man to lead Purdue football ry of why the Purdue experience to the next level." meant so much to them. a quick tackle?' With my power to convince, he said Mertler served as an Associate he would rather be a slow tight end. He went on to Athletic Director in charge of women's sports in addibe a Pro Bowl player (at tackle, protecting Patriots tion to field hockey coach while at Purdue from 1975quarterback Tom Brady's blind side) and finished his 88. It was a time when the program was just getting career a great player." started and Mertler fully realized she was a pioneer. For Light, who is proving to be a very charismatic "We had a lot of challenges," Mertler said. "We had pubic speaker, he was philosophical and even a little to help convince the world that we needed women's tongue in cheek about what this all meant for him as athletics. That was not easy and things were not set he reflected on his career. up for that." "You know, the games are always unbelievable," Despite the difficulty, Mertler's sentiment was Light said. "(Still), I would have to say my greatest shared by all that spoke: She loved her Purdue expememory was going through graduation and realizing rience. that all that hard work and everything we put into "It was a great experience and my greatest part it and I actually did it. Every student-athlete can try of my job was to leave the office at 3:30 in the afternoon and to go watch a women's tennis team play," Mertler said. "Watching women compete was a great part of the job." For Lovelace, who played on Purdue's first women's basketball Final Four team in 1994, the experience of addressing the crowd of about 300 was, in part, a message Trent B Johnson, Agent And, I am ready to prove it. to her elementary school-aged daughter 249 E State Street CALL FOR A QUOTE 24/7 West Lafayette, IN 47906 who attended the ceremony. Bus: 765-743-9595 Toll Free: 888-825-6467 trentismyagent.com "Who knows? Maybe she will see me up here and decide that basketball or sports is P097276.1 State Farm Fire and Casualty Company • Bloomington, IL for her," Lovelace said. "For her to have the I've got service yes I do... 118 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 2 f