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IllustrateD volume 24, issue 4 35 f And Cason's performance in that game, he thinks, helped secure his Purdue scholarship. Cason re- turned an interception for a touchdown, and it was a play that Hazell played "about 10 times" on Cason's official visit. "My senior year all about me having a great year and it was about me proving everyone wrong," Cason said. Dale could say the same thing. Well, every year. At 5-foot-9, 178 pounds, Dale knows he's consid- ered a small corner, and he admits that perceived slight has fueled him. "I've always been the smallest guy," said Dale, who insists he'll be 185 by the time he arrives on campus this summer. "Playing with a little chip on my shoul- der does help my game, especially on defense. I think that's where a lot of the aggression comes from." A willingness to play physical is much-needed in the secondary, too, and Dale isn't shy about bringing that. He's a former safety who didn't move to cor- nerback until his senior year, after he switched high schools. But he says he quickly grasped the new po- sition and never lost the mindset of safety. "I love to be physical. Size has nothing to do with it," Dale said. "It's all about how much heart you've got. I have a lot of heart, so I do believe I bring a lot of physicality to the game. I'm going to be coming to another level of college football. This is Big Ten football, where it's at. The transition will be smooth coming in with Coach (Doug) Davis and the weight program. After I get on that, I feel like I can make an impact." Juan Jenkins, the only safety in the class, expects to pack a punch, too, as the biggest of Purdue's defen- sive back signees at 6-foot, 210 pounds, and as a play- er who lined up in the box as linebacker at points as a senior. Purdue defensive coordinator Greg Hudson said Jenkins is "physically ready to play" in his first season and is a guy who "will lay the hat on you." That physicality certainly will be a quality that ex- cites new secondary coach Taver Johnson, who was hired Feb. 13, a week after signing day. Johnson is expected to implore aggressive play from his group and have DBs challenge routes more than former coach Jon Heacock. Hazell called John- son's approach a "linebacker mentality playing in the secondary." That sounds good to the newest Boilermakers, eager to compete, willing to work and expecting to perform. "I hope we become DBU, just known for the sec- ondary," Dale said. "We can make a name for our- selves. This 1-11 record this past season, the sea- son that's coming up, that can reflect on how much we grew and how much we're going to grow. That's why I can't wait for the season to happen. I feel like we have a lot of room and just opportunity to grow because we're all so young. Those sophomores have learned from veterans like Ricardo Allen. Da'Wan (Hunte) was just telling me little things about Ricar- do and what he does film-wise, just little things like that, and that will help us grow and become better as a unit." j