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16 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 5 f q & A : d a r r e l l h a z e l l BY KYLE CHARTERS KCharters@GoldandBlack.com I n his second spring practice at Purdue, Darrell Hazell saw tremendous growth, particu- larly from the know-how of his Boilermakers. Perhaps that shouldn't be sur- prising, even for a team coming off a 1-11 season, considering it enters its second season in Ha- zell's program. The Boilermakers concluded their 15 spring practic- es on April 12, with the Gold team beating the Black 12-7 in Ross- Ade Stadium. A week later, the second-year coach sat down to give his evalua- tions of the spring. Following are excerpts. Q. What's your takeaway from the month of spring practices? Hazell: "Well, what we did on Tuesday (April 15) is had about an hour personnel meeting to talk about every single position and player and where we think they are and how they can help us, or do they need to get better in order to help us. We came away feeling very good in some spots and obvious- ly some other spots that you need some help. "I think we're in a good place be- cause you finally start to feel a two- way trust, guys starting to dig their feet in and say 'OK, this is what we have to do.' And that is such a com- forting feeling. It really is, being able to have the guys around you, all in the same room, headed in the same direction. That's when you know you have a chance." Q. How does it go from what you had last year to that? How does that progress to where you feel like you do now? Hazell: "I think a lot has to do with learning everything that you have to learn in that first year, peo- ple learning people, people learn- ing places and times, all of those things which is sometimes a dis- traction — it has to be done — but is sometimes a distraction from all the unity that you need to build. So that's how you govern it a little bit." Q. Do you feel like they not only know you better, but you know them, what makes them tick, their personalities, etc.? Hazell: "The best part of my schedule this year was, I think it was in February, when I got a chance to sit down with each player on the team. That's the best thing I think I've done since I've been here. And just being able to con- nect with the guy sitting across the table and hearing what he has to say and him understanding where we're trying to come from, those 20 minutes were invaluable. And if there's anything I would have done differently the first year, I would have found time to do that, in ret- rospect." Q. What positions do you feel good about on the field? Hazell: "I think center and left guard. Right tackle, I feel sol- id about. Quarterback I feel we're headed in the right direction. I feel good about our running back position. I think there's a little bit of depth there. Keyante (Green) showed up, which was good to see. Tom Campbell Darrell Hazell sees progress in his program as it enters Year 2, but realizes Pur- due is judged on wins and losses in the fall. Increased Productivity Hazell happy with results of 15 spring practices