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IllustrateD volume 24, issue 5 35 f acceptable work-wise. It's a process that's continuing to evolve. Richards, who just capped his fourth spring session with the Boilermakers, said when he first arrived to Pur- due in the summer of 2011, he'd head to the weight room and see different guys each day. He wasn't sure who was on the football team. "All of a sudden" by training camp, everybody was around. Not anymore. "It's something that small. Where everybody is now, you have to be there on time in the same stuff. There's no more hiding," Richards said. "If you're hiding, you're going to get caught. It's just as simple as that. We're only going to be as strong as our weakest person. The culture has definitely changed. "Coach Hazell has implemented that if we want to win, you buy in. If you don't buy in, then you're going to be off the team." That means work must be done. Always. Despite the already-overwhelming schedules, especially during the season. And that's one reason NCAA president Mark Emmert said he has been discussing with his colleagues the idea of mandating "dead periods" that would forbid athletes from going to the weight room, having practice or being engaged in any informal practices: He'd like to try to less- en the workload. "When you survey student-athletes, they're putting in more like between 30 and 40 hours. We need something stronger than that (20-hour rule), and these blocked-out time periods may be the solution," Emmert told the Balti- more Sun in March. Several Boilermakers aren't sure they'd appreciate such an edict. And, really, it's unclear how the NCAA would enforce it. "With the technology now, you can watch football stuff at your house," said fifth-year senior Justin Sinz, speak- ing of the internet-based Hudl system Purdue uses. "Older guys who have been in the program long enough can do lifting on their own, so I don't know how they would man- date or control that. I do think it's important to get a little bit away from the game and just refresh your mind and your body, but at the same time as competitive athletes you do that for about a day or two and think 'Dang, what if my competition isn't doing this?' And you don't want to fall behind obviously, so I think that's where the competitive spirit kicks in and you think 'I need to go work out today or do this.' "Maybe for the mental aspect, it would be benefit, but at the same time, I think the competitive juices would kick in after a very short period for most guys and they would start wanting back in and doing stuff." It'll always come back to judgment Saturdays. When the preparation during the week, when it's not required, is ul- timately what matters most. There's little choice but for a balance to not only be found but perfected, even at Purdue, where "there's not any short- cuts or any majors that you can hide in," Sinz said. "It's a lifestyle," Williams said. "If you live that lifestyle, you'll be all right." j