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76 ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 24, ISSUE 6 f down." What's your ideal playing weight? "I guess as low as I can get: 375 or 380. I can't really say it will a big difference because I played most of my junior college life at 500 or 450. That's where I played because I didn't know." WILL COLMERY, DE You think there's an opportu- nity for you to play, considering the D-line is very young at Pur- due? "I would love to, but I have no idea. I've never been part of a col- lege practice. I have no gauge. I would love to play, obviously; that's every player's goal, to play right away and play all the time, but I can't really say whether I have a shot to play." D.J. KNOX, RB What's the one thing you have to bring with you? "My state championship ring." What's the story behind the wrestling championship belt you were wearing after that game? "The rapper Pastor Troy, he went to our school. He graduated from Creekside. One day at practice he came and he was talking to me. He was like, 'If you pull this game off and you give me three touchdowns, then I'll let you have the belt.' I was like, uh, OK.' That was a little in- centive." You have a pretty interesting story. Sounds like you kind of came out of nowhere your senior season. Can you take me through your path the last couple years? GELEN ROBINSON, LB There are a lot of people who expect you to come in here and be a starter from Day 1. Can you? "Yes, I believe that I can. Not easily, but I believe if I have a good attitude and a good work ethic going into football season this year, I think I can definitely get that done. With that being said, I know there are other people who want my position. It's the same. We're all going to be teammates, but it's going to be a lot of competition and that's a great thing to have re- building a program." Marcus Freeman has said you and Ja'Whaun Bentley will have every chance this fall to show what you've got, but then Greg Hudson mentioned he's coached linebackers who are in the NFL and they didn't start as freshmen. It could still be a tough path for you. If you play but don't start, maybe get 25 snaps a game, play some on special teams, is that a good freshman season? "Me and my personality, I'm always going to want, not being greedy, but I'm always going to want to be the starter; be the main guy. But knowing what is best for the team at the time, I can understand that if there is a guy on the team or if I'm not doing what I'm supposed to or I'm not work- ing hard, then there's no question about it, that's where my place should be. That's when my role should be that, starting some games and not get- ting as many snaps as the next guy. But my mentality going in there and that all players should have is you should want to start. You shouldn't be satisfied with only getting some of the reps." What number are you going to wear? "I'm hoping to wear — I don't know if it's been confirmed or not — but I've spoken to coach about it and I'm going to wear No. 13. Because it is my dad's old number, it's going to bring back some tradition and hopefully keep the Robinson name safe as well if I can be as good an athlete as my dad was in basketball." Tom Campbell Gelen Robinson may have more pressure on him than any other player in Purdue's rookie class. He's eager to prove he's worth the hype.