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8 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED THE PERSONALITY OF WINNING A s you look at the cover of this issue, you may wonder what Tampa has to do with the 2015 Boilermaker football team. Heck, we have had a fair amount of debate among my colleagues at Gold and Black about the topic. Outside of the pretty colors and Photoshop-produced images, it highlights a story about two guys who grew up in the same Florida city, but come from very different perspectives. You will read in Kyle Charters' story how Frankie Williams likes to talk and how Anthony Brown lets his play do most of his talking. Both attributes reflect personality, and maybe even about a little swagger. Now, if you take it all literally, it begs the question: How can anyone have swagger on a team that has won four games in two seasons? Fair question, but I suggest that in the second decade of the 21st Century, swagger of- ten comes first. You have to have swagger to survive any more it seems, especially in the rough-and-tumble world of college football. Swagger is no longer earned, it is just a part of everyday life in the Power Five. But I would also argue what this team needs more than anything is a definable personality that its fans can hold on to. Winning helps that, but in today's social media driv- en world where everything is scrutinized in every way, the ability for a fan base to get behind its team is directly correlated to how well it can relate to it. Winning helps that "relationship," too, but so does the idea that these are 18-22 year-old kids who are trying to make their way in life and football. And maybe, just maybe, an image of them not taking themselves too seriously brings out that personality and helps us all relate to what is going on in their lives both in and out of football. Don't get me wrong, I love the bigger-than-life Insta- gram-style images that Paul Sadler (see Page 58) and the creative folks in Purdue athletics have produced that show a toughness and edge. It is criticial in relating to potential recruits and to instill a mindset and expectation that hopefully permeates the entire football program, and ultimately turns into victories. But in the end, my hope is that we can also realize that this is supposed to be about the experience, the journey. And maybe, there can be a little fun wrapped in with all that hard work. It is going to be a big enough challenge to win games, fill seats at Ross-Ade Stadium and hopefully, if you are the Purdue fan I think you are, watch this program move forward in 2015. But if fans can find a way to relate to this team before it starts winning games, the difficult journey most certainly will be more enjoyable. Boiler Index Remember When … For 19 of the 25 years of Gold and Black Illustrated's existence, we have produced a glossy football preview. Heading into the 1998 season, there were lots of questions, including whether Joe Tiller and Co. could pro- duce back-to-back winning seasons following 1997, when the Boiler- maker boss took a Gatorade shower after the Alamo Bowl victory. The answer was an emphatic yes. From Publisher Alan Karpick Gold and Black Illustrated A publication of Boilers, Inc. 2605 Yeager Road, West Lafayette, IN 47906 765-237-5002 or 1-800-876-GOPU (4678) Fax: 765-497-2110/Twitter.com/GoldandBlackcom President/Publisher Alan Karpick 765-237-5078 Editor Brian Neubert Publications Coordinator Kyle Charters Associate Editor/Football Stacy Clardie Photography/Cover Photo Tom Campbell Graphic Designer Gary A. Hoffman Advertising Sales Alan Karpick Contributor Travis Baugh Production assistant Hayley Karpick Subscriptions Hayley Karpick, Dylan Williams Printer J.B. Kenehan Printing (Beaver Dam, Wis.) 8 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED