Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/558473
VOLUME 25, ISSUE 6 77 WYATT COOK, LB You made sure to have a big party to signal the end of high school. You literally roasted a pig at your graduation party? "Yeah. A big, 'ol pig and 30 chickens. And they were gone in probably about two hours." Who did the cooking? "It was my dad's good friends from his elementary school days. They're both chefs. They do it all by taste. They don't have anything written down. It's the best pig and chicken you'll taste in your entire life." How long does it take for them to roast that thing? "The morning of the party, I had to get up at 5 a.m., and we had to put the pig on first, and that roasted for about five hours and then we put all the chickens on and that roasted for another four, five hours." What are your goals for your freshman season? "My freshman year, I want to finish with at least a 3.0. I maintained a 3.3 my last two-and-a-half years at McDonough. So I'd like to keep that streak going. I know college is going to be a little tougher, but I think I can do it. With all the help I get, there's no reason I shouldn't get a 3.3. That's what I expect of myself. Football-wise, I will work hard and I'm going to do whatever I can to get on the field, whether I'm on second team, third team, special teams." Which linebacker spot do you project to play? "Whatever they tell me. Right now, I'm like 245 and I can move pretty well, so I wouldn't be surprised if they started me off at outside. But I've played inside my whole life. I know Ja'Whaun played outside but then moved inside and obviously gained a lot of weight. I'll do wherever I can to get on the field and get as much playing time as I can, whatever I can to help the team." Freshman Orientation EVYN COOPER, CB You attended four high schools in four years, did you ever feel at home with all the constant change? "I'm a pretty outgoing guy, so over a short pe- riod of time, I can make a lot of friends, makes people's days. It doesn't take me that long to adjust and be friendly to everyone. Everywhere I've been, I've kind of felt at home, but at the same time, I had a feeling of 'I'm not going to be here that long, so let's not try to settle down too much. Let's try to get what you need and move on.'" It'll be nice to have some stability at Pur- due. "Yes. It'll probably be a little bit of an adjust- ment, but like I said, I'm an outgoing person. I love people and I love making people laugh. Me being able to settle down and have a family or a group of friends I can hang out with every day will be nice." What excites you most about coming to college? "Just moving on to the next level. Not every- one gets the opportunity to compete at the next level, and I just want to make people happy. I just thank God for the blessing he's brought upon me. Probably the opportunity they've presented to me is what I'm most excited about." You'll start out as a cornerback at Purdue, after playing that only two of your four years in high school. Why do you think you can be a good corner? "Because not only am I blessed with the speed and the physicality, but I'm also very long and lanky, so just being taller than the average corner is a blessing. I've been around football my entire life. My dad taught me how to break down film and comprehend what's going on. My knowledge of the game will be an advantage for me." David MacGregor Evyn Cooper played offense and defense at Buford High School, his fourth high school in four years, but he'll start out as a cornerback at Purdue. MATTHEW MCCANN, OT What do you think the adjustment will be like? "It'll take probably, I wouldn't say too long, a couple weeks to get used to the speed of the game. In high school, espe- cially when I first started playing varsity, I was only a sophomore, so I was pretty shocked by that. But college is a whole different level of speed and strength, so you've got to adjust and adapt or you won't be successful." What are your goals for next season? "To make strides and reach my poten- tial for next year and never stop compet- ing. Give it my all and don't leave anything on the field." A lot of guys at your position red- shirt. Do you think that would be a good thing for you? Do you have an opinion? "I don't really have an opinion on it. Ei- ther way, it's for the best. If you redshirt, you get a year to get yourself better and get ready, more strength, more quickness. But if I don't redshirt, that means I'm going to be playing, so that's good, you're play- ing in the Big Ten and that's a pretty good year. So I can see it both ways." MICHAEL LITTLE, CB How was graduation? "It was great. My family was there, both my families, and it was a good experience. I've seen everybody, all my friends for the last time, and I was just trying to enjoy the experience; it was really nice." Is it easy to believe that part of your life is over? Have you started to move on? "It's pretty crazy how fast everything goes. I remember freshman year, like it just happened, and talking about how I wanted to be a senior already. I look back and it's all over now. But I'm ready for the future and ready to move on, move on to the next phase of my life." What excites you most about coming to Purdue? "Just the school in general. I took my visit out there and just fell in love with the school. One of the big parts was the football, with the coaches and the family environ- ment. All the players and student body, with how much they put into their programs, I really want to be a part of that and it's what I'm really looking forward to."