Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/620595
GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 26, ISSUE 3 75 a team and that feeling of arriving sticks with you years later. Yes, having a guy like Drew made us a national team, but (when) we got off that airplane, it was like we were a national program; we are in L.A. It taught me that it takes a lot to get to a high level, but I enjoy the ride to this day." Brandon Gorin, Offensive tackle Entrepreneur Indianapolis "T hree things come back to me every time I think of the Rose Bowl: First, it now just hits me how good a team we had. The line I faced every day in practice were nearly all future NFL guys. I was just a freshman starting, but I was far from the only one. We were a blend of youth and experience. Sec- ond, I remember it being a blizzard (from a Texans' perspective) either before or during bowl practice in West Lafayette but practicing in The Coliseum felt like the exhaust pipe of a rocket ship. The last thing that I remember is stepping on the scale on game day and weighing 199. Washington's O-line averaged over 300 pounds that year. I was kind of amused by that fact then and still am today." Landon Johnson, Linebacker High School Science Teacher West Chester, Ohio "I am among the lucky few, a number growing smaller in number each year, that can say we attended BOTH Purdue Rose Bowl appearances. The first one was the first national broadcast I was for- tunate to work…As an assistant SID, I spotted for Lindsey Nelson on NBC-TV. It was also my first jet flight. The second time, like so many, I was caught up in the 'Year of Drew.' His whole experience at Purdue will always go down as one of the top high- lights of my career, and that includes three Super Bowls (Vikings), an ALCS with the White Sox and pro basketball championships (ABA and NBA). Sort of the beginning and the end to my lifetime covering sports. For a Boilermaker backer, it doesn't get any better than that." Joe McConnell, play-by-play voice of Purdue foot- ball (now retired) Southport, Ind. "T he 'catch' has given me a platform to share to so many different audiences over the years. Just the other day I spoke to a high school football team the night before their sectional final. The theme of my speech was to finish every play like it¹s your last play and tied it to the catch against Ohio State. Midway through my speech, I began to cry. "Still to this day, it evokes a ton of emotion. As I finished sharing with the group, I encour- aged everyone to soak it in because it passes by quickly. I think what it has evolved into is a motivational story that I can share any time. "I still think about my father flying in my aunt to watch the Ohio State game. She had never seen me play in person before. "During the play where I caught the pass, she actually covered her eyes and didn¹t watch because of her nerves. As the crowd roared, she came up for air to see that we scored. To this day, we always tease her for not watching one of the most famous plays in Purdue football history." Seth Morales, Receiver Executive Indianapolis "I think about the striking similarities to when I played in the late 1970s. Coaching — Joe Tiller and Jim Young had very similar styles and backgrounds. Both grew up in Ohio (Toledo and Bowling Green). Both had experience as coordi- nators and as head coaches, and both were very innovative. Joe Tiller brought basketball on grass to the Big Ten and Jim was the first college football program to use the shotgun offense. They instilled discipline and were very good at evaluating talent. Joe Tiller suspended his best player (Chike Okea-