GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 1 33
If all those come through, Panfil
thinks he can turn in a big season. He
has high expectations, wanting to total
double-digit sacks — his four sacks last
season are his career total, after he was
a backup to Ryan Russell his first two
years — and thinks he can get there.
Most importantly, he says, if he's regu-
larly getting to the quarterback, then it
likely means Purdue's defense is hav-
ing greater success.
"It'd help us win football games, which is what it comes
down to," he said.
But if success could be measured in want-to, rather
than statistics or wins and losses, then Panfil might be an
All-American. It's visible on his face, the way it pains him to
talk about the past, when he hasn't reached his own expec-
tations, let alone those of others.
And it's seen in the time he puts in to get better.
"I've never seen that kid go slow," defensive coordina-
tor Ross Els said. "When he makes a
mistake, which is very rare, he's going
180 mph. That guy just plays hard, and
that's what we like about Evan."
Panfil's motivated. He's demanding
in what he wants for himself, a reason
why he so strongly says that he — and
Purdue — can be better. He's seen the
near misses of the years past.
"That's the thing that frustrates me
and kind of annoys me to this day," he said of the plays that
he's nearly made. "But you've got to have that driving factor.
It's something we need to do. The expectation has been set.
It's been the precedent for this team, we have to get off the
field and convert on third down and part of that is rushing
the passer. It falls solely in our hands, obviously with the
whole defense, but we play a big part in that, with getting
back there.
"It has to be done. It just has to be done. It's a driving force
for me."
j
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