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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3 41 room: How to fix Purdue football. And, among other things, what arose out of the weekend was the NLC. "Purdue is incredibly lucky to have a guy like Drew," said Mike Klipsch, an NLC member who also serves on Purdue's Board of Trustees. "I don't know how to rank the data, but I am unaware of a person that has given this much to his or her University. Drew has few, if any, peers in this." Klipsch is right. Financial support aside, there ar- en't many, if any, current superstar athletes who have taken the time and effort to connect with their alma mater, especially during a Hall-of-Fame-level career. For Brees, however, it has been as much about time as it has been treasure. Importantly, Brees provides an easily navigable path for others to follow. It is that mixture of time and financial commitment that is woven into the member- ship of the NLC. It was formed, in part, to raise money to help football, but it is the emotional level of being involved that seems to resonate. Sure, NLC members had to be able to step-up finan- cially with Executive Committee membership, start- ing at donation levels of $1 million, and General Com- mittee members, giving between $250,000-$999,999. But, as with Brees' commitment, it goes deeper than just reaching for the checkbook. "Drew sets the best example for the rest of us in terms of the time he spends on this," said former of- fensive lineman Bob Martin, who played for coaches Fred Akers and Jim Colletto from 1988-91 and is an NLC member. "I am fully aware Drew is on one end of the player spectrum, and I am on the other. But we share the op- portunity to have played at Purdue and the desire to see Purdue back to the level it was when he played. That means getting back to the Rose Bowl." Martin, who is President/CEO for Thor Industries, a producer of recreational vehicles, said he and Brees also share another common thread: Supporting the program through thick and thin. He started buying tickets when Brees played. "Those were the easy years (to be a Purdue football fan), as my wife Amy and I call them," Martin said. It hasn't been so easy recently, The program has fallen on challenging times with just three Big Ten wins in the last four years. "What has been going on with Purdue football for much of the past decade is not acceptable, so it is not surprising it has gotten the attention of needing to be fixed and fixed sooner than later," Klipsch said. "The university has so many positives going on, but if you don't have a football program you can be proud of, it sneaks into just about every conversation when dis- cussing bigger dreams and visions for the school." Martin, Klipsch and fellow Executive Commit- tee member Matt Folk are shining examples of el- bow-grease service to the school in addition to their significant financial support. Folk is president of the Boilermaker Business Ex- change of Indianapolis, a grassroots organization in the capitol city that works to connect Purdue gradu- ates and Purdue businesses. "Pete Quinn was able to get the organization off the ground, and I am kind of the guy who follows with the broom and bucket," said Folk, whose day job is Pres- ident of Technology Marketing Corp. in Indianapolis. "We have eight or nine events a year and, at times, the BBE is pretty much a full-time job." In fact, the BBE is already planning several events around the Boilermakers' season-opener against Lou- isville on Sept. 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium. "We have already reserved the Circle for a pep rally, so we can't wait to do our part to help launch the Jeff Brohm Era," Folk said. No matter the scale, it truly is about doing one's part. For Martin, who has a daughter who is a sophomore at Purdue, being part of the NLC is another reason to be at a place he dearly loves — on campus. "Part of my motivation in being part of the Lead- ership Circle is (daughter) Mackenzie," Martin said. "She wants the big-time football experience during her time on campus. Right now, our focus has to be to do whatever it takes to get football back to the level it needs to be, and stepping up is key. I am fortunate to be able to do it." During the most recent NLC meeting the weekend of Nov. 18-19, the group experienced a first-hand look at not only the progress of the Football Performance Center but also the updated vision for the south end zone in Ross-Ade Stadium. It also heard from Brees,