GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 5 19
the end of the spring, Robinson seemed more comfortable at
the 3-technique tackle — lining up between the guard and
tackle — than he did on Day 1. It was the kind of progress he
hoped he'd make in the first week.
"Coming from defensive end, I feel like I have a little bit
more speed, which helps out, but at the same time, my pass
rush and my style is a little bit different, so I'm just learning
how to rush from the inside, which is valuable," Robinson
said during the spring. "It's a little bit more physical, so it
takes a lot more movement and hand fighting rather than
just coming off the edge and getting rid of them. You really
can only go one way, where they're supposed to go, or some-
body is either going to be running into the back of you or
you're going to be hitting another O-lineman."
Other position switches this spring: Andy Chelf to line-
backer from safety; Dezwan Polk-Campbell to safety from
linebacker; Jack Wegher to running back from receiver; and
Rob Simmons to linebacker from end. Phillips also ended
the spring working on the outside instead of the slot, and
sophomore Jared Sparks got snaps at receiver in the final
two weeks while still working at quarterback.
Few lingering injuries
Though Purdue's injury list seemed to mount by the final
spring practice, only two of the injuries suffered during the
spring should linger into the fall, Brohm said.
Defensive end Chazmyn Turner, who'd risen up the depth
chart and was working with the first-team unit in the middle
of the spring, tore the ACL in his right knee and is out for the
season. Defensive back Brandon Shuman, a redshirt fresh-
man, also suffered a season-ending knee injury.
But the rest of the group that included potential starting
defensive end Austin Larkin (foot, missed all but first prac-
tice), Jones (back), and potential backup safeties C.J. Park-
er (illness) and Jacob Thieneman (collarbone), among the
estimated 24 to miss at least one practice because of injury,
should be able to participate in offseason conditioning. So
should McCann, corner Josh Hayes and running back David
Yancey, who missed the entire spring. Neal had surgery in
December with an estimated recovery time of 5-6 weeks, so
he could return by June.
There was a major non-football injury this spring, too. On
the morning after the spring game, Chelf was shot in the
stomach in an incident off campus. Few details were avail-
able as of late April. Chelf's status for the offseason program
and a football future, in general, are uncertain, though he
did return to class about a week after the incident.
j
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