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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 6 8 Different This Time A one of my favorite covers in my 21 years at Gold and Black is the one below in the "Remember When" section. I still remember standing in what is the A parking lot under the south scoreboard of Ross-Ade Stadium on a warm July day with photog- rapher Tom Campbell and Purdue's newest coach, Joe Tiller. Dressed in a tux for the photo shoot, I remember Tiller cracking jokes with us on a day that wasn't a scorcher, but it was July, after all. It was, as we would learn over the next 12 or so years, vintage Tiller. I also remember having a vibe about Tiller. That's why we titled the first issue "Look of a Winner." It probably should have been more accurate to have titled it "Feel of a Winner," but it was a visual, and feeling isn't, well, visual. Fast-forward 21 years, and we could be running the same cover caption. Coach Jeff Brohm has the same feel to him. There is something about him that makes me believe he is going to have his fair share of success in West Lafayette. Tiller and Brohm are similiar in that they have a little of the same "aw shucks" personality, but both have an intellect that works to his advantage. Yes, they also have/had offenses with the ability to give the program something it need- ed in '97 and again in 2017 — identi- ty. Much like Tiller's teams, Brohm's should be fun to watch but also will be tough-minded. "People forget we had some tough-hungry guys in '97," said Brock Spack, the defensive coordinator at the time. "That started at the top with our Coach. Brohm is a tough guy, too, and is in the process of identi- fying guys he can trust and go to battle with." Before everyone gets all excited, I don't expect a turn- around season for this team like the Boilermakers had in 1997. Tiller's first roster had a couple handful of guys who played a significant amount in the NFL. Brohm's 2017 roster does not. But my sense is Brohm is on to something. He pays attention to all the right things. Still, don't expect miracles. But, there is no doubt in my mind that Brohm is on the way to fixing Purdue foot- ball. Brohm has that "Look of a Winner." Just be patient. From Publisher Alan Karpick Boiler Index "It was hard in the past. You hadn't had any validation. But with this new coaching staff, I feel good. I think we're transforming our culture to expect success." Sophomore linebacker Markus Bailey on the team's new outlook "Our emphasis is speed and being able to apply whatever strength they have quickly and efficiently. Speed, speed, speed." Purdue's director of football strength and conditioning Justin Lovett on the redesign of the offseason program "I don't care what Caleb Swanigan does in the pros. He has already won if you know anything about his life." ESPN college basketball analyst Myron Medcalf after Swanigan was picked No. 26 overall by Portland in the NBA Draft June 22