73 Days to Purdue Football: Ken Plue

If anyone is interested, I plan on hosting an Open Thread for today's U.S.-Algeria game. Stop by around 10am ET to jump in.

Everyone can thank me for the next player in our countdown, especially since he was a four star recruit who was recently put on the Outland Trophy watch list. He is one of two returning starters along the offensive line and has been a solid contributor since he set foot on campus. He wouldn't be there if it wasn't for me though.

Ken Plue - Jr.

Hometown: Rensselaer, NY (Milford Academy)

Offensive Guard

6'7" 340 pounds

2010 Projection: Starter at right guard

In early 2008 I was working a temp job with the NCAA Eligibility Center in Indianapolis. Basically, I answered the phones and any questions about eligibility for players, schools, and parents. One day Purdue called about Plue because he had not been cleared through the center yet for spring practice. It looked like he wasn't going to make it, but once we got his final transcript in from his year of prep school at Milford Academy I was able to get him approved with the last credit he needed. That allowed him to play as a true freshman in 2008, where he started the last six games at right guard.

He has since stretched his consecutive starts streak to 18 games after starting all 12 last season at the same spot. He comes into 2010 as our most experienced lineman and one of the best in the country. Boston College, Maryland, and North Carolina State were competing for him late in the 2008 recruiting cycle, but he chose to come to Purdue and study sociology. He may now be well on his way to the NFL as well.

The honors don't stop with preseason watch lists as Plue was a second team all-sophomore mention by College Football News after a great season last year. He credits much of his success to weight loss, as he was dangerously close to 400 pounds when he arrived in West Lafayette. He is already one of the top NFL prospects on the team, making him a major key to this season's success.

Boilermakings Notes after the Jump

Youngstown News, YSU lands Purdue QB
Najee Tyler ends up at Youngstown State, where he can play immediately. I wish him the best, and I'll be keeping an eye on him there as I think he can be successful.

John Wooden - Men's College Basketball - ESPN
I can't believe I didn't say much about this earlier, but here is ESPN's full tribute to John Wooden.

Purdue great Dischinger gets Hall call | jconline.com | Journal and Courier
Purdue men's basketball will gain yet another representative in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame when former Boilermaker great Terry Dischinger is inducted as part of the 1960 US national Team.

Big Ten rankings: No. 10, Ryan Kerrigan - Big Ten Blog - ESPN
Kerrigan ranks as the 10th best player int he league according to Adam Rittenberg at ESPN.

GoldandBlack.com - Brees on life after Super Bowl; more notes
Our favorite quarterback was back on campus during a busy week. Is there anything this guy can't do?