2 Days to Purdue Football: Justin Siller and Gerald Gooden

Patience

It has taken patience to write this series over the last 3+ months. It has also taken patience for one of these two players today to return to the field. I am glad to have Justin Siller back, while Gerald Gooden should have a good season with teams paying so much attention to Ryan Kerrigan.

Justin Siller - Jr.

Hometown: Detroit, MI (St. Mary's HS)

Quarterback/Running Back/Wide Receiver

6'4", 223 pounds

2010 Projection: He's going to play SOMEWHERE

Welcome back, Justin Siller.

I have to say that because I am very impressed that he has returned to school. After the 2008 season Justin Siller was caught cheating on an exam. His status as an athlete did not exempt him from punishment. Purdue University (not the athletic department) kicked him out of school just like any other student. He was officially banned for a year, and he very easily could have never returned and fallen by the wayside as a player that dazzled us for a short time, but flamed out.

He didn't quit. He went to Ivy Tech in Lafayette to get his coursework back on track. This summer, he was reinstated to the University, and the football team welcomed him back. While he won't be the starting quarterback that some projected him to be had the academic issues not gotten in the way, he will play. In a way, his suspension might have led to Robert Marve transferring here. Now that both will play, it makes us a better team.

Siller made headlines by winning his first start at quarterback at Michigan. He became the first Purdue quarterback to win his debut since Brandon Hance (unless Brandon Kirsch won his first start in 2002). He threw for 266 yards and three scores against the Wolverines as Purdue won a dramatic game and officially eliminated Michigan from bowl contention for the first time in over three decades.

He is listed as a starter at wide receiver, but seeing as how he has played at running back and quarterback we are going to use him in a variety of ways. He is going to be our official "fun player" We may line him up in the backfield in a dual back set with Marve and Al-Terek McBurse. We may run him out of the wildcat. We may run a trick play where he does a halfback or wide receiver pass. Remember, with him, Marve, and Keith Smith on the field we have three former quarterbacks. Just because he gets the ball doesn't mean the play is over and he's the guy to tackle, or it might mean that. It's going to be a lot of fun to see how we use him, and I think Siller will have fun being used in those different roles.

Gerald Gooden - Jr.

Hometown: Hooks, TX (Hooks HS)

Defensive End

6'3", 235 pounds

2010 Projection: Starter at defensive end

After all that on Siller, it almost seems anti-climactic to write about Gooden. Gerald may have a good year by default simply because teams will be geared to stop Kerrigan on the other side. If they double team Kerrigan, Gooden will have single coverage and, supposedly, and easier route to the quarterback. If he can have a good season we should have one hell of a pass rush, thus helping our young secondary.

Gooden started all 12 games last year and earned 4.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and 37 tackles total. He had 2 sacks in 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2008, so he is one of our more experienced players on defense. He did earned a fumble recovery at Oregon last year.

As I mentioned last week with DeVarro Greaves, Gooden volunteers his time off the field with freshman Bruce Gaston to work with Lafayette's Urban Ministry Emergency Shelter. He was also a high school teammate of wide receiver Cortez Smith. The music aficionado in him enjoyed Funky Friday back in 2009.

Boilermakings Notes:

THE FULMER CUP SEASON CLOSES, AND GEORGIA IS YOUR CHAMPION - Every Day Should Be Saturday
Georgia wins the Fulmer Cup

Crisis Averted - Big Ten Gets Division Splits Right - Off Tackle Empire
Don't blame the Commissioner for your own nearsightedness.

As Purdue nears, Irish boiling with excitement - Chicago Colleges Blog - ESPN Chicago
Oh really? Someone's going to get exposed? God, I want this game.