Today we have another position switch player, and one that could factor into the offensive line starting lineup. He has faced a very long road to get to this point, but if he emerges as a starter it will be worth it. He is also following in the path of one of our greatest players ever who could end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame eventually.
Colton McKey - Jr.
Hometown: The Woodlands, TX (The Woodlands HS)
Offensive Tackle
6'5", 280 pounds
2010 projection: possible starter at right tackle
Very few towns can get away with the article the in the title. You have basically the Woodlands, which is a suburb of Houston and represented by our hero, J Money, and you have The Hague. I am not sure which Purdue alumnus represents us in the city of international peace and justice, but they are Dutch so you know they have a good... supply.
Back to Colton. He had a rough 2008. During his redshirt freshman year that season he was expected to play larger role in the offense after Kyle Adams went down. Originally a tight end, McKey caught a pair of passes for nine yards and appeared in ten games before suffering a bad knee injury against Michigan State. That injury cost him the entire 2009 season and it also meant a position switch. To make matters worse his hometown was struck by Hurricane Ike causing damage and consternation.
He has since moved to right tackle, where he hopes to win a starting spot. He wouldn't be the first Purdue tight end to do this under Danny Hope. Matt Light did the same back in 1998. 12 years and three Super Bowl rings later he has been to two Pro Bowls, won the Tuesday Morning Quarterback Non-QB Non-RB NFL MVP Award in 2007, sign an endorsement deal for Sobe, Casual Male XL, and Visa, bitch-slapped Channing Crowder, and nearly played for the second undefeated NFL team ever.
Danny Hope: an O-line coach so good he gets you endorsements.
While it may be a bit lofty to think of McKey reaching these heights, the industrial technology major does have high expectations coming into the season. He is the most athletic of our choices for the vacated right tackle position, but he only made the switch at the end of spring practice. That athleticism showed in high school where he was a basketball player and baseball player. In baseball he helped win the Texas 5A State Championship with top Major League prospect Kyle Drabek (son of Doug Drabek).
Boilermakings Notes after the Jump:
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Scout.com: 2010 Northwestern Preview
This is a big swing game for both teams, so it is nice to see their preview up.
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