Personal Take on Joining H&R

Just a few days ago, Travis sent me a Facebook message asking if I had any interest in blogging. With a baby on the way, he said, extra help around the site would be useful. I’ve spent the last six months trying to improve my own Purdue blog (Boilermaker Blitz) and certainly felt like an opportunity to bring Boilermaker fans another angle on our proud University’s sports would be awesome…especially on a much bigger stage.

For those that don’t know very much about me, I’m currently a junior at Purdue studying Communications. Technically speaking I’m not in the school yet, as I have to finish prerequisite requirements this semester that will allow me to finally pursue my dream of becoming a sports journalist. I will graduate with a degree from the Brian Lamb School of Communications in spring 2015 on a five year plan.

The Boilermakers mean everything to me. I grew up in a Purdue family in which a substantial portion of my dad’s side graduated in God’s Country. My dad and both of his parents are graduates and my great-grandfather was a dairy science professor here. As most can guess, the result of being raised this way has made me as crazed of a Purdue fan as any. My family has had season tickets at Ross-Ade for as long as I can remember, and as soon as I got into sports (around 2003-04), I’ve spent just about every fall Saturday in West Lafayette.

In terms of content here, Travis has asked me to bring in the same style of writing that I’ve used at the Blitz. If any H&R readers haven’t checked out that blog yet (link: http://www.boilermakerblitz.com) it would mean a lot to me if you did. We have four writers that contribute as regularly as they can (although most of us are students and have to work around a busy schedule). During football season, we have a "four down" system in which we cover a different topic relating to each Saturday’s game from Monday-Thursday, and then each of us offers a prediction on the Friday before each game. I’ll leave that feature on my own site, but I hope to bring people here more insight into each football game as it happens…as well as a commitment to basketball analysis as well.

I’ll begin delivering content as much as possible starting with the Illinois game on Wednesday night. Between Boilermaker Blitz, H&R, and working as a reporter for the Exponent, life is really about to get interesting. I hope everyone here welcomes my take on our Boilermakers as we move forward.

Boiler up, hammer down, and Hail Purdue!