Juan Crespo

Manager and Editor

I have been part of the Hammer & Rails (H&R) staff since 2011. I began my journey with this website back in 2011 when Travis Miller (aka: T-Mill) asked me to cover the Purdue Volleyball team, who was fresh off an Elite 8 trip and gaining popularity. I was nervous and hesitant at first, as I wasn't a very good writer and had no journalism experience, but looking back I'm glad I said yes! Though my role was limited at first, I slowly moved up in the ranks to where I am now.

After I graduated from Purdue in 2013 with a degree in Atmospheric Science, I actually "retired" from H&R as I would be moving up to Ann Arbor to pursue a PhD at U of M, and I simply wouldn't have the time to contribute any more to the site. However, I came back up when T-Mill approached me and asked if I could help expand our social media presence, especially on Facebook. I agreed, and very quickly I rose again to my previous position, where I am now one of the main managers and editors of H&R.

Most of my work on this website is "behind the scenes", as I normally manage the Facebook page and make sure the layout of the page and articles are up to our reader's standards, as well as writing some articles on the side. I know my work isn't perfect, but I absolutely love what I do here and I wouldn't change a thing. I still travel down to West Lafayette occasionally for football and basketball, and I always make sure I'm at most Purdue events whenever they're playing in the Mitten State. If you see me at any event, feel free to come up to me and say hi! It's always great meeting our readers and fans in person!

Hail Purdue!