By Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor

It was an hour and a half of hell, but it was what ultimately got Purdue defensive tackle David Nugent drafted by an NFL team.

Several weeks ago, after Nugent had impressed scouts by running the 40-yard dash in 4.99 seconds, leaping 32 1/2 inches and bench pressing 225 pounds 37 times, New England defensive coordinator Rob Ryan still wanted to make sure Nugent could make it as a professional. So Ryan came to West Lafayette in person to watch Nugent work out and had the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder do nothing but run for an hour and a half.

"It was tough," said Nugent. "They wanted to see if I can cut it, and apparently I can."

As if that wasn't enough to get him drafted, Nugent said he also got a good referral from former Purdue defensive ends coach Randy Melvin, who was hired for a similar position by new New England coach Bill Belichick in early February.

After getting a good impression and receiving a strong recommendation, the Patriots were confident in Nugent's ability and selected him with the 201st overall pick of this weekend's NFL Draft. Nugent said he was watching the draft on espn2 with his parents at his apartment on Sunday when a call from the Patriots came about two minutes before the selection was announced.

"(The Patriots) said, 'Yeah, we're going to pick you,' and I stayed on the line and sure enough they picked me," said Nugent. "A big goal of mine has always been to get to the pros and I feel so relieved now.

Nugent said watching 200 people get picked ahead of him made him more and more anxious to be selected.

"It's been a frustrating two days," said Nugent. "But now everything is done and we're all happy."

Nugent said the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks also expressed interest. But he said he knew as time went on that the Patriots were the most interested.

"It was just a matter of when they'd pick me," said Nugent. "They liked my work ethic and told me I fit into their system real well."

Exactly how well will be determined in two weeks when Nugent leaves for Foxboro, Mass., for a Patriots' mini-camp. Nugent said his spot on the depth chart is "completely undetermined."

He said his agent, Brett Tessler — who also represents former Boiler Mike Alstott, an all-pro fullback at Tampa Bay — will likely wait until after several mini-camps before beginning to negotiate a contract.

Although his favorite team growing up was Cincinnati, Nugent said he is still excited to be a Patriot. He is glad to have a chance to play with New England linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer, a former Ohio State standout whom Nugent used to admire watching.

Nugent is not the only Boiler with a legitimate shot at making a pro team.

Mike Hawthorne, a 6-3, 196-pound cornerback, may have played his last game in a Purdue uniform, but he may continue donning black & gold. That is because he was chosen by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round as the 195th overall pick of the draft.

Hawthorne was the Boilers' leader in pass break-ups with eight and forced fumbles with three last season despite missing three games with an injured hamstring.