By Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor

Purdue receiver Chris Daniels was just starting to get used to calling Purdue home. Now he's going back to the area where he grew up with a chance to play for the local NFL team.

Daniels, a native of Clearwater, Fla., signed a free-agent deal late Sunday evening with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team he grew up watching. The terms of the deal were not available, but all that mattered to Daniels was that there was a deal.

"It's a dream come true," said Daniels. "Not only do I get to play in the NFL, but I get to play close to my home and close to my family."

Clearwater is less than five miles from Raymond James Stadium and the Buccaneers' practice facility. Daniels said he missed Clearwater during his freshman year at Purdue and will likely miss West Lafayette soon.

"When I first got here I was homesick," said Daniels. "I was injured, and I wasn't playing. Then it got cold, and I definitely wasn't prepared for that."

Daniels said he had only two pairs of jeans, no gloves and little else. But although he won't need winter apparel much longer, he said it will be weird leaving Purdue for good in a month. But he said there are still some good things about returning home.

"At least now my mom doesn't have to travel 1,000 miles to see me play," said Daniels. "When I got the news, my mom was more ecstatic than anyone."

Daniels' mother, who owns Buccaneers' season tickets, saw her son catch 170 passes in his career at Purdue, including a Big Ten record 121 last season. He also had 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns.

With Daniels' impressive résumé, others thought the 6-foot-3, 215-pound receiver would be one of the 254 players selected in last weekend's draft. However, he wasn't selected, but by the end of the draft he was pretty sure he would be NFL-bound soon.

He said he got a call from the Buccaneers' receivers coach before the draft ended and the coach let Daniels know that a free-agent deal was imminent.

Wednesday Daniels will fly back to Tampa for a mini-camp which will continue through Saturday. Then Daniels will remain in the area to celebrate Easter in Clearwater with his family — a celebration he hadn't planned on prior to signing with Tampa.

But before he partakes in an Easter feast, Daniels will have to do his best to prove he can make it in the NFL.

"It's an awkward feeling," said Daniels. "I feel sort of like a walk-on."

Though he wasn't a walk-on at Purdue, Daniels said he is no stranger to proving himself.

"I had to do it in high school and then here at Purdue," said Daniels. "Now I'll have to do it again."