Stratton to return for senior
season
 By
Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor
Although he spent his first two post-Rose Bowl
days playing blackjack and the slot machines in Las Vegas, Tim Stratton
is not going to take a gamble with his future.
The two-time All-Big Ten tight end announced Thursday
that he is coming back for his senior season instead of entering the
2001 NFL Draft.
Today is the last day for underclassmen to declare
for the NFL Draft early. On Monday the junior consulted the NFL Draft
Advisory Board about what his chances of making it in the NFL were.
After reviewing tapes of Purdue's wins over Michigan
and Ohio State, the board told Stratton, the recipient of the John Mackey
Award for being the nation's best tight end, that he would likely be
a fifth-round pick. The board also told Stratton to talk to players
who are already in the NFL to get extra advice.
So after he couldn't get a hold of second-year
Chicago Bears linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, a former Boiler, Stratton
called former Boiler David Nugent. A senior for Purdue in 1999, Nugent
just finished his rookie year as a defensive tackle with the New England
Patriots and had credible advice for Stratton.
"He told me the NFL is going to question me. They're
going to say 'Can you still catch passes and make plays if there's not
an All-American quarterback throwing the ball to you?'" Stratton said.
Instead of All-American Drew Brees, Purdue will
have freshman Brandon Hance running the offense next season. But Stratton,
who caught 58 passes for 605 yards and two touchdowns this season, said
he shouldn't have a problem removing doubt from scouts' minds next season.
"Hance throws a good ball and I'm confident in
what Brandon can do," Stratton said. "To me, catching the ball is easy
no matter who's throwing it."
Brees, who pondered going pro early after the 1999
season, told Stratton that staying in school was a good idea, as did
others.
A history major and psychology minor, he also wants
to finish his bachelor's degree by the end of this summer. He needs
23 more credit hours and is taking 15 this semester.
Stratton isn't all that enthusiastic about school,
but Brees' advice helped convince Stratton to stay.
"Brees was like, 'Look, man. You can play. But
from a physical standpoint you might want to rock up,'" Stratton said.
Stratton said he wants to keep his hands soft but
make his body thicker. The 6-foot-4 former volleyball player weighs
250 pounds and would like to get up to 260. His 40-yard dash time is
4.8 seconds, but he said he wants to shave at least a few hundredths
of a second off that time.
"When I set goals like that I usually don't fail."
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