Strength gains impress Tiller

By Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor

Purdue football coach Joe Tiller said he's somewhat satisfied with how his players have improved their strength.

Several players have gotten noticeably thicker, including three players who recently completed their first set of winter workouts.

Receiver Taylor Stubblefield, safety Stu Schweigert and receiver John Standeford have all put on some muscle since the end of the season. Schweigert and Standeford will be sophomores this fall; Stubblefield will be a redshirt freshman.

"I'm glad they put on some weight; that's better than staying flat, but it's not where they need to be," Tiller said.

Schweigert said he's happy with where he is for now. The Big Ten freshman of the year last season, Schweigert played most of the season with a broken thumb. He had a hard time working his upper body during the season, but that's changed.

"I have a pretty constant workout," Schweigert said. "I've just been eating right, taking a couple of supplements and working out on a regular basis."

As a result of his regimen, the 6-foot-3 Saginaw, Mich., native has gone from 194 pounds to 202.

Purdue had a six-week weightlifting session during the winter. During the summer, the team will have an intense 12-week weightlifting program.

"We need to really get through the summer because that's where we'll make some big gains," Tiller said.

Movers and Shakers

There are three players missing from spring practice, and their absence has nothing to do with injury.

Linebacker Cornell Middlebrook has announced that he is transferring. In all likelihood, the Detroit native will transfer to Western Illinois, a Division I-AA school in Macomb, Ill.

"I'm not 100 percent sure," Tiller said. "But if you said, 'OK, you've got to bet. You've got to bet 10 bucks, not 100 bucks,' I'd bet 10 bucks on Western.

"Western's kind of made their living on bounce-back guys," said Tiller

Josh Kirkpatrick, a walk-on from Veedersburg, Ind., who has one year of eligibility remaining, will not return for his senior season. He will graduate from the School of Agriculture in May.

Steve Ennis, a running back who had eight short-yardage touchdowns as a sophomore for the Boilers last season, has been suspended from the team since before the Jan. 1, 2001, Rose Bowl.

Ennis is in the process of defending two felony charges that stem from an alleged incident that took place around 3 a.m. Oct. 22 outside a State Street bar.

"The chances that he will return are very, very small," Tiller said.

Injury update

No one has been hurt during spring practice so far.

There is only one notable player who is sitting out. Receiver A.T. Simpson, who will be a senior this fall, has missed the first three practices with a hamstring injury.

Practice makes perfect

Purdue held its first practice in full gear Saturday.

According to NCAA rules, each team is allowed to have 15 spring practices. There are four types of practices that a team can have.

Teams must have two practices in less than full gear. The next type is a practice in which players wear full gear but less than 50 percent of the practice includes tackling drills. This is how Saturday's practice was conducted.

There are practices in which players wear full gear and spend more than 50 percent of the time tackling. And then there are full scrimmages.

Teams are allowed only a certain amount of each type of practice.

Purdue will have full-contact scrimmages this Saturday and the following Saturday. The final full-contact scrimmage is the Black & Gold Game at 11 a.m. April 21 in Ross-Ade Stadium.

Practice No. 4 is at 4:30 p.m. today at the intramural fields. Fans are allowed to come watch practice.

SPORTS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111 ext. 251

Sports editor:
Paul Trembacki

Assistant sports editor:
Anne McLaren

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