As he enters his second season under center, Purdue football quarterback Hudson Card admits he feels better.
And why not?
He is a year older.
Has a season with Purdue football head coach Ryan Walters under his belt.
And, he has some new weapons on the offensive side of the ball, as the Boilermakers look to improve on last year’s 4-8 record, which featured a win over rival Indiana for the Old Oaken Bucket.
A season ago, Card threw for 2,387 yards and 15 touchdowns, as he completed over 50 percent of his passes in 11 games. Card also rushed for 203 yards and another five trips to the end zone on the ground.
Card embracing bigger leadership role for Purdue football
However, he lacked in one area that Walters has seen him get better at this off season — leadership.
“From a leadership standpoint, he’s more comfortable now. He knows his teammates. He knows how they operate. He knows what we want out of him as a leader, and it has been fun to see him embrace that aspect of playing the position,” Walters told the media during recent Big Ten Media Days.
Part of that leadership is winning over the locker room and building chemistry, something that can be challenging with 37 new players on the roster. However, Card said it has been easy thus far.
“This is one of the tighter locker rooms that I’ve been a part of,” Card acknowledged.
Card said another benefit to this season is having continuity within the coaching staff, as this is also his second season with Purdue football offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.
Will Card’s offseason work pay huge dividends for Purdue football?
During the offseason, Card said he put a lot of work in on his footwork in the pocket. According to Card, when his feet are good and set, good things happen for the offense. Wilson acknowledged he has seen progression with Card, noting an improvement in his quarterback’s decision making and the speed at which he is making decisions.
After going 4-8 last year, Purdue football was picked dead last in the new Big Ten, which features the likes of UCLA, Southern California, Oregon and Washington to the mix.
Card said the expectations are just fine with him.
“It’s just more fuel to the fire for us to prove everyone wrong,” Card said.
The Boilermakers open the season Aug. 31 at noon against Indiana State at Ross-Ade Stadium.
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