By Tom Schott
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Life is good for David Blough.
This week, the junior quarterback was named a candidate for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Wuerffel Trophy. Both honors are presented for accomplishments and achievements on and off the field.
On July 25, Blough will speak on behalf of the 42 student-athletes representing the 14 conference schools at the 46th-annual Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago.
Blough will be joined at the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon and Media Days by senior linebackers Ja'Whaun Bentley and Danny Ezechukwu, along with first-year head coach Jeff Brohm.
For complete coverage of Big Ten Media Days on July 24 and 25, click here.
Let's Play Football in Indianapolis
Excitement continues to build for the first season of Purdue football under head coach Jeff Brohm.
It all starts Sept. 2, when the Boilermakers take on Louisville at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Kickoff for the nationally televised game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
But there will be more than a primetime game in the Circle City.
Much more.
The festivities begin Sept. 1, with Circle Up! Boiler Tailgate 2.0. From noon to 2:30 p.m., Purdue Athletics will take over Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis for a free tailgate event hosted by the Boiler Business Exchange. Food and drinks will be sold by various vendors. Purdue Pete and the cheerleaders, the Boilermaker Special and the "All-American" Marching Band will be on hand, and a number of Purdue dignitaries will be attendance to pump up the crowd when the football team arrives at approximately 2 p.m.
From 3 to 7 p.m. on gameday, the popular Boilermaker Crossing event will be staged at the Pan Am Plaza and Pavilion, just northeast of Lucas Oil Stadium. The event, hosted by Purdue Athletics, the John Purdue Club and the Purdue Alumni Association, is free to all fans and will feature giveaways, balloon artists, face painters, inflatables and more activities for the entire family. Live music will be provided by Soul Street Band. There will be an indoor beer garden with a cash bar. The Boilermaker Crossing will be the best place to get ready for the season opener.
Tickets are available for the game, starting at just $35. To purchase online, click here>. Or call the Purdue Athletics Ticket Office at 765.494.3194 or 800.497.7678.
Divers Earn Top-10 Finishes
At the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, redshirt junior Steele Johnson and sophomore Brandon Loschiavo finished sixth in synchronized 10-meter, while Johnson was seventh on 1-meter.
On July 28 and 30, alums Steven LoBue (2004-07) and Kyle Mitrione (2007-10). Will compete in 27-meter high diving.
Mathias, Thompson Recognized for Academics
Seniors Dakota Mathias and P.J. Thompson have been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court in recognition of their academic acumen.
Thompson boasts a cumulative 3.21 grade-point average in organizational leadership, while Mathias carries a 3.20 GPA in management.
The Purdue duo are among just nine Big Ten Conference players to be so honored.
Wasikowski Finalizes Baseball Staff
Head baseball coach Mark Wasikowski finalized his coaching staff for the 2017-18 school year with the addition of Greg Goff.
Wasikowski and Goff have been friends since both were assistant coaches under Mark Hogan at Southeast Missouri State in the late 1990s, helping lead the program to its first Division I Regional appearance in 1998 as the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champions.
Goff has served as the head coach at Campbell University (2008-14), Louisiana Tech (2015-16) and Alabama (2017), as well as Division II University of Montevallo (2004-07), winning more than 450 games.
Goff replaces Miles Miller, who accepted the pitching coach position at Towson University earlier this month, and joins fellow assistants Wally Crancer and Steve Holm and director of operations John Madia on Wasikowski's staff.
Swanigan Summer Star
Rookie Caleb Swanigan (2016-17) of the Portland Trailblazers was named first team NBA Summer League after averaging 16.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the field. He posted five double-doubles in eight games.
Swanigan, who led the Trailblazers to a 5-3 record and the Summer League championship game, became just the fourth rookie in NBA history to average a Summer League double-double and the first in the last eight years.
In the championship game July 17 ââ'¬" a 110-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers ââ'¬" Swanigan had 25 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 35 minutes.
Swanigan was the No. 26 pick in June's NBA Draft.
Etcetera
Junior golfer Timmy Hildebrand earned medalist honors in qualifying at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Indiana, to advance to the 116th US Amateur Championship. He shot identical rounds of 69 for a 36-hole total of 6-under par 138. The US Amateur Championship will be played Aug. 14 to 20 at both Riviera Country Club and Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles … Junior catcher/outfielder Nick Dalesandro has been selected to the Cape Cod League All-Star Game, which will be played tomorrow in Wareham, Massachusetts … Two incoming freshman wrestlers earned All-America accolades at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Freestyle National Championships in Fargo, North Dakota. Max Lyon won the 182-pound national title and Parker Filius placed third at 138 pounds … Tatum Edwards has joined the softball staff as a volunteer assistant. She was a two-time All-American at Nebraska … Jaret Mesker has been hired as a video producer and Rachel Purser as tennis program coordinator for the Schwartz Tennis Center … After pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians this season, alum Josh Lindblom (2007-08) announced July 12 that he would be returning to the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization to finish the season … Connie Newell, wife of the late Hall of Fame Purdue athletic trainer William "Pinky" Newell, passed away July 19 at the age of 90 … Tracking the Boilermakers will return Aug. 4.