WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football returned to practice Tuesday after a 12-day layoff for spring break.
Since Barry Odom's arrival in West Lafayette, the program has preached an uptick in tempo that has become a staple in the spring practice program.
"If you're not ready, you're going to get exposed very quickly," said Odom. "The way we've structured our practice is a lot of organization and a lot of moving parts that have to be on the same page. Our coaching staff has done a nice job getting that designed, implemented and taught."
Jalen St. John, a senior offensive line transfer, spent time under Odom at both UNLV and Arkansas. The veteran's career has featured 39 games played across the last four seasons that included starts in 23-of-26 games at UNLV.
"I've been rocking with Coach Odom for a long time," said St. John. "He knows what he's talking about, and I trust him. I trust the way he goes about his business and the way he handles things. He's a great guy."
Returning defensive back Sterling Smith, a former transfer from Holy Cross, has seized the opportunity to impress the new staff after he did not appear in any games in 2024.
"I showed my effort from day one," said Smith. "Believing in the system and buying into what Coach Odom was saying, I try to show relentless effort and be a good teammate. If you do those things, good rewards will come back to you."
Smith's hard work paid immediate dividends when defensive coordinator Mike Scherer offered him a jersey number change from No. 46 to No. 3.
Odom also took time in his media availability to shout out the men's basketball program and the high standard being set at Purdue.
"How awesome was it for men's basketball, Coach Painter and his crew getting to the Sweet 16?" said Odom. "He has set the standard in all of sports for what it should look like … That's a standard set by our athletics director, Mike Bobinski, and certainly we need to follow up and do our part when it's our turn."
The Boilermakers are set for back-to-back practices at the end of the week on Thursday and Friday.
Since Barry Odom's arrival in West Lafayette, the program has preached an uptick in tempo that has become a staple in the spring practice program.
"If you're not ready, you're going to get exposed very quickly," said Odom. "The way we've structured our practice is a lot of organization and a lot of moving parts that have to be on the same page. Our coaching staff has done a nice job getting that designed, implemented and taught."
Hard, Smart, Tough
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) March 26, 2025
The Purdue Way pic.twitter.com/YB4FUIl0qi
Jalen St. John, a senior offensive line transfer, spent time under Odom at both UNLV and Arkansas. The veteran's career has featured 39 games played across the last four seasons that included starts in 23-of-26 games at UNLV.
"I've been rocking with Coach Odom for a long time," said St. John. "He knows what he's talking about, and I trust him. I trust the way he goes about his business and the way he handles things. He's a great guy."
Returning defensive back Sterling Smith, a former transfer from Holy Cross, has seized the opportunity to impress the new staff after he did not appear in any games in 2024.
"I showed my effort from day one," said Smith. "Believing in the system and buying into what Coach Odom was saying, I try to show relentless effort and be a good teammate. If you do those things, good rewards will come back to you."
Smith's hard work paid immediate dividends when defensive coordinator Mike Scherer offered him a jersey number change from No. 46 to No. 3.
Odom also took time in his media availability to shout out the men's basketball program and the high standard being set at Purdue.
"How awesome was it for men's basketball, Coach Painter and his crew getting to the Sweet 16?" said Odom. "He has set the standard in all of sports for what it should look like … That's a standard set by our athletics director, Mike Bobinski, and certainly we need to follow up and do our part when it's our turn."
The Boilermakers are set for back-to-back practices at the end of the week on Thursday and Friday.
We call this drill...
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) March 25, 2025
The Boilermaker pic.twitter.com/ujwuD1FTh5
Every day, you've gotta compete. pic.twitter.com/EmU04RuVPP
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) March 25, 2025