Purdue's Anthrop continues to make progress

It's one thing to have your younger brother tackle you in preparation for training camp, but Danny Anthrop has now battled through nearly two weeks of Purdue practices.

The senior receiver has tested his surgically repaired right knee several times since Aug. 7. He's planted, cut, run multiple routes across the middle and down the field. He's tested his knee on FieldTurf and natural grass.

The Central Catholic graduate made it through both workouts Monday, a good sign since Anthrop was scheduled to practice only once.

"It was nice to get a full two-a-day in under my belt because I wasn't sure if I would be able to do that or if they would let me do that," Anthrop said Tuesday. "I feel good; just normal soreness. This is the best my body has felt during camp. I'm usually hurting a lot worse than this."

This is considered good news for the offense and the Boilermakers.

As coach Darrell Hazell and assistant Gerad Parker start identifying the team's top six receivers heading into the Sept. 6 opener at Marshall, Anthrop is clearly at the top of the depth chart. Saturday's jersey scrimmage will help determined the final slots.

But for Anthrop, it's all about his knee holding up. He's battled back from injuries before, but this is the first time recovering from an ACL tear.

Before camp started, Anthrop wanted to absorb a hit. He hadn't been tackled since suffering his knee injury Nov. 1 at Nebraska. He enlisted the help of his younger brother, Jackson, a senior at Central Catholic, and his roommate and teammate Josh Strauser.

"Me and my little brother did some one-on-one stupid stuff and he's tackled me," Danny Anthrop said at Big Ten media day last month. "He tackled me and my roommate tackled me."

Not every practice has gone smoothly.

Last week at Wabash College, Anthrop was pushed to the ground in what was supposed to be a non-contact drill and struggled to regain his footing. He later returned to the drill. Anthrop continues to deal with scar tissue in his knee, causing some pain.

"It's probably happened five or six times but usually when it happens – it doesn't really happen after a cut or a catch," Anthrop said. "I can be walking on a street and it happens. It's weird to have it happen during a play. It's not too bad. I was a little sore but that's just normal and it's something I have to go through. I haven't had one in a while so it might be one of my last ones breaking up."

On Tuesday, Anthrop was taken to the ground again by freshman Evyn Cooper after catching a pass near the sideline. Anthrop picked himself up and pushed Cooper. Part of Anthrop's competitive spirit surfaced. Then there's the concern about his knee.

"It's probably the third time that's happened to me in a non-contact drill," Anthrop said. "I lost my temper a little bit. I don't think it got too bad."

Parker said Anthrop cleared a mental hurdle after making it through the first three or four practices.

"He's conditioned well but you have to stick and cut and move in a short area; that's a lot more demanding on your knees and your legs than to run a straight line," Parker said. "He's pushed through the wall of soreness and started to see the other side.

"When he's healthy, I see the same things we saw a year ago. It's all there. We have to continue to manage him to get to that wall and push through it and back off."

Before his injury, Anthrop was on pace to lead the Boilermakers in both receptions and receiving yards. He finished with 38 catches and a team-best 616 yards.

This season, Anthrop is looking to become a consistent threat from start to finish.

"I need to be consistent from the first quarter to the fourth quarter and every game," he said. "Last year, I started slow at the beginning of the season and picked up. I think that's true for the whole receiving room. I think everybody needs to pick it up. I think that first game is going to be huge for us."

Upcoming Purdue practice schedule

Wednesday: 8:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Thursday: 10:15 a.m.

Saturday: 11:15 a.m. (jersey scrimmage)