{"id":9842,"date":"2023-07-07T13:45:34","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T18:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/?p=9842"},"modified":"2023-07-07T13:45:34","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T18:45:34","slug":"in-pursuit-of-hudson-card-an-inside-look-at-ryan-walters-quest-for-the-qb-he-had-to-have","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/in-pursuit-of-hudson-card-an-inside-look-at-ryan-walters-quest-for-the-qb-he-had-to-have\/","title":{"rendered":"In pursuit of Hudson Card: An inside look at Ryan Walters\u2019 quest for the QB he had to have"},"content":{"rendered":"

Newly-hired Purdue coach Ryan Walters<\/a><\/strong> needs a quarterback. And his pursuit of someone to lead his program begins before he even is introduced as head coach in December.<\/p>\n

Take an inside look into the six pivotal days in December in the recruitment and pursuit of Hudson Card<\/a><\/strong>, the Texas transfer portal quarterback Walters just has to have \u2026 and eventually gets.<\/p>\n

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ryan Walters huddles with Nate Dennison<\/strong> in a hotel room in the Purdue Memorial Union.<\/p>\n

Walters is freshly hired as the new Boilermaker coach. He hasn\u2019t even had his introductory press conference. That will come tomorrow. Right now, Walters is quizzing Dennison, the program\u2019s director of scouting, about the roster he\u2019s inheriting and the 2023 recruits who have committed.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Walters have to work with? Specifically: What\u2019s the quarterback situation? More on that later.<\/p>\n

The new Purdue boss wants to hit the ground running on Wednesday. There\u2019s no time to waste. The first signing date looms. <\/p>\n

Dennison quickly crafts a plan for the next 48 hours.<\/p>\n

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14<\/strong><\/p>\n

Walters handles the press conference with charm and aplomb. He\u2019s a natural on stage, comfortable in his own skin and engaging. If people didn\u2019t know it before, they do now: Walters is smooth.<\/p>\n

Introductions are made, questions are asked and hands are shaken. Nightfall descends on West Lafayette. It\u2019s time to go. Walters ditches his coat and tie and hops in a car with Dennison. The destination: Indianapolis. Walters wants to spend Thursday schmoozing in the biggest city in the state he now coaches in.<\/p>\n

As Dennison and Walters barrel down I-65, Walters leans over and asks: \u201cSo, we don\u2019t have a QB with any experience coming back?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dennison nods.<\/p>\n

Walters shoots back: \u201cSo, we need to get a transfer QB?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dennison nods.<\/p>\n

Dennison knows the situation. He was on the recruiting staff during the Jeff Brohm<\/a><\/strong> era. The Purdue quarterback depth chart is occupied by a redshirt freshman, a true freshman and walk-ons. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n

Dennison already has been doing his due diligence, scouting the portal quarterbacks the previous two weeks before Walters is hired. Dennison has a wish list ready for his new boss.<\/p>\n

As Dennison drives, Walters sits silent for a few minutes. He turns and says: \u201cWhat do you think of Hudson Card?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dennison shoots back: \u201cCoach, he\u2019s at the top of my list.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walters sits quiet for the next few minutes, staring through the windshield at barren corn fields. He breaks the silence: \u201cI think we can get him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHell, yeah!\u201d says Dennison.<\/p>\n

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15<\/strong><\/p>\n

Walters springs into action, working to finalize a deal over the next 24 hours to hire West Virginia offensive coordinator Graham Harrell<\/a><\/strong> for the same role at Purdue while also recruiting Indianapolis. <\/p>\n

Walters hatches a plan to use the Purdue jet to pick up Harrell on Friday in Dallas, where he\u2019s recruiting for the Mountaineers, and then fly to Austin with Harrell to meet with Hudson Card later that day.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s ambitious.<\/p>\n

Walters talks to Harrell on the phone. He\u2019s spoken to WVU head coach Neal Brown<\/a><\/strong> and Harrell\u2019s agent. Harrell is in. He signs the paper to be Purdue\u2019s offensive coordinator. Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Walters tells Harrell to stop what he\u2019s doing in Texas for WVU. Walters is coming to Dallas to pick him up tomorrow. Before hanging up, Walters asks Harrell what his shirt size is so he can grab some Purdue gear from the equipment room for Harrell to wear for the visit to the Cards.<\/p>\n

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16<\/strong><\/p>\n

Walters, Harrell and Harrell\u2019s freshly minted shirts roll into Austin to meet Card and his parents, Doug and Cindy. Evening has fallen on tony Lake Travis and its manicured lawns.<\/p>\n

The sales pitch is on. Can Walters land the prized portal quarterback he wants, the signal-caller to lead his first Boilermaker squad?<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you doing, Hudson?\u201d says Walters, extending his right hand.<\/p>\n

Back in West Lafayette, Dennison is busy. Very busy. He\u2019s up well past midnight booking hotel and restaurant reservations for the Cards after Walters confirms the family is coming to visit.<\/p>\n

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dennison and Walters are driving again. This time, the tandem is pointed west on I-74, racing toward Champaign, Ill., where Walters was working as Illinois defensive coordinator before Purdue hired him. Day break is cracking in the rear-view mirror.<\/p>\n

Walters wants to pick up his Mercedes at his house in the area. He also wants to pick up Hudson Card and his family, who are in Champaign visiting with Bret Bielema<\/a><\/strong> and the Fighting Illini staff. Illinois is in the market for a signal-caller and wants the Longhorn quarterback, too. Talk about perfect timing for Walters.<\/p>\n

Walters pulls up to the Illinois football complex, the Cards hop in the slick, black Mercedes. Walters pulls away with his prize in tow. The Illinois coaches wave good-bye and shake their heads. They can\u2019t feel good about this.<\/p>\n

Did that just happen?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the last time Illinois will see Card. Walters escorts the Cards back to Purdue and continues his pitch.<\/p>\n

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18<\/strong><\/p>\n

The full-court sales press is on. Walters\u2019 easy-going style puts Card at ease. There is an instant connection. Plus, Card likes the offense that will be run by Harrell, talking \u201cball\u201d with the fellow Texan he has known for several years.<\/p>\n

Card tours the facilities, has breakfast with deputy AD Tiffini Grimes<\/strong> and dinner with AD Mike Bobinski<\/strong> and others.<\/p>\n

Card prays about it. He had entered the portal December 5th. Now, he\u2019s ready to find a home after being wooed by the likes of Notre Dame, Auburn, Oregon, Oregon State \u2026 a who\u2019s who of college big brands.<\/p>\n

Purdue just feels right. He knows this is where he wants to be. Soon after returning to Austin, Card calls Walters: He wants to be a Boilermaker. <\/p>\n

The news breaks December 26: Hudson Card is coming to Purdue. <\/p>\n

Walters got his man.<\/p>\n

The post In pursuit of Hudson Card: An inside look at Ryan Walters\u2019 quest for the QB he had to have<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Newly-hired Purdue coach Ryan Walters needs a quarterback. And his pursuit of someone to lead…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9842"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9842\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}