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PURDUE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 22, 2016

Gerad Parker

West Lafayette, Indiana

COACH PARKER: Hard to believe this is my sixth one of these, but here we stand. What a ride it's been. I first have to say thank you to everyone involved in the this whole organization, administration, our staff, our players, everybody that's been attached to this that has helped me get through a certain crazy situation for everyone, and tough situation for a lot of people.

I can't say thanks enough to you all and a special thanks to our staff that have been so supportive of me and have given literally that are lives and families and livelihood and all they've done is come to work and grit their teeth and done everything that I've asked and that we've asked each other together, and somehow kept the ship together and really have not had an ugly day in the office around each other.

It's just a testament to who they are and who those guys are and will continue to be after long after we move on. I want to say thanks to them, to our seniors, our players, our captains that have done nothing but do a lot of the same. Kept the locker room in order. Held each other accountable.

We have had very little problems off the field in these five and a half weeks so far. Small things, and it's a tribute to what they've done in their leadership roles to keep this thing together, keep going to class, keep everybody accountable to everything in our program.

Thanks again to all that. It's allowed and afforded a guy that is also in a tough position, because my future is in question as well. But I do have to say that it's allowed a guy from Louisa, Kentucky to have a piece of his dream come true, something I've worked my tail off for, and the support from my family and friends and other coach es and colleges during this process has been something that gives me a lot of emotion and almost tears in my eyes to think about.

I have to say thanks to all them, and how wonderful it's been to have that support from my family, and especially my wife and kids.

So with that being said, happy Thanksgiving coming up. Bucket Week. We had a great practice last night and plan to have great practice the rest of the week and get ready for a very good Indiana team.

Coach Wilson has done a heck of a job there. I have met him a few times and always respected him ever since his times at Oklahoma okay all the way to here and what he's done on offense.

They are doing a great job on defense this year. They have got a great staff. I know a lot of those guys. They are great men, great football coaches, and they've done a great job. They've got plenty to play for in preparing to try to get bowl eligible, something they did last year as well. So there plenty to play for on their side.

Then on our side, we have, in my opinion, just as much or more to play for, in the legacy of the seniors to leave here at Purdue and how we all want to leave this program. We are all sitting here with a big long week of one more. It's one that matches up with our seniors and our coaches, because they have one more Tuesday left, we do too. We have one more Wednesday left together, we do too. It's our last game together.

We all have one more, sp we're going to act like that and behave like that. That's what's going to be requested asked of everybody in the whole program, is to behave like this is your last one, because it is, for the most part.

We've very, very excited about the opportunity to go over in Bloomington and play in the Bucket game. We understand what a great, great tradition, and it's a huge rivalry week for everyone in the country, and we're treating it no less to us.

Certainly excited about the challenge to go over there and play. With that being said, we'll take questions from you all one last time and get through it all.

Appreciate everybody.

Q. As you look at process, what about the biggest one or two things you take away?
COACH PARKER: Good question. I still probably will answer this better in a week. Right now, the first thing that comes to mind is really not having a handle on everything it takes to run an organization and being responsible for every single thing that happens and have an answer for it all.

I think I knew that going in. You realize, and once you live it, you got a whole newfound respect for every head coach in the country for what has to be done. You also see why head coaches sometimes behave the way they do, because they do have to answer for everything.

I think it's a newfound respect for that, and an appreciation that I've got to live it for six weeks and now I know.

The other thing would be how big of a blessing it was and how good it felt -- like there isn't a -- I don't fell like now, Oh, my goodness would I want to do this? I more so feel like I absolutely want to do this. It's a great power if used the right way to be able to affect not only coaches and the players, but the coaches' families and their families.

I've met some kids' parents and got a chance to be around our families lot more and those things with our family dinners and those things. You have an unbelievable obligation now, and I realize it even more now, to be able to affect your families and the lifestyle and all the things you can help change and affect in a positive way and make this an unbelievable experience for everybody, not just yourself.

I really, really enjoyed that part of it, and can't wait to continue to think of ideas that I would do more so if I had the opportunity to do it again. That has been two pretty powerful things.

Q. (Question regarding Jake Herr.)
COACH PARKER: Okay. I'm sorry it was hard to hear you. We're always impressed with Jake. First and foremost, it's certainly great to see Jake healthy. What a great job our medical staff did, and all of us did, to make sure that Jake is and will continue to be healthy.

It was the right thing to do for Jake. It's killing him not to be out there. He's a special player. He'll play for many years after this. He's a great kid. He does the things right way and he is a great leader, and he's been a complete warrior for this program.

He's special. He'll continue to be special and he'll have to be special this Saturday as well.

Q. The key to Blough cutting down his interceptions both in to this game and the (feedback), what are they?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, number one, not have to throw it as much will be a good point we brought up at the end of the game. There is no question.

One, not throw it as much. A couple of them have been accuracy. They will continue to be more accurate. Little bit of it is bad luck. Stuff happens. Those first two of last week were tough ones. Trying to throw around a guy that jumps up and makes a heck of a play; other one is a tip ball that we're throwing around and gets tipped up 20 feet in the air and gets picked off.

The one you can't have is maybe the one at the end of the half. The others were poor decisions. Some of those are tough luck. We got to be more accurate, and at the same token, we got to be able to take care of him better in the future, or whoever that may be has to take care of him better, and not have to throw it as much to be able go to your run game.

Q. Just a couple keys in order to beat Indiana, what will they be?
COACH PARKER: Sure. Like anything, what a great job they've done. They're in every game. They're sitting here with five wins. Every opponent they've played -- they've played very well to the ones they have lost to.

The key is a going to be handling their tempo on offense and having good answers for what they are going to do with their offensive package, how they love to look at and you threes and get into good plays and bad plays. He's done that his whole career. They've done a great job. He's always had great numbers on offense, and they do this year.

So it will handling that tempo, and doing those things on our end on defense. On offense, we'll have to handle all their movement and aggressive nature on defense, which is a lot of bring one blitzes and a lot of movement up front to try to create negative plays to try to get you in third and long situations and compress you.

So there will a lot of man-on-one-on-one matchups in our pass game that we're going to have to win in order to get where we want to go. Then the kicking game will be huge, as always.

So that's a loaded answer, but it's going to take those loaded things for us to find a way to be in the game and win.

Q. With injuries, a plethora of things have happened. It's the Bucket game. Should be motivation enough. Do your guys have enough left in the tank physically and mentally to do this against a team that they got a lot to the play for?
COACH PARKER: Sure. They absolutely do, and you can't disregard that. As I said, I believe we have more to play for. It's my job, our job together, working with the seniors and our captains and the rest of the guys. We're all in.

I know that our energy was the best it's been on Sunday. Last night at practice, those guys ran around full of energy. They know what this is about. They know it's a rivalry game. We aren't going to have to ask our guys to play.

There is plenty there, and everything we have left in the tank will be emptied by the coaches and players, I can promise you that. That's the one thing I can guarantee you: We will play hard. We know what this game means. We are certainly not going to lose because we don't have anything to play for.

If we go down, it's with grit and fight just like we did last Saturday. If we can control our turnover margin issue and those things, we fully except to go out and make a run of it and give respect to team that deserves it. That's what they want on their side.

Q. We all know you've been reluctant to talk about individual injuries, but as you look at the course of the season, especially your six weeks, has it been - I don't want to say a nightmare - but so many different injuries have impeded the progress.
COACH PARKER: Well, you couldn't answer that honestly without saying it's certainly been -- it's had an affect on our progress, no question. Any time you can keep yourself healthy, get to a Big 10 schedule and get where we're going, and some things hopefully you all have seen we've improved, you would think that would've a nice impact on some other things and if we had some key guys and had the bulk guys of team back for some other reasons; special teams as well.

It's always a factor. Just out of respect for not being a guy that whines or carries of burden of excuses, we haven't used it, and I won't. But to say it hasn't been an affect, it certainly has.

Q. You've been here four years. I know you would probably like to stay longer. What makes Purdue a unique place to recruit to? You've got a talent pool. Obviously needs to be enhanced in the future. Is it hard to recruit here? Is it a unique place?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, it is. With every job -- I'll say this -- with every job you've got to find your niche. This is not avoiding. This is not a hard place to recruit to. The academics are excellent; the town, the city of West Lafayette and Lafayette is a great place to be. It's all about Purdue within these two cities. People love this place and want to see it do well.

Facilities are now caught up with the new building coming. There is always challenges every place to recruit, minus a couple places. But you find your niche and find what works and you can get guys here. Other people with similar situations as Purdue have done it and are doing it now in our league.

You can do it, but you got to have a great, great plan. You got to have ten guys with their hair on fire ready to recruit. When you go on the road, that's what it's got to be. I think if you do that, they'll come. They'll come. You know, like anything.

When you get them there, things build onto each other, breakthrough, and breakthrough again, and before you know it you're in a situation you're really, really happy about. There are challenges. Find your niche. This is a great university, great school, great place to live that kids will come to. They go everywhere else, similar places. Just got to know what you're selling and have ten guys that are on fire.

Q. IU is sitting at five wins right now and looking for that last one to become bowl eligible. Is it something you talked with the guys about now, that you can play the spoiler and kind of ruin their chances of going to the bowl game? Does that motivate more?
COACH PARKER: Sure. I don't know if it'll motivate them more or not. They know the situation. No one is talking about being a spoiler. You want to win the game. It's a rivalry game.

They certainly want to win it. They want to get bowl eligible. They want to keep the Bucket.

On our side, common sense tells you heck yeah, we want to get our win, get these seniors out the right way, and get the Bucket back to West Lafayette.

It's rivalry week. A lot riding on it for both teams. Again, I really believe -- and I'm not just saying that -- we have plenty to play for. Our guys believe we have plenty to play for.

So being highly motivated will not be a factor in this game for us.

Q. One of the guys who might have a little motivation is Jake just because of his brother playing. Have you talked with him a little bit about the significance of this game to him?
COACH PARKER: We talked about the significance of the game, not in that regard, though. We've stayed away from it. You saw what Jake was and feels like and how it was for him to play in the first quarter of that game and on through the half. Jake will probably play at the same pace he did last week, and I think it'll be fun to watch him for four quarters.

Q. Looking back at that last game, looked like you were doing something a little bit interesting Robert Gregory. I don't know if you can speak to this, but was he playing linebacker? Was it like a 4-4? How would you describe that?
COACH PARKER: It's sensitive, of course, but he's going to play different roles, and did last week, especially with the heavy run they were. So give us a different time to play him down in that type of role you spoke of, and it helped us. There are some things he did well, and what warrior he's been on special teams as well.

Always trying to find ways. Again, our defense is fast. Haven't stayed there or been the same. We'll go down swinging and see where the cards fall. We'll continue to do a better job this week in our last opportunity to find ways to control the football and contain it.

We've got our hands full this week; they know it. It's going to be fun to scheme again to find ways to win a game again this week. That's all that matters.

Q. When you look at IU's offense, they seem to throw the ball pretty around well. What concerns you there?
COACH PARKER: Well, they use the whole width of the field. That's the thing you can bank on with Coach Wilson. Those guys, they do a great job. They've done a great job historically everywhere they've been on offense.

It's no different this year. They'll use the width of the field; they'll run the football and make sure to stop the run. They love to hand it off. They will do that. They take pride in playing great up front. Their offensive line is really, really good. It's been really, really good since the time I've been sear.

Any time you get a staff like that that's worked together and continue to build on it, you're getting a great run game and then they'll throw the football and break you out and get you in space. They do a good job of taking a picture of your defense, too. They'll do the freeze count and you'll see them looking through the sidelines. They do a good job of being able to take a picture and get them into the right plays they want to see. They do a good job of it.

Q. Eddy Wilson wasn't in uniform. Was he at the game and what's his status?
COACH PARKER: He will most likely not be available this week. He is in the hands of our the medical staff and those things. That's where he at is right now.

Q. Kirk Barron will take over as veteran next year on that offensive line. What has he done for you do you think this year that makes you think he's ready for that?
COACH PARKER: Well, you know what? Kirk does a really good job. He's already been a vocal guy. He has a lot of respect from the guys because he is vocal and kind of a work hard, dirty offensive lineman, so to speak. That's what he has to do.

He is not an overly big guy as far as stature and height, but he is really, really strong and vocal and has natural leadership skills that have afforded him to be able to do that. You have to have him be in the center.

I think also playing a full year like this in the Big 10 and making the calls he's made and leading the offensive line through pass and run, gives you a natural respect. Those guys hear his voice all the time in what we do.

Moving forward, I think he'll build off that and get into another great off-season where he becomes the leader of the offensive line and does those things. I think he's ready for that and needs do it. Sure proud of the way he's performed this year.

Q. Can he be a leading voice in the time of transition coming up?
COACH PARKER: Yeah. He already in a lot of ways is. And I think he will be, especially, like you said, in a time of a lot of transition for all them.

Q. Thanksgiving is a couple days away. What are you thankful for this year?
COACH PARKER: Good question. You know what? I'm thankful for a wonderful set of friends and family. No doubt that. Another newborn daughter this year. Crazy, crazy run of a lot of things over the last six weeks.

But I am thankful for the health of my family and the friendships that I have maintain and who I've found out are really are phenomenal, even more so than I thought. I think I am thankful more so for that.

Not this opportunity, because it's come with a lot of pain in it, too. I think it's just been hard to manage that. It would be so selfish of me to say I am thankful for this, because this has created a lot of pain for a lot of people.

I wouldn't say that's it. I've been grateful for the opportunity and I'm and going to learn so much from it. That wouldn't be what's driven this year. I'm glad for and I hope I put myself in a position where there are players and staff walking a way from this saying, Man, I appreciate what you did. If that's the case, I'm thankful for that. Not necessarily to stand in front of this podium per se.

The other stuff I'm certainly thankful for.

Q. You didn't mention a no-shave November new person.
COACH PARKER: Yeah, sorry. Thank you. I appreciate that. Today I have a really, really good friend that I coached with at Marshall named JaJuan Seider. He is a runningback coach there and a phenomenal coach, and his son was diagnosed with cancer two years ago.

He has since beat that and is healthy. He's in high school. Good looking guy. He's done good for himself. He's playing football and basketball. We vacation a lot of the years in the past. Jaden Seider is his name.

So glad Jaden is healthy and has come out with a bill of health. Thank you for reminding me.

Q. So what is the scheme this week, mantra?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, you know what? We had really, really special movie we went and saw. We saw Hacksaw Ridge last week and it really hit with our players. During that movie, they do a great job, and there is a piece when he's saving all those people that he says -- he's just praying and says, Lord, give me the strength to go get it one more. We've really adopted that and took it from Friday to Saturday, and this week will be no different.

Just talking about going to get one more, whatever that is. One more Tuesday practice, one more stop on defense; one more play on offense; you know, one more punt that we can down inside the five, all that.

So really going to talk to our guys, Hey, this literally is, everybody in the organization, it's all about one more. All we have is one more. Our big push this week and decreed and keeping focused on that Bucket is going to get one more.

Q. Have you seen the Bucket in person?
COACH PARKER: I have. I saw it in the off-season when we first got here. It was around. Then I saw them come over and rip it off our sideline.

Q. Is that something you think about this week?
COACH PARKER: I would hope. I woke up to it this morning. Yeah.

Q. Have you decorated the locker room in any way or coaches' offices or anything?
COACH PARKER: No. They all know it's a different week. We got some great things planned for team meetings and no different decorations.

Q. (Regarding Michigan/Ohio State.)
COACH PARKER: I did not.

Q. So nothing like big schemy for you?
COACH PARKER: Nope.

Q. Allowing people to wear red?
COACH PARKER: No red. That's true for I think every day in that office for the most part.

Q. What are your impressions of the rivalry? You're not an Indiana guy, but you've been here a while so you've been a part of it.
COACH PARKER: You know, what? What a great week for college football. This rivalry has been one-sided since I've been here. I think it holds true and is deep, and there is a good respect. I have met a lot of the those guys out on the rote. They are great guys and good football coaches and they do a good job.

So there is a respect for those guys, not a hatred. I am sure some fans would speak differently. I have a respect for them and always have. Some of the guys on their staff and guys I've met in recruiting are great people.

So there is respect. You can feel the energy when we show up there Saturday, just as when they have come up here. There is an energy about it. It's a great, great tradition and a rivalry game with good energy about it. I'm sure it'll be the same on Saturday.

Q. (Question regarding runningbacks.)
COACH PARKER: Good question. I will say this: we'll be better shape than we've been, which is going to be really good.

Q. What are the team's plans for Thanksgiving?
COACH PARKER: Yeah, tomorrow we'll have a really good team dinner. After practice, we'll go a little bit early, have a really good family and player meal tomorrow evening in the union. Come in on Thursday morning and have a good practice and get through and get the guys some time off in the afternoon with no meal on Thursday, besides those that want to get in coach's homes and those things.

I am sure I will have a good handful of wideouts that will be in my living room. We're prepared to do that and can't wait to chill with them and turn on some football and not talk about things as stressful as they are over here.

Q. Will you have family and friends over?
COACH PARKER: Just the wideouts. They're my families. That's my sons. I don't have any sons besides them. They're family and they know that. They'll continue to be as my career goes on elsewhere or whatever happens.

Family will be there, but just players, my immediate family. Mom and dad and them are going to stay back home and come up for the game on Saturday, which makes my mother six for six, would be rightfully -- that's who she is.

She'll be there, and excited to get my sister and them up. Bunch of friends from Kentucky as well showing their face. I got a best friend coming up who is done with his season.

Q. Earlier you talked about using the offensive line, and I wanted to ask you specifically No. 54, Coy Cronk, true freshman playing left tackle. Did you zero in on him at all? Any film or anything like that?
COACH PARKER: No. I know who he is very well. Good to see he's doing good. Brandon Knight would be another guy. Jacob Robinson on the defensive line. Guys I know really, really well. I can't wait to see them out on the field and say hello.

I can't say much to that besides that hurts. They did a good job getting those guys there and they're really good players for them, yeah.

Q. Did you say that hurts?
COACH PARKER: I did, yeah.

Q. Can you elaborate?
COACH PARKER: No. But I'm proud of those guys. They're awesome kids. All those guys are awesome kids, I will say that. Awesome and great kids, good Indiana kids.

Q. After Saturday, what happens with you and the staff?
COACH PARKER: We don't know. There is a lot of stuff in question, and rightfully so. Nobody can fix it. Nothing we can do. We'll get through the game Saturday and come back Sunday and kind of wait on things.

Everybody obviously will take care of things they can take care of with getting stuff put together for them professionally as far as resumes and those things. Have that stuff in order and get ready to wait and see what happened here in the future for football and everyone's future outside of here.

Q. Have you had any time to really think about your future and do anything about it as you've been involved in being the interim head coach, or does that all come for you after Saturday?
COACH PARKER: Yeah. It's been -- that's the good end, you know what I mean? It's good position in this position in some ways, but at the same time, there is not a whole lot of the time to push on. I missed out on The Voice, let alone worried about the future of my career.

A lot of things are quiet this type time of year. There is just not a whole lot time to worry about that stuff or get going. We'll wait and let the chips fall and see what happens. There has not been time for that right now.

Q. You talked about one more, and you could tell by your answer to Stacy's question what the Bucket means. If you could articulate, what would it mean to go out with a Bucket win?
COACH PARKER: Sure. Yeah, could be for a lot of people, if not everybody in the organization. So I think -- not I think. The Bucket, to me, means a chance to serve our players and serve our staff one really good smile.

You know, it's funny you ask that question. Going to be a question everybody answers today in our team meeting. For me, that is what the Bucket means. I am working this week doing everything in my power to get our guys ready to go try to do this.

What the Bucket means to me is to serve our staff and players and afford them the right to be able to walk off as seniors with the Bucket, and the staff the same.

Q. Kind of gone into this game on a string of losses the last three years. What are the challenges of playing well, playing your bets football going into the game?
COACH PARKER: Sure. Well, I mean, November hasn't been good to us. For us to change that we have to continue to build on the things we have done well to this point, and the first halves been well played, minus the second quarter of last week. We've played well early and we will play well. But to get to that point where you play well and win, you have to continue to play well in the second half and not turn the ball over.

So just do what we're doing all across the board. More than anything for us, our guys are not affected. They're pretty resilient. That's the best thing about them. They've been positive. They've worked their tails off. There have been a lot of great things. I know that sounds crazy, but I'll remind everybody, what do you do? Come in and slouch and say, We have to play one more.

You want them to come in chest out ready to roll. You wouldn't know them being, what 3-8 right now? You wouldn't know it. If you came to our practices and saw the way we move around and run around and what we're about and how they spoke to each other this last week, the week before, the week before that, you would never know it.

That's what you want as a coach. High effort and not feeling sorry for themselves. We're not doing that. I fully expect us to rip off the doors and play our guts out Saturday and see what happens at the end.

Q. What's the food you can't do without on Thanksgiving?
COACH PARKER: That I can't do without? Probably mashed potatoes and gravy.

THE MODERATOR: Coach, thank you for your time these past six weeks. You've done a tremendous job.

COACH PARKER: Thank you all.

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