Former Purdue football quarterback Gary Danielson discusses Boilermakers, Big Ten changes

INDIANAPOLIS − Gary Danielson is back in the Big Ten.

Purdue football's starting quarterback from 1970-72 before embarking on a 13-year NFL career returns to the league as the lead college football analyst for CBS Sports.

Danielson was in Indianapolis for Big Ten football media days and spoke with the Journal & Courier about a variety of topics.

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Q: How exciting is it to be back involved with Big Ten football?

A: It's kind of surreal. When I was a kid, my only dream was to play in the Big Ten. It really was. The Rose Bowl, and I said this a number of times when I was younger, the two great things you can do is play in a Super Bowl and play in a Rose Bowl as a football player, I thought when I was growing up. When you're in the Big Ten, the Rose Bowl meant so much because that's where you grow up.

I've had a charmed career broadcasting. I was there for a lot of great Big Ten games. Now to go back and finish up my career, I am a pretty lucky guy.

Q: You played at Purdue in a time where the program focused on running the football with Otis Armstrong in the backfield. Historically, that's not what Purdue is know for. How important is it for Purdue to maintain it's identity?

A: Purdue, always being the team that threw the ball. They built their program. It kind of went away from it a little bit when I was there because we had really skilled running backs and played in the wishbone.

There are things that fit the fan's eye. When Rich Rodriguez went to Michigan, it didn't fit the Michigan eye. ... I felt like to the Purdue fan, if you run the ball off tackle on third-and-5, that's not what Purdue should be doing.

Q: Your college highlight tapes are a lot of turning around and handing off. You went undrafted out of college. How did you end up playing 13 seasons in the NFL?

A: It was a difficult journey. You had to believe in yourself because nobody else did at that point. It worked out. It made me tougher. It made me humble. When you're being chased in high school, when you're being recruited, in one week at my house was the hall of famer Jack Mollenkopf from Purdue, (Notre Dame's) Ara Parseghian, from Michigan was Bo (Schembechler) and then Duffy Daugherty (Michigan State) all at my house telling me how great I was.

Then you show up and there's no Internet or stuff then. And there's five other guys who are all-state quarterbacks. It was a battle. They were great athletes and they're still great friends. We regret we didn't do better and I regret it most. I got a great family and a great life out of it, but football was unfulfilling.

Q: But you ended up in Purdue's cradle of quarterbacks, though probably more based on your NFL career.

A: I don't put that on my resume because it's a little bit embarrassing. I understand that. In my own way, I succeeded and made Purdue proud of another graduate. It is different for everybody. My career was as good as I hoped it would be in the NFL.

I tell people you don't play 13 plays in the NFL if you can't play and I played 13 years in the NFL.

I wasn't mature enough. I was 17 when I went to Purdue. I didn't handle the changing of the offenses and coaching staffs as well. Probably in modern day I would have transferred. They went to the veer offense and they went to the wishbone.

I was a young kid. I didn't like it. But I can call the Army-Navy game better now with that experience.

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Q: The landscape of the Big Ten has changed a lot recently. How pivotal is that?

A: The elimination of the divisions is a huge story. It's going to be interesting. How does Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue, get to that Big Ten championship? That's the challenge. It's kind of a sign of capitalism. It just seems like the rich are getting richer and the middle class is shrinking. It's the same with football. I don't know if that's good for football or not.

Guys like (Illinois coach) Bret Bielema, (Minnesota's) P.J. (Fleck), (Nebraska's) Matt Rhule, they are really good coaches. Let's see what happens as we're going forward. I do think that one of the most important teams to any conference probably for the three participating networks is USC. The Big Ten would really be helped by USC being a strong participant. When they brought in Nebraska it hasn't really been the Nebraska that I remember when I grew up. USC could lift the tide of the whole conference by them being great.

Q: How does that middle of the pack hold up with additions like USC and UCLA and how does Purdue fare?

A: Ryan (Walters) hiring Graham Harrell is a nod to the fact we're going to do both (be strong on defense and offense). All coaches understand you can't be one dimensional and win a championship.

It's going to be interesting. Wisconsin is tweaking it a little bit. We'll see with (former Michigan quarterback) Cade McNamara going to Iowa, will they open it up a bit? Iowa has had their blueprint. P.J.'s got a good team. It is an interesting conference. ...

I've known Ryan a long time. He's a dynamic individual. Leadership means a huge deal. When Barry Alvarez went to Wisconsin, all of his coaches he knew, the Lou Holtzs, said don't take that job. But the dynamic personality of Barry pulled that program up. I don't know no reason why Ryan can't be that type of guy.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Former Purdue football QB Gary Danielson on Boilermakers, Big Ten