Several of Purdue's coaches and student-athletes took time on Thursday night to meet and greet more than 700 international students as part of the Boiler Gold Rush International (BGRI) program. BGRI is a fun orientation program for incoming international students to help them get acclimated to Purdue University.
The coaches and student-athletes, as well as Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Morgan Burke, spent about an hour and a half inside Ross-Ade Stadium mingling with the new Boilermakers. The football team, and head coach Darrell Hazell, talked to the individuals and taught them a bit about the game. There were stations for throwing, kicking, punting, tackling and an area to try on a full set of game day gear.
For many of the international students, it was the first time that they had ever seen a football, let alone played the game. Others were excited about the kicking area where they used soccer skills to knock down extra points.
Coach Hazell and men's basketball coach Matt Painter spoke to the large group to encourage the students to enjoy their time at Purdue and to come out and support their classmates. It was the first year that the entire BGRI group attended the event at the same time, instead of in small groups. Many athletes and students alike considered the event a huge success.