Note: This feature ran in the Game Day program for the Western Michigan game on Aug. 30.
Boilermaker Feature
Anthrop Bleeds Gold and Black
By Matthew Staudt
Becoming a Boilermaker was never really a choice for Danny Anthrop. It's in his blood.
The son of a former Purdue basketball player and the brother of another, Anthrop grew up in the shadow of the Bell Tower, just across the Wabash River. The junior wide receiver, who attended Central Catholic in Lafayette, recalls coming to football and basketball games for as long as he can remember. He cheered from the bleachers and even made hot dogs for the band in the concession stands. Anthrop was a fan, rooting for several of his eventual teammates.
"I remember coming to games when I was in high school and cheering for some of these guys, like Gabe Holmes," Anthrop says. "I remember him playing against IU as a freshman in the old jerseys, so I call him 'Grandpa Gabe' because that was a guy I rooted for, and now I'm his teammate. It's crazy, I've seen a lot of games, all the great and tragic moments, but I have been a Purdue fan all my life, and this is what I always wanted to do."
It wasn't the easiest thing deciding to play football, growing up in a basketball family in the basketball-rich state of Indiana. But, it was the gridiron that captured Anthrop's heart away from the hardwood, where his dad, John, and brother, Dru, enjoyed their Purdue careers. Continuing the family legacy as a Purdue student-athlete was something that always had intrigued Danny, but not something he thought to even be a possibility until after his sophomore year of high school.
"It was a really exciting time in my life," Anthrop says. "I would watch the games, but then suddenly the offers started coming in. It was then that I realized that I could be that guy out there on the field that people were watching. I narrowed it down to three schools - Northwestern, Notre Dame and Purdue - but, in my heart, I always wanted to come to Purdue, even though playing football kind of made me the black sheep of my family."
After choosing Purdue, Anthrop's adjustment period was short. He appeared in 12 games as a true freshman, mostly on special teams, and was named the special teams most valuable player. His hard work earned him a few snaps at running back and wide receiver, and he made the most of his limited role.
Anthrop recalls his first touchdown, a 4-yard run in the final minutes of a 54-16 rout of Eastern Michigan. It was a feeling he always had hoped he would experience, but not one that he was fully prepared for. There he was, a life-long Purdue fan, scoring a touchdown as a freshman for his hometown team in front of his friends and family.
"It was unbelievable, a feeling you can't really put into words," Anthrop says. "It's not something you can truly think about until you cross the goal line for the first time. Then it becomes a reality. There I was celebrating with my teammates, some of the guys I rooted for as a fan, and they were all cheering for me in Ross-Ade. It was an incredible feeling and one I look forward to having a lot more this season."
Anthrop has progressed far beyond just a special teamer and late-game touchdown scorer. Now, he figures to be among the top receiving targets on the team after appearing in 10 games and starting two in 2013.
After battling back from a knee injury he sustained during training camp, the Purdue legacy got more and more comfortable with his role and peaked at the end of the season. In the final game of the year at Indiana, Anthrop racked up a career-high and team season-best 151 receiving yards on five catches. His top play was an 80-yard touchdown reception from Danny Etling, the team's longest play from scrimmage, where he burned his defender deep and outraced the Hoosiers the rest of the way. Anthrop hopes to build off that performance this year and truly believes he can.
"It means the world to me to be a part of this team, and I want to do whatever it takes to get us where we want to go," Anthrop says. "I'm excited to be in the core group of receivers because I think we have a lot of talent across the board on offense. I can't wait to be one of the go-to guys, along with DeAngelo Yancey, Cameron Posey, B.J. Knauf and the rest of the rotation. It's a childhood dream fulfilled, but now it's time to chase the college dream and get Purdue football back to the top."
After a strong showing during fall camp, Anthrop's place is secured on the two-deep among the wide receivers, one of the most talented groups on the team. Not bad for a guy who used to work in the concession stands.