Cole Herdman would do anything he could to run the ball in youth football. Even if it meant limiting his food.
"If he weighed over a certain amount, he couldn't carry the ball," says Cole's father, Kirk Herdman. "So in a class in middle school, he didn't eat the cookies he had made for a class project. The teacher probably thought we had a crazy family. But he was committed.
"He even ran a mile-and-a-half to the weigh-in. Turned out, he was 10 pounds underweight."
That same single-mindedness of purpose continues today, driving the Purdue senior, who is one of the most underrated tight ends in the Big Ten Conference and who earned mention on the preseason John Mackey Award watch list.
Just watch him in practice.
The balls come at Herdman fast from the JUGS machine. It's all about the development of the hands. He can't drop balls. He won't drop balls.
DOUBLE. REVERSE. FLEA. FLICKER.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 9, 2017
Cole Herdman punctuates the @BoilerFootball trickeration with a ?? end zone dive: https://t.co/mo7X0SEYOK
"I get started early for practices with a dip in the hot tub and then do stretching," Herdman says. "Then, I'm the first in line to get my ankles taped because I hate lines. Then, I'm early for my meetings. I just like to get going."
The diligence has paid off. Herdman entered the 2018 season having made a catch in 29 consecutive games before seeing the streak end against Northwestern in the opener. That hasn't stopped Herdman, who has continued to make his mark as the Boilermakers look to reach back-to-back bowls for the first time since 2011-12.
"Getting back to the postseason would be great," Herdman says. "We want to put Purdue on the map. And we got a good start last season under coach (Jeff) Brohm. It's a process, and we just have to trust in it and keep working."
Herdman began putting in the work at Flint Hill High School in Leesburg, Virginia, but he was merely a two-star recruit, according to 247Sports.com, and largely was attracting offers from FCS programs like Campbell and Liberty.
"I played a lot of sports in high school, so I didn't go to a lot of football camps to get exposure," Herdman says. "And that impacted my recruitment. I was offered a gray-shirt opportunity by Virginia Tech (where an uncle played). But when I got the offer from Purdue, I jumped on it."
It has been a good match for Herdman, who has developed into a key cog in the Boilermaker offense.
"This has been a great place, athletically and academically," he says. "People back in Virginia think this is a small school or an Ivy League school. I couldn't have made a better choice for my development on and off the field. Right when I got here, I had five senior tight ends to learn from."
Among them was Gabe Holmes, one of several former Purdue tight ends who have played in the NFL along with the likes of Cliff Benson, Dustin Keller and Dave Young.
"Gabe and I stay in touch," says Herdman, who also knows Tim Stratton, the inaugural recipient of the Mackey Award in 2000. "I stay in touch with others from my freshman year, too. They are good resources for me."
Family has played a big role in Herdman's development, as well, especially his father.
"No doubt, he has been one of my biggest influences in regards to football," Herdman says. "My dad taught me everything I know about sports and made me the competitor I am today."
Competition with teammates also sharpens the skills of the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Herdman, who had 20 catches for 331 yards and three touchdowns last season after making 35 grabs for 334 yards and three scores in 2016. While most pundits focus on the tight end units at Michigan and Iowa as the best in the Big Ten, Purdue's group packs a punch, too. Junior Brycen Hopkins is the yin to Herdman's yang among the Boilermaker tight ends. They feed off each other.
"We want to become more consistent," says Herdman, who averaged 16.6 yards per catch last season. "We want to be known around the nation as two tight ends that can play and compete at the next level. We also want to make plays and be noticed."
Playing in a tight end-friendly offense helps. While Herdman lacks the heft of a traditional in-line blocking tight end, his athletic skills make him ideal when split wide or put in motion. The guy is a mismatch waiting to happen. Brohm knows that, which is why he likes to use his tight ends often.
"Cole is a player we can count on," Brohm says. "He's a smart player, who we are able to use in a variety of ways and on a number of route options."