Interviews: Coach Trump | CJ Madden | Elo Modozie
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Stormy conditions moved Purdue Football into the Mollenkopf Athletic Center on Friday morning for its seventh practice of training camp.
The defensive ends were on tap for post-practice media availability. Led by second-year position coach Jake Trump, the room features a solid mix of returning veterans and impactful newcomers. Trump, a multi-year leader under head coach Barry Odom at Missouri, knows his group can help set the standard as one of the hardest playing teams in the country.
“I’ve played for Coach Odom, so I understand that,” Trump said. “It’s the standard we’ve set. It’s the standard we want to be. You go through Coach Odom’s teams through the years, that’s what his defense has been known for. We don’t shy away from that here. It starts at the line of scrimmage. It starts with knocking people back.”
The depth of the room has benefited from continued competition throughout camp. Trump has been able to keep the line fresh with different matchups and rotations.
“In my room, I say we have standards, not necessarily starters,” Trump added. “If you can uphold the standard, I’m going to rotate to see who produces and who can be trusted.”
CJ Madden, who enters his third year with the program, is one of Purdue’s most experienced ends. The Ellenwood, Ga., native started eight of his 12 games last year and made 16 tackles with 2.5 tackles-for-loss.
“CJ, his challenge for this year is that he has a lot of snaps under his belt where he played a lot last year,” Trump said. “Now, let’s see the production come along with it. That’s my daily challenge to him is finishing and seeing himself make plays. He knows it. He sees it. He owns it.”
In addition to his production on the field, Madden has been a leader within the program, serving as a captain last season. The senior has also spent his time off the field giving back to the community with his time and monetarily at the Hanna Center, a local community center that provides support for youth and senior citizens throughout the area. For his efforts, he was named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy.
“Giving back is everything to me,” Madden said. “I’m blessed to be in a position to give. I feel like having the influence as a Big Ten football player, it’s just good to give back to the kids that may need it. We’ve built a good relationship, me and the Hanna Center. I’m scheduled to make another donation next week. The watch list, that’s incredible. Being recognized on the field and off is a blessing.”
Elo Modozie joined the program this offseason after playing 12 games last year at Georgia, making seven tackles on the year to help win an SEC Championship. Modozie started his career at Army for two seasons, earning an American Athletic Conference Third Team nod in 2024.
“Elo has been a great anchor of experience,” Trump said. “You talk about an unbelievable person to have in your room. Super humble, and he’s been exactly what we need him to be at this point in terms of uplifting and being a great teammate. He has added to the room completely.”
While entering the program as one of the more experienced players, Modozie does not want to take anything for granted.
“I have a lot to prove,” Modozie said. “One is just continuing to stack that respect from my teammates. I want to continue to go out here every single day and not act like I’ve made it or done anything yet. I want to earn my reps and earn my right to be on the field.”
