GoldandBlack.com: Nwaneri loyal to Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (GoldandBlack.com) - Uche Nwaneri was sold on Purdue early in the recruiting process.

Despite some detours in his collegiate career that could make him feel otherwise, the Jacksonville Jaguars' guard still remains loyal to the school.

"I always make time to come back to Purdue," Nwaneri said at last month's spring game. "It's my alma mater and I like what they're doing out here."

Nwaneri has attended the last two spring games, with one main reason being to support Danny Hope, who recruited Nwaneri during his first tenure at Purdue.

"Me and Coach Hope go way back to when I was in high school and I wanted to come out and show a little bit of support," Nwaneri said. "Coach Hope is a fiery guy and an intense competitor. He kind of wears his emotions out there and he expects the best, and wants the best out of everybody.

"Even when I was in high school, he was getting on me on things and I was like, 'I'm not even in college yet.'"

Hope remembers recruiting Nwaneri, recalling him as a player, "who could run, had good size potential and was real tough."

Nwaneri is of Nigerian descent, same as former Boilers Akin Ayodele, Chukky Okobi and Chukie Nwokorie, among others, which was a key part of the recruiting process.

"They had a nice long line of Nigerian players that had came through here and it was a no-brainer for me when it was all said and done," Nwaneri said. "Nigerians tend to be really close-knit people, so it was just a level of familiarity of being around people that had the same up-bringing that I did.

"Across the board in the NFL there are a lot of Nigerian players having a lot of success. It was good to see Purdue had a foothold in lots of players like that."

While recruited as a defensive lineman, Hope saw the potential for Nwaneri on the other side of the line.

"That was kind of our marching order back in the day for our recruiting process," Hope said. "Not necessarily going out and recruiting big offensive linemen, but big defensive linemen that would have a chance to play defense. But we wanted them big enough where they could go to offense and we've gone back to that.

"I thought (Nwaneri) would have a chance to play on the defensive side of the ball, but if he didn't, he could be something special on the offensive side."

Nwaneri started to show that promise as a sophomore, starting 12 games during the 2004 season. His playing career nearly came to an abrupt end, when a well-documented fight with a teammate led to a suspension from the university for the 2005 season.

Nwaneri put thought into never returning to Purdue.

"It crosses your mind, but at the same time I thought about what is the best way to do this," Nwaneri said. "I had a lot vested in this school ... a lot of friends, coaches were behind me and I had a great support system.

"The best choice for me was to sit out, go to Ivy Tech that semester and come back here to have a strong senior season."

Nwaneri said he didn't push any bad feelings onto his teammates or coaches.

"It was an administrative thing - I definitely had a problem with the administrative side of it - the way they handled it," Nwaneri said. "It's not for me to go out there and tell them how to do their job, but like I said I had a great support system here with the coaches and players."

Nwaneri wanted to return to Purdue not just for the relationships he built, but also for a shot at the NFL.

"I felt like I would have a chance to make it happen my senior year," he said. "Once I decided to sit out the semester, I made it a mission to putting everything I had in it to at least getting myself out there so people could see what I was about.

"True enough, I was able to make a good enough impression where teams were calling and wanting me to work out for them."

After getting selected in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, Nwaneri played in nine games and had one start. Last season allowed Nwaneri to showcase his ability as he played in every game for the Jaguars, starting the final 15 in place of injured veteran Vince Manuwai.

"The coaches had enough faith in me to keep me in there," Nwaneri said. "They were moving guys all across the line in there, but I was able to stay steady and stay in the spot I was in, which shows they had some faith in me. Last year for me was me getting my feet wet. I feel I was able to get a grasp on the game and the technical aspects.

"It gives me a good opportunity to come out this year and develop something, and try to keep that starting spot."

While Nwaneri developed as the year progressed, the wins did not come for Jacksonville as the team finished 5-11.

"The ultimate goal is to win games in the NFL, so it was definitely a disappointment," Nwaneri said. "Especially with the expectations we set for ourselves, but we weren't be able to have a good season.

"I do feel I got better every week and I was able to learn something every week."

Nwaneri is going into the third year of his four-year contract.

"Hopefully, I'll be able to get some more playing time this year as a starter and get another contract with Jacksonville," Nwaneri said. "Hopefully, I'll have an opportunity with Jacksonville and that's what I really want. But that's down the road. I'm not too focused on that right now, I'm just concerned with the upcoming season."

Even if Nwaneri doesn't start another game for Jacksonville, last season could lead to a contract with another team.

"That's huge because it puts me on film," Nwaneri said. "Teams can see that and they may say, 'Hey, we can use this guy. He can be a starter for us.' I feel like I'm a starter in the NFL."