Feature on Elliott Purcell and how he chose UH over NMSU

After practicing in the cold yesterday, Elliott Purcell said:
"The weather in Hawaii is always paradise." (HSA)


About how he verbally committed to NMSU in 2006, Purcell said:
"They recruited me hard. They made everything sound so good, so I (verbally) committed." (HSA)


About how Woody Widenhofer (NMSU's defensive coordinator at the time) told him that he could start right away for NMSU, Purcell said:
"He showed me a Super Bowl ring. I was really stoked. I wanted to be part of that program." (HSA)


About how Cal Lee (who was the head coach at Purcell's alma mater, Saint Louis) convinced him to switch to UH, Purcell said:
"Coach Cal got a hold of me, and you cannot say 'no' to that guy. That guy is a legend. The rest is history." (HSA)


About how Cal Lee talked about the advantage of playing at home, Purcell said:
"He told me I could play in front of my family. You can't beat that." (HSA)


HSA Note: "In the fall of 2006, Purcell and his girlfriend Keani Santos learned they were expecting their first child."


Happy that he chose UH, Purcell said:
"It turned out to be good. I have a family, and I got to play in front of my family." (HSA)


Purcell said that NMSU firing all of their coaches 2 years ago:
"made me feel better about my choice." (HSA)


About making 2 of their 8 sacks against SJSU, Purcell said:
"It was good to contribute." (HSA)


"The best thing about being a father is coming home to your kids. It's great when you open the door, and they run up and hug you. I don't get to see them a lot during the day because of how time-consuming football is. I love being a father." (HSA)

http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101126_Purcell_chose_UH_over_NMSU_to_play_in_front_of_family.html