Kawann Short's goals are clearly in front of him now.
"To come back and be one of those top defensive linemen in the nation as far as competing against the guys in the SEC," Purdue's talented defensive tackle said Friday about his decision to return to the Boilermakers after considering entering the NFL Draft. "Moving myself up from the third round to a better round.
"I feel like I can do that if I maintain my ability to play every down and not get tired as much as I did this year. I'm dedicated to football and conditioning."
Short submitted paperwork to the NFL Draft Advisory Board, which is comprised of a group of general managers and personnel directors. They projected Short as a third-round selection based solely on film.
The deadline for Short to submit his name into the NFL Draft was Jan. 15.
"You can take it from there," Short said. "If I did come out, if I do good in the combine or do good in the little meetings that they have, it would boost me up. If I don't, I may stay or go down.
"A lot of pieces started coming together at the end. I feel I made the right decision."
The East Chicago native made his decision before returning to West Lafayette for the start of second semester classes. He talked with his family, including his mother, Yvonne Green, and reached out to former Purdue standouts Ryan Kerrigan and Mike Neal, both of whom went through similar situations.
"I wanted to make the decision before I came back so my parents wouldn't be on an island," Short said.
Short had 54 tackles this past season and collected a team-high 17 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He also blocked two kicks.
"Even though he's had a heck of a year, I think he can play a lot better and he can be a dominant player on the national level," coach Danny Hope said earlier this season. "He has to continue working hard and get himself in great shape and play all out every down."
Although his family was prepared to support whichever decision Short made, the 6-foot-3, 310-pound All-Big Ten first-team selection said earning a degree remains one of his top priorities.
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"My senior year in high school, I had to do a lot just to get into college," Short said. "My mom wants to see me graduate and walk across the stage. That was one of the biggest reasons -- to graduate and do everything right."
Like the rest of his teammates, Short was surprised by the departure of defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Gary Emanuel following Purdue's victory over Western Michigan in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Emanuel was let go after two seasons.
"It was all unexpected," Short said. "I thought everything was good. A couple of days later, you find out coach is leaving and we'll have a new defensive coordinator. What's going to change now, what is the scheme that we run or the front that we go with?"
On Thursday, Hope announced the hiring of Tim Tibesar, who most recently was the co-defensive coordinator for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. Tibesar also spent three years at Kansas State, the last two as the defensive coordinator.
At Kansas State, Tibesar ran a 3-4 defense, which is different from Purdue's alignment. It's not clear if Hope plans to switch to a 3-4.
In 2011, Short played several snaps at defensive end, which gave him a chance to showcase his versatility.
"I wasn't just being that big guy in the middle clogging things up," he said. "If I can move around, it's a good thing. Moving out to end is pretty big as far as speed. Coaches believe I had the speed to get around my man."
Regardless of what type of defense the Boilermakers run in 2012, Short is looking forward to a productive season and improving his draft stock.
"This is a good start to know where I'm at," he said. "There's a lot more stuff I can work on to better myself and better my game."
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