Purdue quarterback Brandon Hance barely had time to ponder his impressive performance following the Boilermakers’ 2000 spring game.

Just 17 years old at the time, the Woodland Hills, Calif., native had more pressing matters at hand – namely, deciding what to wear to prom and getting ready for graduation night.

Ahead of the game on and off the gridiron, Hance took extra classes during fall semester of his senior year of high school so he could graduate early. He then traveled 2,000 miles to West Lafayette, Ind., to begin his college career at Purdue.

“Most young high school students aren’t thinking about getting an edge on their opponents,” Boilermakers tailback Montrell Lowe said of Hance. “Most are thinking about what they’re going to wear to graduation and what girl they’re going to take out. (Graduating early) shows his maturity.”

And Hance’s performance in the spring game reflected his talent.

He went 9-for-14 for 159 yards passing and rushed for 48 yards on four carries. After the game, he flew back to California to attend his senior prom and receive his diploma.

Despite the strong early showing, Hance still had to wait his turn to play at Purdue. But this only helped the youngster, who got to learn from two-time Heisman Trophy candidate Drew Brees.

“A lot of the things I learned from Drew weren’t things he specifically showed me,” said Hance. “A lot of it was just paying attention to the way he carried himself.”

One of the most important things Hance learned from Brees was developing a die-hard attitude.

“Never give up,” Hance said. “The game isn’t over until the last second of the clock ticks. I think (Brees) showed that competitiveness throughout the season.”

Now it’s Hance’s turn to shine.

His first start came on a Sunday, as the Boilermakers opened their 2001 campaign at Cincinnati. Hance threw for just 117 yards, the lowest single-game total by a Purdue quarterback since Joe Tiller became head coach four years ago. The redshirt freshman also encountered problems in running the offense and calling audibles in the team’s 19-14 win over the Bearcats.

According to Tiller, Hance’s early-problems were no surprise.

“Guys that are out there for the first time expect to perform better than they play,” Tiller said. “They think they can be perfect right from the get-go. We recognize that although that’s an admirable goal, it’s probably not a worthwhile one.”

Hance has moved on from his slow start, leading the Boilermakers to a 4-1 record (2-1 Big Ten) and a tie for third in the conference.

His individual numbers aren’t too shabby either.

Hance is third in the Big Ten in total offense. His 1,020 passing yards is fifth highest in the conference and his 113.1 quarterback rating is seventh-best.

And his arsenal includes more than just a strong arm. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder runs the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds. He’s amassed 163 yards rushing this season, fourth-best among Big Ten quarterbacks.

The ability to get outside the pocket and throw to his targets makes Hance a major threat to defenses.

“He has a fast trigger and gets rid of the ball extremely well,” Northwestern coach Randy Walker said. “You can see on film where he starts one way, comes back, goes the other way and throws a dead strike in there.

“He also is a very good runner, probably underestimated. Anybody that has those kinds of tools really scares you.”

As Hance continues to develop, it will be hard for him to escape the comparisons to his predecessor. But Purdue tight end Tim Stratton said that the two signal callers have their own styles.

“They’re different types of players,” Stratton said. “Drew is more pocket savvy, Brandon is more of a runner. He wants to get out and make plays.

“It helps when you’re on a route and a guy is guarding you pretty well. Brandon scrambles, allowing you can get away from the defender.”

Stratton said one thing that Hance and Brees share is their composure on the field. Still, Stratton added that if Hance wants to be mentioned in the same breath at Brees, he’ll have to become more acclimated with the offense and do a better job of making reads. Hance needs to work on strengthening his vocal chords as well.

“Drew’s voice was definitely louder,” Stratton said. “Brandon’s working on that.”

While Hance said he looks at the Brees comparison as a compliment, he’s not paying much attention to it.

And Lowe, who was good friends with Brees, is passing the torch on to Hance.

“I told him, ‘We’re here for you. We feel that you can be a leader,'” Lowe said. “I let him know that he has people around him that believe in him. The bottom line is wins and losses.”

With four wins already under his belt, Hance seems well on his way to keeping Purdue in the black.