After the ruling came down, you wouldn't have blamed Justin Siller if he never wanted to set foot in Ross-Ade Stadium again.

Siller lost everything on that day in March 2009, when he was dismissed from Purdue for violating academic policy. The reality for Siller: no more football and no more classes for at least a year.

He doesn't want to go into specifics about what went down, saying only, "I had mixed feelings. I was disappointed in myself for letting my family down, my teammates down and the fans of Purdue down. But at the same time, you can't help but have ill feelings toward the situation. But I made my bed and had to sleep in it."

Such news would send most football players on a fly pattern straight out of town. Siller, who had started three games at quarterback for Purdue in 2008, considered transferring to another FBS program, which would have required him to sit out a year, or drop down to the FCS ranks and play right away.

After returning home to Detroit and discussing things with his mother, father and brother, Siller had his answer.

"We talked about it and prayed about it and it just felt right to stay a Boilermaker," he said.

Siller returned to West Lafayette and the apartment he shared with Purdue teammates T.J. Barbarette and Josh Van Zant. He figured out what he needed to do academically to maintain his eligibility and enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette.

But Siller also needed money to pay for school and support himself. He decided to return to Ross-Ade Stadium, this time in a very different role.

Siller spent the summer and part of the fall following his dismissal working for the maintenance crew at Ross-Ade and Mackey Arena.

"I would clean up the stadium, do stuff around campus, help set up for sporting events," Siller said. "It was right in my face all the time."

If that wasn't enough, he attended every Purdue home game.

"I was still around my teammates, obviously not as much during the season, but I was in town," Siller said. "It was really tough in the beginning to see my teammates play without me."

Siller will be back inside Ross-Ade this fall, but he'll once again be wearing Boilermaker gold and black. He was reinstated to the school in May and immediately rejoined the team.

The 6-foot-4, 223-pound Siller is going through preseason camp with the Boilers. He has a new position (wide receiver), a new jersey number (2) and a fresh start with two years of eligibility left.

Siller showed flashes of his athleticism in 2008, but wide receiver has brought new physical challenges.

"Those first few days, I was really struggling with all the running," he said. "My fellow receivers were giving me a hard time about it, and you could tell I was tired on film. But as I got used to it, I stopped thinking about it. If I'm tired, I'm not showing it."

Siller, who worked at running back in 2008 before injuries forced a move to quarterback, had no issue with switching to wide receiver. He was well aware of Robert Marve's talent and called his move "a no-brainer."

"I just want to contribute to the team," he said. "I definitely gained a better appreciation for it. At any given time, anything can be taken away form you. It's really a privilege to be able to play and be part of it, and to cherish every moment I get with my teammates and the fans.

"Every moment is precious."