Senior safety ready to return

IU safety senior Joe Gonzalez spent his first Halloween dressed as a San Francisco 49ers football player. His father played at Michigan in the 1970s, and his cousin later played at Ohio State. Football has always been a big part of Gonzalez's life, but he won't be the last in the family to continue the football tradition.\n"My brother Tony just signed a national letter of intent for Ohio State," Gonzalez said. "We've all stayed within the Big Ten."\nWith Gonzalez's brother playing for Ohio State as wide receiver, Gonzalez might have to cover his brother at the Buckeye game at IU's Memorial Stadium next fall. \n"I'm going to try to stick him pretty good, but that's just brotherly love," Gonzalez said with a smile. "My mom already said she's going to sit in the car and listen to the game on the radio. She can't watch her two sons bang heads."\nGonzalez remembers going through what his brother recently did -- deciding where to play for his college career. He also visited Michigan, Boston College, Northwestern and Michigan State before deciding that IU was the place for him. \nIn the four years that Gonzalez has been here, he said his favorite memory was defeating Purdue his junior year here at home. \n"It was amazing to go across the field and take the (Oaken) Bucket," Gonzalez said. "That was probably the most exciting football moment I've ever had in my life, even better than winning the state championship in high school."\nThe year after beating Purdue was supposed to be Gonzalez's final year for football, but a hernia left him sitting out. He was able to redshirt last season and return as a fifth-year senior this coming fall.\nDefensive coordinator Tim Kish said fifth-year seniors like Gonzalez are important in the experience factor of the team. \n"What we're trying to do here as a coaching staff is come in and roll up our sleeves every day and bring our lunch pails to work," Kish said. "Joe will do that with us, and we can count on him to do that."\nSenior runningback Brian Lewis said Gonzalez knows the game and can bring the younger guys on the team along with him.\n"A lot of players look up to Joe and see him working hard," Lewis said. "They are going to try and match Joe's intensity on the field."\nLewis also said Gonzalez is a very dependable teammate and friend. Gonzalez works just as hard or harder than anyone on the team, Lewis said.\nKish said Gonzalez's attitude and passion for the game help make him an asset to the team and its success come fall.\n"He's got a passion for the game, and he's excited to be out here," Kish said. "We've got a lot of younger players, and he's got to bring their level of play up by being one of our few guys with experience."\nGonzalez said his role on the team is as a leader and that is something he will have to take care of day in and day out. \nBefore sitting out last season, Gonzalez was honorable mention All-Big Ten his junior year, played in all 11 games that year and recorded 65 tackles. But Gonzalez doesn't appear to be concerned with being the star of the team this coming fall. He said he just wants to see the team improve and for them to feel how great it is to be part of a winning team.\n"I could ride the bench the entire year. I could not play a single play," Gonzalez said, "but if we win and go to a Bowl game, I'll be the happiest guy in the world"