LAS VEGAS — Before former Purdue football safety Dillon Thieneman became a Duck, Oregon’s coaching staff labeled him a snake.

That’s the designation Dan Lanning and company put on their upcoming opponents’ best players. They assigned Thieneman to that portion of the animal kingdom prior to last season’s Oct. 18 game at Ross-Ade Stadium.

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Thieneman’s five tackles did not stand out in the 35-0 Oregon victory. By a more analytical measure, Thieneman’s only PFF grades lower than that night’s 51.2 came in the blowout losses to Notre Dame and Indiana.

Lanning, though, was eager to add the Westfield grad. He fit a need on a perennially playoff-caliber roster. He also checked off the same intangibles which made him a leader at Purdue.

“When you really get to know Dillon, that’s when you fall in love with Dillon,” Lanning said Wednesday at Big Ten media days. “What kind of worker he is, what he does. Those are the things that tape don’t tell, but you can figure it out quickly through the relationship — hop on the phone, having the guy to visit, being around his family.”

Lanning said his staff maintains a “heightened awareness” of players performing well across college football. That awareness increases when those players enter their name in the NCAA transfer portal. He likened it to the NFL free agency dynamic.

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Thieneman’s performance and credentials over his first two seasons made him one of the highest-profile defensive players available. Regardless, once he committed, he still needed to prove himself all over again to a new group of teammates.

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As the Ducks tell it, he accomplished that by simply picking up where he left off as the hardest worker on the Boilermaker roster.

“That dude sets the tone, whether it be off the field, or getting extra treatment, extra reps in,” Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher said. “It’s an all-the-time mindset. And he is one of the guys that comes downhill, flies to the ball and plays with a lot of effort. That’s what you want from any guy on your defense, especially safety — a dude that can cover from the rook and set the tone on someone early.”

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Tight end Kenyon Sadiq said Thieneman’s technique and football knowledge showed up during spring practices. He only got around to those attributes, though, after mentioning Thieneman’s work ethic and diligence to be the first to arrive and the last to leave.

“It’s rare you see something like that — especially from a person of his caliber, if that makes sense,” Sadiq said. “He’s very level-headed and a very nice person.”

Those descriptions of Thieneman’s demeanor and commitment align with the reputation he built over two Purdue seasons.

Thieneman represented more than merely another home-grown talent pried away by one of the sport’s elite. His freshman All-American season portended a building block for a bright future. He completed a family trilogy of Boilermaker safeties who arrived under the radar and graduated at the top of the depth chart.

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Now, the best thing Purdue can say about the end of Thieneman’s career is — unlike tight end Max Klare at Ohio State or punter Keelan Crimmins at Illinois — they aren’t scheduled to play against him.

The Ducks, though, see him as a potential key piece in their pursuit of a repeat Big Ten Conference championship.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Dillon Thieneman, Purdue transfer safety, fit in quickly with Oregon football