Kenny Thompson
Will Walters Be The Next Great Hope For Purdue Football?
At least one high school head coach has major expectations for Ryan Walters and the new Purdue football coaching staff. As part of The Athletic’s “recruiting confidential” series, high school coaches have been asked about their impressions of staffs from each of the major football conferences. The Big Ten’s number came up earlier this week.…
Read MoreFlanagan, A Profile And The Next Big Ten Coach
It was never fun for opposing centers to see Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus lined up across the line of scrimmage. For Detroit Lions center Ed Flanagan, it was a rivalry that was played out twice a year from 1965 to 1973. Flanagan, who starred at Purdue before launching a 12-year NFL career, once described…
Read MorePurdue Players Transfer To Different Schools, Hoping For Greener Pastures
When college football’s version of musical chairs, the transfer portal, closed on April 30 there were 2,640 athletes looking for new homes according to On3.com. That number would fill the 85-man scholarship limit for 31 of the 69 Power 5 conference schools. Take away Deion Sanders and his massive cuts (56 players) at Colorado, and…
Read MorePurdue Players Drafted In 2023 NFL Draft
When Jalen Graham’s name was called by the San Francisco 49ers early Saturday evening, the linebacker became the fifth former Purdue football standout selected in Rounds 4-7 of the 2023 NFL Draft. All-American wide receiver Charlie Jones, quarterback Aidan O’Connell, tight end Payne Durham, cornerback Cory Trice and Graham gave the Boilermakers their highest representation…
Read MoreBig Ten pits conference opener against Friday Night Lights
Once upon a time, Friday nights in the fall were set aside for students and alumni to gather at their high school’s football game. Bonfires, fish frys and post-game dances helped form lifelong memories for teen-agers. Like many good things, money comes along and spoils everything. Case in point, Wednesday’s announcement by the Big Ten…
Read MoreImagine If today’s NFL Draft Went 32 Rounds
Current projections have four Purdue players being selected in the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday in Kansas City. Cornerback Cory Trice is forecast by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler to go 101st overall in Round 3 to San Francisco. Brugler has quarterback Aidan O’Connell going 109th overall in the fourth round to the Las Vegas Raiders.…
Read MoreWith the overload of information out there on NFL Draft prospects, it takes a lot to impress me.
Consider me blown away by an aptly named guide called “The Beast.” That’s the name Dane Brugler of The Athletic has given his 308-page tome that will tell you everything shy of a prospect’s favorite meal. Take Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell. One of six children, Brugler reveals O’Connell’s passion was basketball throughout middle school but…
Read MoreForever Among The Greatest Players In History
Zach Edey’s place among the all-time greatest to play basketball at Purdue was cemented Tuesday by winning his sixth and final 2022-23 National Player of the Year honor, the Wooden Award. Whether Edey supplants All-American Joe Barry Carroll as the Boilermakers’ center on an all-time team will be left to others. Some will want to…
Read MorePurdue Fans Growing Tired of Wait for Next Year
As a Chicago Cubs fan, Matt Painter is well aware how many times “wait ‘til next year” was uttered by the Wrigley faithful between 1909 and 2015. Millions of Cubs fans went to their graves without seeing their team attain baseball’s version of the Promised Land, a World Series championship. Today, Purdue basketball fans are…
Read MoreHere’s Hoping New Purdue Grid Coach Fares Better Than History
With Ryan Walters’ first spring practices as Purdue’s head football coach under way, let’s continue our look back at his predecessors. Purdue’s football fortunes waxed and waned in the first quarter of the 20th century, a direct result of the coaching hires made until James Phelan – a member of the College Football Hall of…
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