Kenny Thompson

Perhaps the strangest NFL championship game, pre-Super Bowl era, involved the Chicago Bears winning the title in 1932 on an indoor 60-yard field that was littered with circus “leftovers.” A Purdue All-American center never forgot that game until the day he died at age 92. He’s among this week’s edition of best Boilermakers by number…

A member of the Buffalo Bills’ “Electric Company” is among a group of talented offensive linemen in this week’s countdown of the best Boilermakers by number. Crashing this list of offensive linemen is arguably the best defensive tackle in school history and a Sports Illustrated Silver Anniversary team member. 61 Nick Hardwick Hardwick didn’t play…

As tempting as it may be for fans to predict future success or failure for a Purdue football head coach after his first game, history says your results may vary. Barry Odom makes his debut Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium against Ball State, and the Boilermakers are 18 and a half-point favorites. As Purdue fans discovered…

With a few exceptions, expectations have never been high for Purdue football in my lifetime. Last season’s 1-11 record dropped the program’s winning percentage to .513. That’s still better than Big Ten peers Indiana (.422), Northwestern (.447), Rutgers (.492) and Illinois (.505) but nothing to brag about. Purdue’s eight Big Ten championships match Northwestern for…

Barry Odom was born to be a football player. Coaching became his destiny. In Oklahoma, there’s two things that matter. Oil and football. Growing up in Maysville, Odom watched the Sooners win a national championship in 1985. “The Oklahoma Sooners were in the heyday of (Barry) Switzer winning national championships or competing every year,” the…

An underrated aspect of Joe Tiller’s coaching prowess was his ability to shift players into positions that not only would help Purdue football win games but also prepare them in some cases for NFL careers. That trait shows up in this week’s countdown of the best Boilermakers by number. Of the five Tiller players on…

Three of the best running backs in Purdue history and a first-round NFL Draft pick head this week’s edition of the best Boilermakers by number. 41 William “Dutch” Fehring Fehring was one of the greatest athletes in Purdue history. One of only two athletes in school history to earn nine letters (three each in football,…

From 1887 to 1928, Purdue football did not have a single player earn All-America recognition. That drought ended in 1929 with not one but two All-Americans helping the Boilermakers go undefeated and win the school’s second Big Ten Conference championship. Those two All-Americans, plus Purdue’s all-time rushing leader, head this week’s edition of the best…

The Cradle of Quarterbacks takes the spotlight in this week’s countdown of the best players to wear a Purdue football uniform. Purdue’s quarterback history is so rich that one number is shared by a future Pro Football Hall of Fame member and a College Football Hall of Fame selection. 11 Jim Everett Believe it or…