Purdue Boilermakers football

Purdue Boilermakers football
2015 Purdue Boilermakers football team
First season	1887
Athletic director	Morgan Burke
Head coach	Darrell Hazell 3rd year, 5–26 (.161)
Other staff	John Shoop (OC) Greg Hudson (DC)
Home stadium	Ross-Ade Stadium
Year built	1924
Stadium capacity	57,236[1]
Stadium surface	Bermuda Grass
Location	West Lafayette, Indiana
League	NCAA Division I-FBS
Conference	Big Ten
Division	West
Past conferences	Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1890–95)
All-time record	597–537–48 (.525)
Postseason bowl record	9–8 (.529)
Claimed national titles	0
Conference titles	12
Heisman winners	0
Consensus All-Americans	20
Current uniform
Colors	Old gold[2] and Black
Fight song	Hail Purdue!
Mascot	Boilermaker Special Purdue Pete
Marching band	Purdue All-American Marching Band
Rivals	Indiana Hoosiers Notre Dame Fighting Irish Illinois Fighting Illini
Website	PurdueSports.com

The Purdue Boilermakers football team represents Purdue University (also referred to as simply "Purdue") in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. Darrell Hazell is Purdue's current head coach, the 35th in the program's history. Purdue plays its home games at Ross-Ade Stadium on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Boilermakers compete in the Big Ten Conference as a member of the West Division.^[3] Purdue had most recently been a part of the Leaders Division of the Big Ten,^[4] but moved to the West Division in 2014 due to conference expansion.

With a 593–526–48 record at the conclusion of the 2013 season, Purdue has the 45th-most victories among NCAA FBS programs.^[5] Purdue was originally classified as a Major College school in the 1937 season until 1972. Purdue received Division I classification in 1973, becoming a Division I-A program from 1978 to 2006 and an FBS program from 2006 to the present.^[6] The Boilermakers have registered 64 winning seasons in their history, with 19 of those seasons resulting in eight victories or more, 10 seasons resulting in at least nine wins, and one season with ten victories or more.^[7] Of those successful campaigns, Purdue has produced five unbeaten seasons in its history, going 4–0 in 1891, 8–0 in 1892, 8–0 in 1929, 7–0–1 in 1932 and 9–0 in 1943.^[7] The Boilermakers have won a total of 12 conference championships in their history, including four Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles and eight Big Ten Conference titles.

History

Early years (1887–1921)

The Purdue University football team traces its origin back to October 29, 1887 when its team fell to

Big Ten Conference football East Division Indiana Hoosiers Maryland Terrapins Michigan Wolverines Michigan State Spartans Ohio State Buckeyes Penn State Nittany Lions Rutgers Scarlet Knights West Division Illinois Fighting Illini Iowa Hawkeyes Minnesota Golden Gophers Nebraska Cornhuskers Northwestern Wildcats Purdue Boilermakers Wisconsin Badgers Former team Chicago Maroons Championships & awards Champions Championship Game Individual awards Chicago Tribune Silver Football Seasons 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

• Official website

External links

References

^[155]

2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026	2027
vs Eastern Kentucky	vs Missouri	at Missouri	at Nevada	vs Notre Dame	at Notre Dame		vs Virginia Tech	vs Notre Dame	at Notre Dame	Notre Dame (neutral site TBD)	at Wake Forest
vs Cincinnati	vs Louisville (Indianapolis, IN)	vs Eastern Michigan								vs Wake Forest
vs Nevada	vs Ohio

Future non-conference opponents

• Punt Return Yards

  Career: Anthony Chambers - 780

  Season: Anthony Chambers - 499 (2003)

  Game: Anthony Chambers - 149 vs. Penn State (2003)

• Punt Return Yard Average

  Career: Phil Mateja - 12.0

  Season: Vinny Sutherland - 16.4 (1999)

  Game (4 min. attempts): Anthony Chambers - 29.8 vs. Penn State (2003)

Punt Returns

• Kick Return Yards

  Career: Dorien Bryant - 2,125

  Season: Dorien Bryant - 1,007 (2007)

  Game: Raheem Mostert - 206 vs. Wisconsin (2011)

• Kick Return Yard Average

  Career: Raheem Mostert - 30.2

  Game (4 min. attempts): Raheem Mostert - 41.2 vs. Wisconsin (2011)

• Kick Returns for Touchdowns

  Career: Dorien Bryant - 3

  Season: Dorien Bryant - 2 (2007)

Kick Returns

• Punts

  Career: Shawn McCarthy - 273

  Season: Shawn McCarthy - 79 (1988)

  Game: Scott Lougheed (1970) & Jared Armstrong (2007) - 12

• Total Punting Yardage

  Career: Shawn McCarthy - 11,246

  Season: Brent Slaton - 3,303 (2003)

  Game: Shawn McCarthy - 409 vs. Illinois (1989)

• Average Punting Yardage

  Career: Travis Dorsch - 48.5

  Season: Travis Dorsch - 48.1 (2001)

  Game: Cody Webster - 56.0 vs. Indiana (2010)

Punting

Kicking

Defensive

Receiving

Rushing

Passing

Individual records

• Consecutive Victories

  16 (1891–93)^[152]

• Consecutive Bowl Game Appearances

  8 (1997–2004)

• Consecutive Seasons Ranked in the Final AP or Coaches Poll

  4 (1966–1969, 1997–2000)

• Margin of Victory

  96 vs. Butler (1893)

• Total Offensive Yards

  In a Game: 763 vs. Indiana (2004)

• Points Scored

  In a Season: 446 (2007)

  In a Regular Season Game: 96 vs. Butler (1893)

  In a Bowl Game: 51 vs. Central Michigan (Motor City Bowl, 2007)^[153]

Team records

All statistical records are courtesy of the Purdue Football Record Book unless otherwise cited. Statistics containing the "#" symbol denote NCAA FBS records.

Records

Of Purdue's 185 players selected in the NFL Draft, 55 Boilermakers have been amongst the top 50 selections of the draft.^[151]

NFL top 50 draft selections

Among the numerous Boilermakers that have participated in the NFL, CFL, and AFL, a total of 34 have received all-star recognition by their respective leagues.

All-Stars

As of September 2015, there are a total of 18 Boilermakers listed on team rosters in the NFL,^[114] CFL,^[115] and AFL.^[116]

Active

Purdue has produced a total of 184 NFL draft selections.^[113] The following "Active" and "All-Star" lists account for past and present Purdue University football players that have participated in the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, and the Arena Football League.

Boilermakers in professional football

Since its institution in 1994, the Purdue University Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame recognizes those participants that have helped elevate Boilermaker athletics into one of the most respected programs in the nation. Former athletes, coaches and administrators are eligible for selection 5 years following their association with Purdue athletics.^[112] The following individuals have been inducted into the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame for their contributions to the Boilermaker football program:

Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame

• Len Dawson - Quarterback (1957-1975); HoF Class of 1987
• Bob Griese - Quarterback (1967-1980); HoF Class of 1990
• Hank Stram - Head Coach (1960-1974; 1976-1977); HoF Class of 2003
• Rod Woodson - Cornerback/Safety (1987-2003); HoF Class of 2009

Four Boilermakers hold the distinguished title of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

A total of fifteen Boilermakers have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

College Football Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame inductees

Purdue Conference Award Winners

Season Name Pos. Award 1966 Bob Griese QB Chicago Tribune Silver Football 1967 Leroy Keyes RB Chicago Tribune Silver Football 1969 Mike Phipps QB Chicago Tribune Silver Football 1972 Otis Armstrong RB Chicago Tribune Silver Football 1978 Jim Young Head Coach Dave McClain Coach of the Year 1980 Mark Herrman QB Chicago Tribune Silver Football 1984 Leon Burtnett Head Coach Dave McClain Coach of the Year 1988 Brian Fox QB Freshman of the Year 1989 Eric Hunter QB Freshman of the Year

Season Name Pos. Award 1991 Corey Rogers RB Freshman of the Year 1992 Jeff Zgonina DT Defensive Player of the Year 1997 Joe Tiller Head Coach Dave McClain Coach of the Year 1998 Drew Brees QB Offensive Player of the Year 2000 Stuart Schweigert S Freshman of the Year 2000 Drew Brees QB Offensive Player of the Year 2000 Drew Brees QB Chicago Tribune Silver Football 2010 Ryan Kerrigan DE Defensive Lineman of the Year 2010 Ryan Kerrigan DE Defensive Player of the Year

During Purdue's 116-season tenure with the Big Ten Conference, a total of 18 Boilermakers have been recognized with superlative conference honors.

Conference award winners

Purdue All-Americans
Season Name Pos. 1929 Elmer Sleight* OT 1929 Ralph Welch* FB 1931 Charles Miller C 1931 Paul Moss End 1932 Roy Horstmann FB 1932 Paul Moss# End 1933 Duane Purvis* RB 1934 Duane Purvis RB 1939 Dave Rankin End 1940 Dave Rankin* End 1943 Alex Agase* G 1943 Tony Butkovich FB 1944 Babe Dimancheff HB 1945 Tom Hughes T 1951 Leo Sugar DE	Season Name Pos. 1952 Bernie Flowers* End 1954 Tom Bettis G 1958 Tom Franckhauser CB 1958 Gene Selawski K 1960 Jerry Beabout TE 1962 Don Brumm T 1964 Harold Wells DE 1965 Bob Griese* QB 1965 Karl Singer OT 1965 Jerry Shay DT 1966 Jim Beirne End 1966 John Charles DB 1966 Bob Griese QB 1967 Leroy Keyes# HB 1968 Leroy Keyes# HB/DB	Season Name Pos. 1968 Chuck Kyle* G 1969 Tim Foley DB 1969 Mike Phipps# QB 1971 Tom Luken OG 1972 Otis Armstrong* HB 1972 Dave Butz* DT 1973 Carl Capria DB 1974 Larry Burton WR 1975 Ken Long OT 1975 Ken Novak DT 1979 Mark Herrmann QB 1980 Mark Herrmann# QB 1980 Dave Young# TE 1985 Rod Woodson DB 1986 Rod Woodson* DB	Season Name Pos. 1989 Shawn McCarthy P 1990 Steve Jackson DB 1995 Mike Alstott RB 1997 Brian Alford WR 1999 Drew Brees QB 2000 Drew Brees QB 2000 Matt Light OT 2001 Travis Dorsch* P 2003 Stuart Schweigert S 2004 Taylor Stubblefield# WR 2006 Anthony Spencer DE 2010 Ryan Kerrigan# DE
* - denotes Consensus All-Americans
# - denotes Unanimous All-Americans

A total of 50 Boilermakers have been recognized as All-Americans by various media selectors.^[95] Among those selections, twenty have achieved Consensus All-American status. Of those consensus All-Americans, seven were unanimous selections.^[96]

All-Americans

Purdue Major Award Winners
Season Name Pos. Award 1966 Bob Griese QB Sammy Baugh 1969 Mike Phipps QB Sammy Baugh 1980 Mark Herrmann QB Sammy Baugh	Season Name Pos. Award 2000 Drew Brees QB Maxwell 2000 Tim Stratton TE John Mackey 2001 Travis Dorsch P Ray Guy

A total of 6 Boilermaker players and coaches have either won numerous major .

Major award winners

Season	Player	Place	Votes
1943	Tony Butkovich	8th	65
1965	Bob Griese	8th	193
1966	Bob Griese	2nd	618
1967	Leroy Keyes	3rd	1,366
1968	Leroy Keyes	2nd	1,103
1969	Mike Phipps	2nd	1,334
1972	Otis Armstrong	8th	208
1979	Mark Herrmann	8th	54
1980	Mark Herrmann	4th	405
1985	Jim Everett	6th	77
1999	Drew Brees	4th	308
2000	Drew Brees	3rd	619

Purdue has produced eight Heisman Trophy candidates. Four Boilermakers, Bob Griese, Leroy Keyes, Mark Herrmann and Drew Brees have each been finalist for the award in two separate seasons.

Heisman Trophy candidates

Individual accolades

Purdue has knocked off the #1 ranked football team in college football seven times over the years—the third most of all the Division I teams in college football. Only Notre Dame and Oklahoma have accomplished this more times.^[94]

"Spoilermakers"

Purdue Rankings in the AP Poll
Season Record AP 1943 9–0 5 1952 4–3–2 18 1958 6–1–2 13 1960 4–4–1 19 1961 6–3 12 1966 9–2 7 1967 8–2 9 1968 8–2 10 1969 8–2 18	Season Record AP 1978 9–2–1 13 1979 10–2 15 1980 9–3 17 1997 9–3 15 1998 9–4 24 1999 7–5 25 2000 8–4 13 2003 9–4 18

Purdue has finished a season ranked in the Associated Press (AP) poll on 17 occasions.^[91] The Boilermakers have finished ranked amongst the top 10 in college football on five occasions. Purdue attained its highest-ever ranking in the polls during the preseason of the 1968 season, when they were ranked #1 in the AP Poll for 6 straight weeks before they lost to #4 Ohio State 0-13.^[91][92] Since the implementation of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1998, Purdue has finished the regular season ranked one time in the final BCS standings. While the Boilermakers are 54–175–5 against opponents ranked in the AP Poll, they have an all-time record of 111–65–10 when ranked in the AP Poll themselves.^[93]

Rankings

Result	Season	Date	PF	Opponent	PA	Bowl
W	1966	January 2, 1967	14	USC	13	Rose Bowl
W	1978	December 25, 1978	41	Georgia Tech	21	Peach Bowl
W	1979	December 31, 1979	27	Tennessee	22	Bluebonnet Bowl
W	1980	December 27, 1980	28	Missouri	25	Liberty Bowl
L	1984	December 31, 1984	24	Virginia	27	Peach Bowl
W	1997	December 30, 1997	33	Oklahoma State	20	Alamo Bowl
W	1998	December 29, 1998	37	Kansas State	34	Alamo Bowl
L	1999	January 1, 2000	25	Georgia	28	Outback Bowl
L	2000	January 1, 2001	24	Washington	34	Rose Bowl
L	2001	December 31, 2001	27	Washington State	33	Sun Bowl
W	2002	December 31, 2002	34	Washington	24	Sun Bowl
L	2003	January 1, 2004	27	Georgia	34	Capital One Bowl
L	2004	December 31, 2004	23	Arizona State	27	Sun Bowl
L	2006	December 29, 2006	7	Maryland	24	Champs Sports Bowl
W	2007	December 26, 2007	51	Central Michigan	48	Motor City Bowl
W	2011	December 27, 2011	37	Western Michigan	32	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
L	2012	January 1, 2013	14	Oklahoma State	58	Heart of Dallas Bowl

Purdue has participated in 17 bowl games throughout its history, compiling a 9–8 record.^[89] Purdue did not appear frequently in post-season play from 1967 to 1984, but they played well, winning 4 of 5 bowl games including four consecutive wins between 1967 and 1980. When Tiller arrived in 1997, Purdue went to eight consecutive bowl games, but only won three of the eight bowl games. Tiller would lead the Boilermakers to a total of 10 bowl games in his 12 seasons as head coach.^[90] Of those 17 bowl appearances, the Boilermakers have participated in 1 "major" Division I-A/FBS bowl games, which was part of the BCS Bowl Games. The Boilermakers have never played in a National Championship Game.

Bowl games

Purdue Conference Championships
Season Coach Title(s) Record Conf. Record 1891 Knowlton Ames IIAA Champion 4–0 4–0 1892 Knowlton Ames IIAA Champion 8–0 4–0 1893 D.M. Balliet IIAA Champion 5–2–1 4–0 1894 D.M. Balliet IIAA Champion 9–1 4–0 1918 A. G. Scanlon Big Ten Co-Champion 3–3 1–0 1929 James Phelan Big Ten Champion 8–0 5–0	Season Coach Title(s) Record Conf. Record 1931 Noble Kizer Big Ten Co-Champion 9–1 5–1 1932 Noble Kizer Big Ten Co-Champion 7–0–1 5–0–1 1943 Elmer Burnham Big Ten Co-Champion 9–0 6–0 1952 Stu Holcomb Big Ten Co-Champion 4–3–1 4–1–1 1967 Jack Mollenkopf Big Ten Co-Champion 8–2 6–1 2000 Joe Tiller Big Ten Co-Champion# 8–4 6–2
# - denotes Bowl Championship Series representative as conference champion

Purdue has won or shared a conference championship on 12 occasions, including four Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles and eight Big Ten Conference titles.^[88] As members of the Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Big Ten, the Boilermakers have amassed a record of 154–64–3 (.703 winning percentage) in conference play.

Championships

Team accomplishments

The Boilermakers football program has had several assistant coaches who went on to make notable achievements, from longevity in their tenure as collegiate coaches to becoming head coaches at the NCAA FBS level.

Notable former assistant coaches

Tenure Coach Years Record Pct. 1887 Albert Berg 1 0-1-0 .000 1889 George Andrew Reisner 1 2-1-0 .666

Purdue University Boilermakers Head Coaches
Name Seasons Record Albert Berg 1887 0–1 George Andrew Reisner 1889 2–1 Clinton L. Hare 1890 3–3 Knowlton Ames 1891–92 12–0 D.M. Balliet 1893–95, 1901 22–10–2 S. M. Hammond 1896 4–2–1 William H. Church 1897 5–3–1 Alpha Jamison 1898–1900 11–11–1 Charles Best 1902 7–2–1 Oliver Cutts 1903–04 13–5 Albert E. Herrnstein 1905 6–1–1 Myron E. Witham 1906 0–5	Name Seasons Record Leigh C. Turner 1907 0–5 Frederick A. Speik 1908–09 6–8 Bill Horr 1910–12 8–11–3 Andy Smith 1913–15 12–6–3 Cleo A. O'Donnell 1916–17 5–8–1 A. G. Scanlon 1918–20 7–12–1 William Henry Dietz 1921 1–6 James Phelan 1922–29 35–22–5 Noble Kizer 1930–36 42–13–3 Mal Elward 1937–41 16–18–6 Elmer Burnham 1942–43 10–8 Cecil Isbell 1944–45 14–14–1	Name Seasons Record Stu Holcomb 1946–55 35–42–4 Jack Mollenkopf 1956–69 84–39–9 Bob DeMoss 1970–72 13–18 Alex Agase 1973–76 18–25–1 Jim Young 1977–81 38–19–1 Leon Burtnett 1982–86 21–34–1 Fred Akers 1987–90 12–31–1 Jim Colletto 1991–96 21–42–3 Joe Tiller 1997–2008 87–62 Danny Hope 2009–12 22–27 Patrick Higgins 2012 0–1 Darrell Hazell 2013–present 5–21

The Purdue Boilermakers have had 36 head coaches throughout the program's history. With 87 victories, Joe Tiller is first overall in the program's history, followed by Jack Mollenkopf (84 wins) and Noble Kizer (42).^[87]

Head coaches

^[86]

Current coaching staff

Coaches

In 2013, Purdue designed a new black helmet that was used during the Ohio State and Indiana games. The all black helmet had a matte finish with a decal of train tracks down the center of the helmet, with the University's official athletic logo at the end of the tracks. Also on the helmet was the phrase "One Brick Higher," the motto coach Darrell Hazell had chosen for the season.^[85]

In 2002, Purdue changed from its black home jersey to an old gold jersey. The old gold uniforms had white numerals and black outline for home games, and white uniforms with old gold numbers and back outline for away games. Some complained that the numerals on the jersey were too hard to see, so in 2003 they changed to an old gold jersey with black numerals outlined in white, and white pants with two black stripes down the sides. After losing their opening game at home to Bowling Green, Tiller and the team decided to dump the gold jerseys and go back to the black uniforms. After they changed back to the black uniforms, the team came out to Back in Black by AC/DC for every home game in 2003. Since then, Purdue has stayed with the black uniforms. In one game against Wisconsin in 2006, the Boilermakers wore the black jersey with black pants. They hadn't sported an all-black look at home since the last game of the season in 1996 against Indiana. In 2009, Purdue also wore the Black on Black in a night game against Notre Dame on the Purdue Blackout, and then wore them for the remainder of their home games. In 2010, the Black on Black remained the normal home uniform with the exception being the Homecoming game against Minnesota where the team donned Throwback Uniforms for the 2001 Rose Bowl team. While the original jerseys were made by Champion, the replicas were Nike branded.

Purdue's Pride sticker (given out for good performances) was the Purdue logo (locomotive). This was changed in 2006 to a sledgehammer with the slant "P" in the hammer's head (like the one wielded by mascot Purdue Pete). In the 2006 game against the Indiana State Sycamores, Purdue wore a throwback uniform from 1966, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the school's first Rose Bowl team. It featured a white jersey with two outer black stripes on the shoulder and one inner gold stripe. The numerals were black with no outline. The team wore gold pants with two black stripes on the sides, and the helmets were old gold with black numbers and one black stripe down the middle. The gold in the throwback uniforms was more yellow in hue than that in the regular 1997–present uniforms.

Before Tiller, the team wore uniforms that sported the school's name across the front of the jersey, and the old gold color was more pronounced, with almost a copper hue. In Tiller's first season, the helmet color was lightened substantially, as was the gold used on the rest of the uniform.

Purdue's colors are Old Gold and Black, as are its uniforms. Home uniforms are black with old gold numerals. On the shoulder is the player's number in old gold, and on the sleeve, there is an old gold stripe at the bottom. The pants are old gold with one black stripe along each side, with the Purdue train logo right above it. The helmet is old gold with a black stripe down the middle, a black facemask, and a black slanted "P" logo on each side. The away uniform is white with black numerals. The shoulders have black numerals on them, and the sleeve has a black stripe at the bottom. Both home and away jerseys sport the Purdue train logo in the center front of the collar, surrounded by a patch of black fabric. The away pants are black one old gold stripe on each side as well as the Purdue train logo. This uniform also features the old gold helmet used for the hpme uniform. Since 2013, Purdue has added in some alternate uniforms. Purdue has always had alternate uniforms utilizing black jerseys with black pants or white jerseys with old gold pants, but these uniforms always used the same old gold helmet. When Purdue updated its uniforms during Danny Hope's coaching time, they added white pants with a black stripe on each side and a train logo as well. These pants are usually seen accompanied by a white jersey, but Purdue wore them at home with their black jersey and gold helmet once in 2013. Also, in 2013, Purdue added a matte black helmet with gold railroad tracks that run down the middle of the helmet being wider in front and gradually narrowing to the back of the helmet where it ends and in its place is a train logo. The sides of the helmet also feature a gold slanted "P" logo on either side and a black facemask. This helmet was features at home in 2013 against the Ohio State Buckeyes with the default black jersey and pants. Purdue also wore this helmet as an away uniform with the default white jersey and black pants during the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry game at Indiana. In 2014, the Boilermakers wore this helmet a couple of more times, namely when they played Notre Dame at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, when they wore it with default white jerseys and pants. They wore this same uniform combination at Indiana at the end of the year. In 2014, Purdue added no permanent uniforms, but they did have a couple special occasion helmets. In one game earlier in the year, they wore an old gold helmet with a black stripe down the middle and black facemask, but the slanted "P" logo was instead a black outline with pictures sent in by season ticket holders inside of it. In October, when the Boilers played Michigan State at home, they featured a matte black helmet with a lime green stripe down the middle, lime green slanted "P" logos, a large lime green cancer ribbon in the back, and the slogan "Hammer Down Cancer" at the back of the helmet. While, the jersey and pants were Purdue's default white for both, they also features lime green nike socks. Later in the season when they played Wisconsin at home, the Boilermakers used a matte black helmet with 3 stripes down the middle that were red, white, and blue in order with slanted "P" logos on the side that were filled with a waving American flag. The slogan at the bottom said "United" in red, "We" in white, and "Stand" in blue. This was worn with their default black jersey and pants. In 2015, Purdue added even more excitement to the uniforms. They have featured a white helmey with one side featuring the train logo in black and gold chrome with the other side featuring the player's number in black. There are two black stripes and a gold chrome stripe going down the middle, and the facemask is black with a gold chrome stripe in the middle where the stripe on the helmet continues. Also, Purdue added an Anthricite Gray alternate that used a dark gray helmet with light gray railroad tracks down the middle and a ligjt gray slanted "P" logo on each side. The jerseys are dark gray with light gray numerals on the front and back, with light gray numerals on the shoulder and a light gray stripe at the bottom of the sleeve. Instead of the player's last name being features on the back of the jersey like all of the others do, this jersey says "BOILERMAKERS" in all black. The pants to this uniform are dark gray with a light gray stripe on each side and an alternate version of the train logo that uses only black and light gray. Against Indiana State, Purdue used a helmet similar to the won they wore in 2014 against Wisconsin but this time, the helmet was white with a black facemask. This was worn with the Anthricite gray jersey and pants. Since the arrival of Joe Tiller in 1997, Purdue players have not worn names on the backs of their jerseys. When Danny Hope took over in 2009, he added names to the backs of the jerseys.

Logos and uniforms

• Old Gold indicates defensive ends to start and win a Super Bowl.

Name	Years as Starter	NFL Draft
Leo Sugar	1949-51	123rd Pick by the Chicago Cardinals
Lamar Lundy	1954-56	47th Pick by the Los Angeles Rams
Keena Turner	1976-79	39th Pick by the Miami Dolphins
Rosevelt Colvin	1995-98	111th Pick by the Chicago Bears
Chike Okeafor	1994-96, 1998	89th Pick by the San Francisco 49ers
Akin Ayodele	1999-2001	89th Pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Shaun Phillips	2000-03	98th Pick by the San Diego Chargers
Ray Edwards	2003-05	127th Pick by the Minnesota Vikings
Rob Ninkovich	2004-05	135th Pick by the New Orleans Saints
Anthony Spencer	2003-06	26th Pick by the Dallas Cowboys
Cliff Avril	2004-07	92nd Pick by the Detroit Lions
Ryan Kerrigan	2007-10	16th Pick by the Washington Redskins

Currently the Den contains 12 members:

Purdue has also had a more recent tradition of sending defensive ends to the NFL. Since 1999, Purdue has had 9 defensive ends selected in the NFL Draft. With their success in the NFL, Purdue has earned the nickname, the "Den of Defensive Ends."^[84]

Den of Defensive Ends

• Old Gold indicates quarterbacks to start and win a Super Bowl.

Name	Years as Starter	NFL Draft
Curtis Painter	2005-08	201st Pick by the Indianapolis Colts
Kyle Orton	2001-04	106th Pick by the Chicago Bears
Drew Brees	1998-2000	32nd Pick by the San Diego Chargers
Jim Everett	1981-85	3rd Pick by the Houston Oilers
Scott Campbell	1980-83	191st Pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Mark Herrmann	1977-80	98th Pick by the Denver Broncos
Gary Danielson	1970-72	Went Undrafted
Mike Phipps	1967-69	3rd Pick by the Cleveland Browns
Bob Griese	1964-66	4th Pick by the Miami Dolphins
Len Dawson	1954-56	5th Pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Dale Samuels	1950-52	28th Pick by the Chicago Cardinals
Bob DeMoss	1945-50	280th Pick by the New York Giants

Currently the cradle contains 12 members:

Purdue's football program has long been known for its proliffic passing quarterbacks, ranging from players who have set School, Big Ten & NCAA records, to being named All-Americans and finalist for national awards, to being elected into the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fames.^[82] This great tradition has led to the school being nicknamed the "Cradle of Quarterbacks". When Drew Brees led the New Orleans Saints to a victory in Super Bowl XLIV, Purdue became just the second college in history to produce 3 different Super Bowl winning quarterbacks.^[82][83]

Cradle of Quarterbacks

• Old Oaken Bucket - Indiana Hoosiers
• Shillelagh Trophy - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• Purdue Cannon - Illinois Fighting Illini

Trophy games

Due to having an odd number of teams from 1993 to 2010, the Big Ten utilized a rotating system of conference games. Every school was designated two official rivals, whom they played every year. The official rivals for Purdue were Indiana and Northwestern. However, after the expansion of the Big Ten to 12 schools, Purdue and Northwestern were placed into separate conference divisions and will no longer play each other on an annual basis. Beginning in 2011, Purdue's new designated cross-division rival will be Iowa. This matchup has been mocked by fans of both teams. The other cross-divisional rivalries set up by the Big Ten had some history or a trophy behind the pairing, but Purdue and Iowa were left over. The respective SB Nation blogs of Hammer & Rails and Black Heart Gold Pants have since celebrated this rivalry between the two schools with the tongue-in-cheek reference to each other as "Our Most Hated Rivals" or simple "OMHR"

Purdue's major rival has always been Indiana University, with whom they play for the Old Oaken Bucket, but during the Joe Tiller era the rivalry with Notre Dame in football has become the most heated and most competitive with Joe Tiller led teams going 5-7 vs. Notre Dame. Danny Hope picked up the Shillelagh Trophy with a 24-21 loss in his first season as head coach. In addition, Purdue has a long-standing rivalry with Illinois, with whom they play for the Purdue Cannon trophy.

Rivalries

Purdue Pete was first designed as a logo by the University Bookstore in 1940.^[78] They would put it on their products and portray him dressed up in different clothes for the different majors. He got the Purdue part of his name from Purdue University.^[79] The owners of the bookstores gave him the name “Pete”, yet no one officially knows why this was chosen to be his name.^[79] He was given a physical identity in 1956 as he came out and helped the students cheer at a pep rally.^[78] Over the years, the appearance of Purdue Pete has gone under several drastic changes as well as several minor changes. His original head was made of paper-mâché, pasted onto a chicken wire frame.^[79] This was very inconvenient for the person who would be underneath because it would limit his movements, yet he was still expected to move around and do stunts.^[79] This head was changed to a giant fiberglass head where the person inside would use a harness to support it. This was unpractical due to the sheer size of it. In the 1980s, Purdue Pete acquired the appearance he is now associated with.^[79] Proposals to switch to a soft-sculpture costume were rejected in 2006 and 2011.^[80][81]

Purdue Pete

Financial and moral support for the first Boilermaker Special was provided by key members of the Purdue University graduating class of 1907, and members of the Purdue Reamer Club from the graduating classes of 1940 and 1941.

The "Boilermaker" nickname came about during the early years of Purdue football. There had been rumors the university enrolled burly boilermakers from the Monon Railroad shops in Lafayette, Indiana as students/football players to help beef up the scrawny football team. When a railroad operated an extra train independent of the scheduled timetable, it was known as a "special". Thus, the trains which carried Purdue's sporting teams and their fans to other cities for athletic contests were known as "Boilermaker Specials". It was a perfect match.

Purdue did not have a mascot. In 1939, Purdue student Israel Selkowitz suggested the school adopt an official mascot to represent Purdue's engineering heritage. He originally proposed a "mechanical man". After much debate, it was decided to build a locomotive on an automobile chassis. This choice allowed the mascot to build on Purdue's engineering and railroading heritage, as well as represent the school's nickname "Boilermakers" in a meaningful way.

Purdue University is a land-grant university (or Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) university) created through the Morrill Act of 1862. In the 1890s, Purdue became a leader in the research of railway technology. For many years Purdue operated the "Schenectady No. 1", and later the "Schenectady No. 2", on a dynamometer in an engineering laboratory on the West Lafayette campus. These were 4-4-0 type steam locomotives manufactured by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Schenectady was a classic Victorian-era design similar in construction to the Western and Atlantic Railroad No. 3 (see The General (locomotive) on display at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History). Purdue even operated its own railroad to connect the campus to a main rail line. In the 1930s the dynamometer was decommissioned and the Schenectady No. 2 was retired as the railroad industry in the United States converted from steam to diesel-electric locomotives.

The Boilermaker Special is the official mascot of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. It resembles a Victorian-era railroad locomotive and is built on a truck chassis. It is operated and maintained by the student members of the Purdue Reamer Club.

Boilermaker Special

Mascot

Emrick stayed on as director after his graduation in 1908. In 1921 Emrick commissioned Leedy to construct the World's Largest Drum, and it has been a part of the marching band ever since. In 1935, during a Purdue football game at Northwestern University the band donned lights on their uniforms while performing at halftime. With the stadium lights turned off for the performance, the band drew such awe from radio broadcaster Ted Husing, he referred to them as a "truly All-American marching band," hence the current title of the band.

In 1886 the Purdue Student Army Training Corps produced 5 men who provided music for the Army trainees to listen to during their morning conditioning runs. While operating without a director until 1904, the band had started playing at Purdue football games and had grown to over 50 members. In 1904, Paul Spotts Emrick, joined the band. His experience as a conductor resulted in his election as band president and director the next year. During his senior year at Purdue, the marching band, under Emrick, became the first band to break ranks and form a letter on the field—the famous Block "P".^[77]

The Purdue All-American Marching Band is the marching band of Purdue University. The Purdue "All-American" Marching Band (AAMB) is the primary source of auxiliary entertainment for Purdue University football games. AAMB does many service performances for high schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools, and has been the host band of the Indianapolis 500 race every year the race has been held since 1927. The band has grown from an original 5 members to 373 members, making it one of the largest marching bands in the world. The two most distinctive features of the AAMB are the World's Largest Drum and solo baton twirler the Purdue Golden Girl.

Marching band

Culture

An indoor training facility used primarily for the football team. It includes a full practice football field, extensive weight room, and offices for the football program. Also housed in Mollenkopf is the Purdue Football Hall of Glory.

Mollenkopf Athletic Center

The Boilermakers have called seating capacity of 13,500 and standing room for an additional 5,000 people.^[76] A series of additions and renovations pushed the seating capacity to almost 68,000 (70,000 with standing room). In 2001 Purdue University began a $70 million renovation, which led to a reduced seating capacity of 62,500.

Ross-Ade Stadium (1924–present)

Stuart Field was dedicated on April 16, 1892,^[73] and named for Charles B. and William V. Stuart, two brothers who served on the university's board of trustees.^[74] Originally a seven-acre^[74] (2.8 ha) field with eight hundred seats,^[73] by the 1910s it was expanded to twice that area^[74] and a seating capacity of five thousand.^[75]

Stuart Field (1892–1924)

Facilities

On December 5, 2012, it was announced that Darrell Hazell would leave the Kent State Golden Flashes to become the head coach of the Boilermakers for the 2013 season.^[66] The Boilermakers started the season with a 42–7 loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium.^[67] The following week against Indiana State, Hazell won his first game at Purdue 20–14.^[68] After the Boilermakers started 1–2, and Rob Henry continuing to struggle in the team's 4th game, Danny Etling was thrust into a game with Purdue trailing 27–10 to Northern Illinois.^[69] Etling finished the game with 241 yards passing while throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions.^[70] During the ensuing week, Etling was named the starter for the Boilermakers.^[71] With Etling at quarterback, Hazell showed he was playing the 2013 season to gain experience for younger players. The Boilermakers finished the 2013 season 1–11, one of the worst seasons in Purdue history.^[72]

Darrell Hazell (2013–present)

The 2012 season was met with high expectations from fans, alumni, and Hope himself, who proclaimed that it would be his best team with many starters returning.^[64] Moreover, with both Ohio State and Penn State serving bowl bans that year, the Boilermakers had a strong opportunity to win the Leaders division title. However, after a 3-1 non-conference start, the team would then open Big Ten play with five straight losses. Although the Boilers would eventually win their final three games, including victories over archrivals Patrick Higgins was named interim coach for the bowl game.^[65]

Hope's teams would miss out on bowl games in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. However, the 2011 team was able record a 6-6 overall record and a 4-4 conference record, including a second win against Ohio State in 3 years. The team would end up going to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, where they defeated Western Michigan 37-32 to achieve Hope's first winning season at Purdue.^[63] Following the season, Burke extended Hope with a two-year contract extension.^[59]

In his first game as head coach at Purdue in 2009, the Boilermakers won, 52–31, over Toledo.^[60] Purdue lost their next five games before upsetting #7 Ohio State, 26–18, at home on October 17.^[61] Later during the 2009 season, the Boilermakers won at Michigan for the first time since 1966 with a 38–36 come-from-behind win at The Big House on November 7. It was only the third time in program history that Purdue defeated Ohio State and Michigan in the same season.^[62]

During his previous stay at Purdue, Hope was the offensive line coach for Tiller. He is credited with building the offensive line that protected NFL quarterback Drew Brees and produced several NFL offensive linemen, including All-Pro Matt Light.^[59]

Beginning on approximately January 7, 2008, several media outlets reported that Hope had been offered and accepted a coaching position at Purdue where it was expected that he would replace coach Joe Tiller as part of a succession plan.^[58]

Danny Hope (2009–2012)

Tiller was the first coach to use the spread offense in the Big Ten Conference, although many others have since brought their own version of the spread, including Jim Tressel at Ohio State, Randy Walker at Northwestern, Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, and Ron Zook at Illinois. Under Tiller and his spread offense, Purdue annually had one of the top offenses in the Big Ten.

Joe Tiller was hired by Purdue in 1997.^[56] Tiller inherited a program that had only had two winning seasons in the previous 18 years. However, the Boilermakers made an immediate splash in the second game of his rookie season with a nationally-televised upset of Notre Dame. Tiller would go on to lead the Boilermakers to ten bowl berths in twelve years, most notably the 2001 Rose Bowl. Prior to Tiller's arrival, Purdue had played in only five bowl games, most recently the 1984 Peach Bowl. On September 20, 2008, in a game versus Central Michigan, Tiller won his 85th game at Purdue to become the winningest coach in school history, topping the previous mark set by Jack Mollenkopf (1956–1969).^[57] Tiller's "basketball on grass" offense was well renowned for its ability to score and score effectively, befuddling opposing defenses. This was especially the case when Drew Brees ran the team from 1997 to 2000. His Purdue squads were shut out only once, by Penn State, in a 12–0 defeat at Ross–Ade Stadium on October 28, 2006.

Joe Tiller (1997–2008)

Colletto resigned in November 1996.^[55]

In 1994, the Boilermakers got out to a 4-1-1 start, and were starting to gain national attention.^[54] With Rogers and Alstott leading the way out of the Purdue backfield, Purdue racked up 1,206 and 17 rushing touchdowns in 6 games.^[54] However Purdue stumbled down the stretch, finishing the season 0-4-1.

In 1992, Colletto lost Rogers to academic ineligibility, and was forced to use a new running back.^[52] The Rogers suspension opened the door for what would become Purdue's all-time leading rusher, Mike Alstott.^[53]

Jim Colletto was named Purdue's head coach in December 1990, accepting the position while he was serving the offensive coordinator for Ohio State.^[49] Colletto came to Purdue with the goal of recruiting kids from the Chicago area, and keeping Purdue's quarterback tradition trending onward.^[49] During his introduction press conference, he stated that at practice field, he planned to install a small cemetery in which he would place a tombstone for every school Purdue upset or beat on the road.^[50] Colletto also provided up change on offense, as he brought his I formation with him from Ohio State.^[51] During his for season as head coach, the Boilermakers improved winning two more games than they had the year before, and freshman tailback Corey Rogers was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.^[52]

Jim Colletto (1991–1996)

^[48] Akers coached his teams to only 12 wins in four years.[47] After Burtnett's dismissal, Purdue had verbally agreed to hire

Fred Akers (1987–1990)

In November 1981, defensive coordinator Leon Burtnett was promoted as Purdue's 30th head football coach.^[41] During the 1984 campaign, Burtnett's team posted its best season, which the highlight of the year was beating #2 Ohio State 28-23.^[42] The 1984 squad's 7-4 record earned Burtnett the Big Ten's Coach of the Year Award.^[43] His success that year earned him a contract extension through 1990.^[44] Burtnett's teams didn't improve after 1984, and after a 3-8 season in 1986, Burtnett resigned as head coach.^[45]

Leon Burtnett (1982–1986)

In December 1976, Purdue hired 41-year-old 1978 Peach Bowl. Young was named the Big Ten's Coach of the Year, the first Boilermaker head coach to ever win the award.^[38] Throughout his career, Herrmann would break the Big Ten's all-time career passing yards (6,734) and passing touchdowns (48) before his senior season.^[39] After a disappointing 1981 season, Young resigned from his position as head coach at Purdue, citing his desire to concentrate on athletic administration.^[40]

Jim Young (1977–1981)

After nine seasons as the Northwestern coach, Alex Agase accepted an offer at the end of 1972 to become head football coach at Purdue, one of the two schools for which he played.^[31] Taking the job was "not an easy decision to make," he said at the time, because he was happy at Northwestern.^[31] Agase coached at Purdue through the 1976 season, but his team never posted a winning record in his years there.^[32] He was fired in early 1977 and took a job as athletic director at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan.^[33] He stayed in that job until 1982, when he unexpectedly resigned citing "personal reasons".^[34]

Alex Agase (1973–1976)

Former Purdue player and assistant coach Bob DeMoss was promoted to head coach in 1970.^[27] DeMoss inherited a Purdue squad who was loaded at the running back position with Stan Brown, and Otis Armstrong, but the team struggled to find consistency out of its quarterback position.^[28] DeMoss resigned following the 1972 season, citing his desire to be with his family more as his reason for stepping down.^[29] DeMoss compiled a career college football record of 13–18.^[30]

Bob DeMoss (1970–1972)

Mollenkopf is Purdue's all-time leader in Big Ten Conference wins (58) and conference winning percentage (.637). His 84 wins at Purdue placed him first on the school's all-time wins list until Joe Tiller passed him in 2008, and he ranks fourth in overall winning percentage (.670). Mollenkopf's Boilermakers were nationally ranked for 80 weeks, the most under any Purdue head coach, and captured the #1 spot the first five weeks of the 1968 season.

On January 2, 1967, Jack Mollenkopf coached the school's first appearance in the Rose Bowl, leading Purdue to a 14–13 victory over USC. Against Purdue's in-state rivals, Mollenkopf tallied an 11–2–1 record versus Indiana and a 10–4 mark against Notre Dame. From 1966 to 1969, a Purdue player finished in the top three in balloting for the Heisman Trophy: quarterback Bob Griese was second in 1966, halfback Leroy Keyes placed third in 1967 and second in 1968, and quarterback Mike Phipps finished as runner-up in 1969. Mollenkopf's inaugural season in 1956 was the only losing campaign of his tenure as head coach at Purdue.

Jack Mollenkopf (1956–1969)

During Stu Holcomb’s tenure as Boilermakers head coach he compiled a record of 35–42–4. His best year was 1952 when he led the Boilermakers to a Big Ten Conference co-championship and a #18 ranking in the final poll. Despite having only a 4–3–1 overall record, Holcomb's team played well in conference with a 4–1–1 record. Holcomb’s Purdue teams are, perhaps, best remembered for ending Notre Dame's 39-game unbeaten streak when his Boilermakers defeated the Irish, 28–14, in the second game of the 1950 season. Holcomb was known for developing solid quarterbacks including Bob DeMoss, Dale Samuels and Len Dawson. These players helped grow a strong tradition at Purdue of great quarterback play. On December 12, 1955, After his nine seasons at Purdue, Holcomb left Purdue to accept the athletic director position at the Northwestern University

Stu Holcomb (1947–1955)

Cecil Isbell started out at Purdue as an assistant coach and took over as head coach in 1944. He coached there for three years with a 14–14–1 record. He was the first Purdue alumnus to the head football coach.

Cecil Isbell (1944–1946)

Elmer Burnham served as Purdue's freshman football coach for seven years before assuming the role as varsity head coach in 1942.^[26] Burnham's 1943 squad went 9–0 and shared the Big Ten Conference title with Michigan.

Elmer Burnham (1942–1943)

Allen Elward became head coach after serving as an assistant at Purdue from 1927 to 1936. He complied a 16–18–6 record at Purdue.

Allen Elward (1937–1941)

In 1925, Noble Kizer became an assistant coach at Purdue under Phelan and inherited the head coaching position upon Phelan's departure for the University of Washington.

Noble Kizer (1930–1936)

For the 1922 season, Purdue hired Missouri Tigers football coach, James Phelan. Phelan lead the 1929 Boilermakers to a perfect 8-0 record and their first ever outright Big Ten Title.

James Phelan (1922–1929)

Purdue bounced around with many different head coaches until 1921, with most having little to no success coaching at Purdue. However Purdue did hire Andy Smith (1913–15) and William Henry Dietz (1921), both of which would go on to become College Football Hall of Fame members.

On October 31, 1903, 14 members of the 1903 squad were killed in Indianapolis Indiana when the train they were riding collided with a coal train. The event became known as the Purdue Wreck.

Balliet was re-hired as the head coach at Purdue in September 1901.^[22] He led the 1901 Purdue team to a 4–4–1 record, but finished the season with consecutive losses to Notre Dame, Illinois, and Northwestern.^[23] At the end of the 1901 season, Purdue opted not to renew his services. In March 1902, the Indianapolis News reported, "He is known to be a good coach, but he turned out a loser last year and Purdue wants a change."^[24] In four seasons as Purdue's head coach, Balliet compiled a record of 22–10–2.^[25]

In the fall of 1893, D. M. Balliet became the head football coach at Purdue. He led the team to a 5–2–1 record in 1893 and 9–1 in 1894. During the 1894 season, Balliet's Purdue squad defeated Amos Alonzo Stagg's Chicago Maroons and outscored opponents by a collective score of 177 to 42.^[18][19] His 1895 squad finished with a record of 4–3.^[20] In 1897, Balliet was reported to have given up a successful law practice to join the Klondike Gold Rush in Alaska.^[21]

In 1891, Knowlton Ames became the head coach for Purdue, where he led the Boilermakers to a 12–0 record over two years.^[17]

In 1890, Clinton L. Hare became the third head football coach at Purdue. He coached the team that season to a record of 3–3. Purdue won each of its two home games in convincing fashion, shutting out Wabash, 54–0, on October 24 and Illinois, 62–0, on November 22. They also shut out DePauw in Greencastle, Indiana, 32–0. Purdue suffered its worst loss of the season on November 1 in Ann Arbor, falling to Michigan by a score of 34 to six. Hare's squad also dropped their season opener in Chicago on October 18 to the Chicago University Football Club, 10–6, and their season finale on November 27 against Hare's former team, Butler, by a score of 12 to 10.^[15] With their wins over DePauw and Wabash and their loss to Butler, Purdue tallied a 2–1 mark against their opponents from within the state of Indiana. Hare's team finished second place in the Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association to Butler, who beat all three of their in-state foes and was awarded the state championship.^[16]

^[12][11] After the loss to Butler, Purdue did not field a football team again until 1889.^[14] team at Athletic Park in Indianapolis. Butler soundly defeated Berg's squad by a score of 48–6.Butler College The 1887 Purdue team played its only game on October 29, 1887, against the ^[13][12][11]