Purdue Boilermakers football facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Purdue Boilermakers football
First season	1887; 139 years ago
Athletic director	Mike Bobinski
Head coach	Barry Odom 1st season, 2–10 (.167)
Stadium	Ross–Ade Stadium (Capacity: 61,441)
Location	West Lafayette, Indiana
NCAA division	Division I FBS
Conference	Big Ten
All-time record	644–618–48 (.510)
Bowl record	11–10 (.524)
Unclaimed nat'l titles	1931
Conference titles	IIAA: 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894 Big Ten: 1918, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1943, 1952, 1967, 2000
Division titles	Big Ten West: 2022
Rivalries	Indiana (rivalry) Notre Dame (rivalry) Illinois (rivalry) Chicago (historic rivalry)
Consensus All-Americans	22
Current uniform
Colors	Black and Old Gold
Fight song	Hail Purdue!
Mascot	Boilermaker Special Purdue Pete
Marching band	Purdue All-American Marching Band
Outfitter	Nike
Website	PurdueSports.com

The Purdue Boilermakers football team plays for Purdue University in exciting college football games. They are part of the NCAA's top level, called the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The team plays its home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. Their head coach is Barry Odom, who is the 38th coach in Purdue's history. The Boilermakers are members of the Big Ten Conference.

By the end of the 2025 season, Purdue had won 644 games, lost 618, and tied 48 times. This places them among the teams with many victories in college football. The team has had 64 winning seasons in its history. In 19 of those seasons, they won eight or more games. They even had five seasons where they didn't lose any games at all! These perfect seasons were in 1891, 1892, 1929, 1932, and 1943. The Boilermakers have won 12 conference championships, including eight Big Ten Conference titles. They also won four Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles and one Big Ten West Division title.

Team History

The Early Years (1887–1955)

The Purdue football team started on October 29, 1887. Their first game was against Butler College, which they lost 48–6. Students at Purdue University formed this first team. Albert Berg was the first coach. He was known as the only person in the area who understood the game.

In 1890, Clinton L. Hare became the third coach. He led the team to a 3–3 record. They had big wins at home, beating Wabash 54–0 and Illinois 62–0. In 1891, Knowlton Ames coached Purdue to an amazing 12–0 record over two years.

Later, D. M. Balliet coached the team to successful seasons in 1893 and 1894. His 1894 team beat Amos Alonzo Stagg's Chicago Maroons. On October 31, 1903, a sad event occurred when a train carrying 14 members of the 1903 team was involved in an accident in Indianapolis, Indiana. This event is remembered as the Purdue Wreck.

Purdue had many coaches until 1921. Some notable coaches from this time, like Andy Smith and William Henry Dietz, later joined the College Football Hall of Fame.

In 1922, James Phelan became coach. He led the 1929 Boilermakers to a perfect 8–0 record, winning their only outright Big Ten Title. Elmer Burnham coached the 1943 team to a 9–0 record. They shared the Big Ten Conference title with Michigan. This team was the only undefeated major college team that year.

Stu Holcomb coached from 1946 to 1955. His 1952 team shared the Big Ten Conference championship. Holcomb's teams were famous for ending Notre Dame's 39-game winning streak in 1950. He also helped develop great quarterbacks like Bob DeMoss, Dale Samuels, and Len Dawson. Holcomb also helped integrate Purdue's sports teams in 1947. This meant black athletes could join the teams. Herman Murray and Lamar Lundy were early black athletes who became pioneers. Lundy was a star in both basketball and football. He later played for the Los Angeles Rams.

The Jack Mollenkopf Era (1956–1969)

Jack Mollenkopf coached Purdue from 1956 to 1969. On January 2, 1967, he led Purdue to its first Rose Bowl appearance, winning 14–13 against USC. Mollenkopf's teams often beat rivals Indiana and Notre Dame.

From 1966 to 1969, Purdue had players finish in the top three for the Heisman Trophy. These players included quarterback Bob Griese, halfback Leroy Keyes, and quarterback Mike Phipps. Mollenkopf holds the record for most Big Ten Conference wins for a Purdue coach. His 84 wins made him the winningest coach until Joe Tiller passed him in 2008.

Coaching Changes (1970–1996)

Bob DeMoss, a former Purdue player, became head coach in 1970. His teams had strong running backs but struggled with quarterbacks. He resigned after the 1972 season. Alex Agase coached from 1973 to 1976, but his teams did not have winning records.

In 1977, Jim Young took over. He started freshman quarterback Mark Herrmann, who broke NCAA passing records. Young led Purdue to a 9–2–1 record in 1978 and a win in the 1978 Peach Bowl. He was named the Big Ten's Coach of the Year. Young resigned in 1981.

Leon Burtnett became head coach in 1982. His best season was 1984, when Purdue beat No. 2 Ohio State. He also won the Big Ten's Coach of the Year award that year. Burtnett resigned after the 1986 season.

Fred Akers coached from 1987 to 1990, but the team struggled. Jim Colletto took over in 1991. He aimed to recruit players from Chicago and continue Purdue's quarterback tradition. His teams improved, and running back Mike Alstott became Purdue's all-time leading rusher. Colletto resigned in 1996.

The Joe Tiller Era (1997–2008)

Joe Tiller became head coach in 1997. He quickly turned the program around. In his first season, Purdue upset Notre Dame. Tiller led the Boilermakers to ten bowl games in 12 years, including the famous 2001 Rose Bowl. Before Tiller, Purdue had only played in five bowl games.

On September 20, 2008, Tiller won his 85th game, becoming the winningest coach in school history. Tiller's "basketball on grass" offense was known for its high scoring. This was especially true when Drew Brees was quarterback from 1997 to 2000.

The Danny Hope Era (2009–2012)

Danny Hope became head coach in 2009. He had been the offensive line coach for Tiller. Hope's first game was a 52–31 win over Toledo. Later that season, Purdue upset No. 7 Ohio State and won at Michigan for the first time since 1966.

In 2011, Hope led the team to a 6–6 record and a win in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. This was his first winning season at Purdue. However, after a disappointing 2012 season, Hope was fired.

The Darrell Hazell Era (2013–2016)

Darrell Hazell became head coach in 2012. His first win at Purdue was 20–14 against Indiana State. The 2013 season was tough, with the team finishing 1–11. Hazell was fired on October 16, 2016, after a 9–33 record.

The Jeff Brohm Era (2017–2022)

Jeff Brohm was hired in 2016. He brought immediate success to Purdue. In his first season, Purdue finished 6–6 and won the Foster Farms Bowl. This was their first bowl game since 2012.

In 2018, Purdue had even more success, beating three ranked teams. These included No. 2 Ohio State with a score of 49–20. Brohm's fifth season in 2021 ended with an 8–4 record and a win in the Music City Bowl. His sixth season led to the team's first Big Ten West Championship. However, they lost to No. 2 Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game. Brohm left Purdue to coach at his old school, Louisville.

The Ryan Walters Era (2023–2024)

In December 2022, Purdue hired Ryan Walters as head coach. This was Walters' first head coaching job. In his first season, 2023, the Boilermakers finished with a 4–8 record. The 2024 season was very difficult, ending with a 1–11 record. Walters and most of his coaching staff were fired on December 1, 2024.

The Barry Odom Era (2025–Present)

Purdue hired Barry Odom as its new head coach on December 8, 2024. Odom started the 2025 season with two wins, becoming the first Purdue coach since 1916 to begin 2–0. However, the team then lost every following game, finishing the 2025 season with a 2–10 record. After the 2025 season, there were many changes to the coaching staff.

Conference Affiliations

Purdue has been part of different conferences throughout its history:

• Independent (1887–1890)
• Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1891–1894)
• Independent (1895)
• Big Ten Conference (1896–present)

Championships

National Championships

Purdue's 1931 team was chosen as a national champion by one group, Parke Davis. However, the NCAA does not officially list Purdue with any national football championships for that year.

Year	Coach	Selector	Overall Record	Conference Record
1931	Noble Kizer	Parke H. Davis	9–1	5–1

Conference Championships

Purdue has won 12 conference championships. Four were from the Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association and eight from the Big Ten Conference.

Season	Coach	Conference	Record	Conference Record
1891	Knowlton Ames	IIAA	4–0	4–0
1892	Knowlton Ames	IIAA	8–0	4–0
1893	D.M. Balliet	IIAA	5–2–1	4–0
1894	D.M. Balliet	IIAA	9–1	4–0
1918†	A. G. Scanlon	Big Ten Conference	3–3	1–0
1929	James Phelan	Big Ten Conference	8–0	5–0
1931†	Noble Kizer	Big Ten Conference	9–1	5–1
1932†	Noble Kizer	Big Ten Conference	7–0–1	5–0–1
1943†	Elmer Burnham	Big Ten Conference	9–0	6–0
1952†	Stu Holcomb	Big Ten Conference	4–3–1	4–1–1
1967†	Jack Mollenkopf	Big Ten Conference	8–2	6–1
2000†	Joe Tiller	Big Ten Conference	8–4	6–2

† Co-champions

Division Championships

Purdue has won one division title.

Year	Division	Coach	Opponent	CG Result
2022	Big Ten West	Jeff Brohm	Michigan	L 22–43

Bowl Games

Purdue has played in 21 bowl games, winning 11 and losing 10. From 1967 to 1984, they won four out of five bowl games. Under coach Joe Tiller, Purdue went to eight straight bowl games, winning three of them. Overall, Tiller led the team to 10 bowl games.

Season	Coach	Bowl	Opponent	Result
1966	Jack Mollenkopf	Rose Bowl	USC	W 14–13
1978	Jim Young	Peach Bowl	Georgia Tech	W 41–21
1979	Jim Young	Bluebonnet Bowl	Tennessee	W 27–22
1980	Jim Young	Liberty Bowl	Missouri	W 28–25
1984	Leon Burtnett	Peach Bowl	Virginia	L 24–27
1997	Joe Tiller	Alamo Bowl	Oklahoma State	W 33–20
1998	Joe Tiller	Alamo Bowl	Kansas State	W 37–34
1999	Joe Tiller	Outback Bowl	Georgia	L 25–28
2000	Joe Tiller	Rose Bowl	Washington	L 24–34
2001	Joe Tiller	Sun Bowl	Washington State	L 27–33
2002	Joe Tiller	Sun Bowl	Washington	W 34–24
2003	Joe Tiller	Capital One Bowl	Georgia	L 27–34
2004	Joe Tiller	Sun Bowl	Arizona State	L 23–27
2006	Joe Tiller	Champs Sports Bowl	Maryland	L 7–24
2007	Joe Tiller	Motor City Bowl	Central Michigan	W 51–48
2011	Danny Hope	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl	Western Michigan	W 37–32
2012	Patrick Higgins (interim)	Heart of Dallas Bowl	Oklahoma State	L 14–58
2017	Jeff Brohm	Foster Farms Bowl	Arizona	W 38–35
2018	Jeff Brohm	Music City Bowl	Auburn	L 14–63
2021	Jeff Brohm	Music City Bowl	Tennessee	W 48–45
2022	Brian Brohm (interim)	Citrus Bowl	LSU	L 7–63

Head Coaches

Purdue has had 42 head coaches since the team started in 1887. Barry Odom is the current head coach.

No.	Coach	Years	Record	Pct.
1	Albert Berg	1887	0–1	.000
2	George Andrew Reisner	1889	2–1	.667
3	Clinton L. Hare	1890	3–3	.500
4	Knowlton Ames	1891–1892	12–0	1.000
5, 9	D.M. Balliet	1893–1895, 1901	22–10–2	.676
6	S. M. Hammond	1896	4–2–1	.643
7	William W. Church	1897	5–3–1	.611
8	Alpha Jamison	1898–1900	11–11–1	.500
10	Charles Best	1902	7–2–1	.750
11	Oliver Cutts	1903–1904	13–5	.722
12	Albert E. Herrnstein	1905	6–1–1	.813
13	Myron E. Witham	1906	0–5	.000
14	Leigh C. Turner	1907	0–5	.000
15	Frederick A. Speik	1908–1909	6–8	.429
16	Bill Horr	1910–1912	8–11–3	.432
17	Andy Smith	1913–1915	12–6–3	.643
18	Cleo A. O'Donnell	1916–1917	5–8–1	.393
19	A. G. Scanlon	1918–1920	7–12–1	.375
20	William Henry Dietz	1921	1–6	.143
21	James Phelan	1922–1929	35–22–5	.605
22	Noble Kizer	1930–1936	42–13–3	.750
23	Mal Elward	1937–1941	16–18–6	.475
24	Elmer Burnham	1942–1943	10–8	.556
25	Cecil Isbell	1944–1945	14–14–1	.500
26	Stu Holcomb	1946–1955	35–42–4	.457
27	Jack Mollenkopf	1956–1969	84–39–9	.670
28	Bob DeMoss	1970–1972	13–18	.419
29	Alex Agase	1973–1976	18–25–1	.420
30	Jim Young	1977–1981	38–19–1	.664
31	Leon Burtnett	1982–1986	21–34–1	.384
32	Fred Akers	1987–1990	12–31–1	.284
33	Jim Colletto	1991–1996	21–42–3	.341
34	Joe Tiller	1997–2008	87–62	.584
35	Danny Hope	2009–2012	22–27	.449
36	Patrick Higgins	2012	0–1	.000
37	Darrell Hazell	2013–2016	9–33	.214
38	Gerad Parker	2016	0–6	.000
39	Jeff Brohm	2017–2022	36–34	.514
40	Brian Brohm	2023	0–1	.000
41	Ryan Walters	2023–2024	5–19	.208
42	Barry Odom	2025–	2–9	.182

Facilities

Stuart Field (1892–1924)

Stuart Field was the team's home from 1892 to 1924. It was named after Charles B. and William V. Stuart. The field started with 800 seats and grew to hold five thousand people.

Ross–Ade Stadium (1924–Present)

The Boilermakers have played at Ross–Ade Stadium since 1924. It is named after David E. Ross and George Ade, who helped fund it. The stadium opened with 13,500 seats. After many updates, it now holds 61,441 fans.

Mollenkopf Athletic Center

This is an indoor training center mainly for the football team. It has a full practice field, a large weight room, and team offices. The Purdue Football Hall of Glory is also located here.

Rivalries

Purdue has several important rivalries. Their biggest rival is Indiana University, where they play for the Old Oaken Bucket. The rivalry with Notre Dame has also been very competitive. Purdue also has a long-standing rivalry with Illinois, playing for the Purdue Cannon trophy.

For a while, Purdue's official rivals in the Big Ten were Indiana and Northwestern. However, after the Big Ten expanded, Purdue and Northwestern were placed in different divisions and no longer played every year. From 2011 to 2013, Purdue's cross-division rival was Iowa. Fans of both teams jokingly called each other "Our Most Hated Rivals."

Chicago

The series with Chicago has not been played since 1936. Chicago leads the series 27–14–1.

Illinois

Purdue leads the series against Illinois 48–46–6 through the 2024 season.

Indiana

Purdue leads the series against Indiana Hoosiers 77–43–6 through the 2024 season.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame leads the series against Purdue 61–26–2 through the 2025 season.

Cradle of Quarterbacks

Purdue's football program is famous for its many talented quarterbacks. These players have set records, won awards, and been inducted into Hall of Fames. This tradition has earned the school the nickname "Cradle of Quarterbacks." When Drew Brees won Super Bowl XLIV, Purdue became one of only two colleges to have three different Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks.

Name	Years as starter	NFL draft
Aidan O'Connell	2019-22	135th pick by the Las Vegas Raiders
David Blough	2015-18	Went Undrafted
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	1945–48	13th pick by the New York Bulldogs
Cecil Isbell	1938–1942	7th pick by the Green Bay Packers

† Quarterbacks to start and win a Super Bowl

Team Culture

Marching Band

The Purdue All-American Marching Band (AAMB) provides entertainment at Purdue football games. It also performs for schools and has been the host band for the Indianapolis 500 race since 1927. The band has grown from 5 members to 373, making it one of the largest in the world.

The AAMB is known for two special things: the World's Largest Drum and the solo baton twirler, the Purdue Golden Girl. In 1904, Paul Spotts Emrick joined the band. He led the band to be the first to form a letter on the field, the famous Block "P." In 1935, a radio announcer called them a "truly All-American marching band" because they wore lights on their uniforms during a halftime show.

Mascots

Boilermaker Special

The Boilermaker Special is Purdue University's official mascot. It looks like an old-fashioned train engine built on a truck. Students from the Purdue Reamer Club operate and maintain it.

Purdue University has a strong history in railway technology. In the 1890s, Purdue was a leader in this field. The "Boilermaker" nickname for the school came from rumors that the university enrolled strong workers from local railroad shops to play football. Trains that carried Purdue teams and fans were called "Boilermaker Specials." This name was a perfect fit for the new train mascot.

Purdue Pete

Purdue Pete was first created as a logo by the University Bookstore in 1940. He was given a physical identity in 1956 when he appeared at a pep rally. Over the years, Purdue Pete's look has changed many times. His original head was made of paper-mâché. Today, he has the appearance that most people recognize.

Den of Defensive Ends

Purdue has also become known for sending many defensive ends to the NFL. Since 1999, ten defensive ends from Purdue have been chosen in the NFL draft. Because of their success, Purdue has earned the nickname "Den of Defensive Ends."

Name	Years as Starter	NFL draft
George Karlaftis†	2019–21	30th Pick by the Kansas City Chiefs
Ryan Kerrigan	2007–10	16th Pick by the Washington Redskins
Cliff Avril †	2004–07	92nd Pick by the Detroit Lions
Anthony Spencer	2003–06	26th Pick by the Dallas Cowboys
Rob Ninkovich †	2004–05	135th Pick by the New Orleans Saints
Ray Edwards	2003–05	127th Pick by the Minnesota Vikings
Shaun Phillips	2000–03	98th Pick by the San Diego Chargers
Akin Ayodele	1999–2001	89th Pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Chike Okeafor	1994–96, 1998	89th Pick by the San Francisco 49ers
Rosevelt Colvin †	1995–98	111th Pick by the Chicago Bears
Keena Turner †	1976–79	39th Pick by the San Francisco 49ers
Steve Baumgartner	1971-72	51st Pick by the New Orleans Saints
Nick Mumley	1956	51st Pick by the Philadelphia Eagles
Lamar Lundy	1954–56	47th Pick by the Los Angeles Rams
Leo Sugar	1949–51	123rd Pick by the Chicago Cardinals

† Defensive ends to start and win a Super Bowl.

Logos and Uniforms

Purdue's team colors are Old Gold and Black, which are also their uniform colors. Home uniforms are black with old gold numbers. Away uniforms are white with black numbers.

Purdue's "Pride sticker" for good performance used to be the Purdue locomotive logo. In 2006, it changed to a sledgehammer with a "P" in the head, like the one carried by mascot Purdue Pete. In 2006, Purdue wore throwback uniforms from 1966 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their first Rose Bowl team.

In 2002, Purdue changed its home jersey to old gold. However, some people found the numbers hard to see. So, in 2003, they changed the design again. After losing their first home game that year, the team decided to go back to black uniforms. Since then, Purdue has mostly stuck with black uniforms for home games. In 2013, Purdue introduced a new black helmet with train tracks down the middle and the motto "One Brick Higher." In 2015, they added a white helmet and an anthracite gray uniform. In 2016, Purdue completely redesigned their uniforms with three different looks.

Final Rankings

Purdue has finished a season ranked in the Associated Press (AP) poll 17 times. They have finished in the top 10 five times. Purdue's highest ranking was No. 1 in the AP Poll for six weeks in 1968.

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
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

"Spoilermakers"

Purdue has a special nickname, "Spoilermakers," because they have beaten the No. 1 ranked college football team seven times. This is the third most of any Division I team. Only Notre Dame and Oklahoma have done it more often. Purdue also has nine wins against teams ranked No. 1 or No. 2 when Purdue itself was unranked.

Date	Opponent	Location	Score
October 7, 1950	No. 1 Notre Dame	South Bend, Indiana	28–14
October 2, 1954	No. 1 Notre Dame	South Bend, Indiana	27–14
October 19, 1957	No. 1 Michigan St	East Lansing, Michigan	20–13
November 12, 1960	No. 1 Minnesota	Minneapolis, Minnesota	23–14
September 25, 1965	No. 1 Notre Dame	West Lafayette, Indiana	25–21
September 30, 1967	No. 1 Notre Dame	West Lafayette, Indiana	28–21
November 6, 1976	No. 1 Michigan	West Lafayette, Indiana	16–14
October 20, 2018	No. 2 Ohio State	West Lafayette, Indiana	49–20
October 16, 2021	No. 2 Iowa	Iowa City, Iowa	24–7

Individual Player Awards

Heisman Trophy Candidates

Eight Purdue players have been candidates for the Heisman Trophy, one of college football's highest awards. Four players, Bob Griese, Leroy Keyes, Mark Herrmann, and Drew Brees, were finalists in two different seasons.

Season	Player	Finish	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

Major Award Winners

Seven Boilermaker players and coaches have won major college football awards.

Season	Player	Position	Award
1966	Bob Griese	QB	Sammy Baugh Trophy
1969	Mike Phipps	QB	Sammy Baugh Trophy
1980	Mark Herrmann	QB	Sammy Baugh Trophy
2000	Drew Brees	QB	Maxwell Award
	Tim Stratton	TE	John Mackey Award
2001	Travis Dorsch	P	Ray Guy Award
2018	Rondale Moore	WR	Paul Hornung Award

All-Americans

55 Boilermakers have been named All-Americans by various groups. 22 of these players achieved Consensus All-American status, meaning most selectors agreed they were among the best. Seven were even unanimous selections.

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 1952 Bernie Flowers* End	Season Name Pos. 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 1968 Chuck Kyle* G 1969 Tim Foley DB	Season Name Pos. 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 1989 Shawn McCarthy P 1990 Steve Jackson DB	Season Name Pos. 1995 Mike Alstott RB 1997 Brian Alford WR 1999 Drew Brees QB 2000 Drew Brees QB 2000 Matt Light OT 2001 Travis Dorsch* P/K 2003 Stuart Schweigert S 2004 Taylor Stubblefield# WR 2006 Anthony Spencer DE 2010 Ryan Kerrigan# DE 2018 Rondale Moore* WR/KR/PR 2021 David Bell* WR 2021 George Karlaftis DE 2022 Charlie Jones WR 2023 Dillon Thieneman S
* – denotes Consensus All-Americans
# – denotes Unanimous All-Americans

Conference Award Winners

Many Boilermakers have won individual awards in the Big Ten Conference.

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
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
2018	Rondale Moore	WR/KR/PR	Freshman of the Year
2018	Rondale Moore	WR	Receiver of the Year
2019	David Bell	WR	Freshman of the Year
2021	David Bell	WR	Receiver of the Year
2023	Dillon Thieneman	DB	Freshman of the Year

Hall of Fame Inductees

College Football Hall of Fame

18 Boilermakers have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Five Boilermakers have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• Len Dawson – QB (1957–1975); HoF Class of 1987
• Bob Griese – QB (1967–1980); HoF Class of 1990
• Hank Stram – Player and assistant coach at Purdue, inducted as a Coach (1960–1974; 1976–1977); HoF Class of 2003
• Rod Woodson – CB / S (1987–2003); HoF Class of 2009
• Drew Brees - QB (2001–2020); HoF Class of 2026

Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame

The Purdue University Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame honors athletes, coaches, and administrators who have helped Purdue sports. Many individuals have been inducted for their contributions to the football program.

Boilermakers in Professional Football

Purdue has had 314 players chosen in the NFL draft. Many former Purdue football players have played in the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, and the Arena Football League.

Active Players

As of September 2025, 15 Boilermakers are on team rosters in the NFL.

All-Stars

44 Boilermakers have been recognized as all-stars in their professional leagues.

NFL Top 50 Draft Selections

Out of 286 Purdue players chosen in the NFL Draft, 58 Boilermakers were among the top 50 picks.

Records

Future Conference Opponents

Here are Purdue's announced conference opponents for upcoming seasons:

2026	2027	2028
at Illinois*	at Maryland	at Illinois*
at Indiana*	at Nebraska	at Indiana*
at Iowa	at Ohio State	at Michigan State
at Penn State	at Oregon	at Rutgers
at UCLA	Illinois*	at USC
Maryland	Indiana*	Iowa
Minnesota	Michigan State	Michigan
Washington	Penn State	Nebraska
Wisconsin	UCLA	Northwestern

(*) denotes protected matchup

Future Non-Conference Opponents

Here are Purdue's announced non-conference opponents for upcoming seasons:

There are no games scheduled for the 2032 season.

2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2033	2034
Indiana State	at Notre Dame	Western Illinois	UConn	at TCU	at North Carolina	at Ole Miss	Ole Miss
Wake Forest	North Carolina	at Wake Forest	at Vanderbilt
Notre Dame	Miami (OH)	Notre Dame	Indiana State

See Also

• American football in the United States
• College football