The Boilermaker facts for kids
| Coordinates | 40°26′04″N 86°55′01″W / 40.43444°N 86.91694°W |
|---|---|
| Location | Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S. |
| Designer | Jon Hair |
| Type | Statue |
| Material | Bronze (5,400 lbs) |
| Height | 18' (not including the base) |
| Beginning date | 2003 |
| Completion date | September 26, 2005 (erected) |
| Opening date | November 4, 2005 |
| Dedicated to | Carl Christian Grotnes |
The Boilermaker is a large statue. It was officially shown to the public on November 4, 2005. This statue celebrates the strong spirit of the Purdue Boilermaker. You can find it near Ross Ade Stadium at Purdue University. This university is in West Lafayette, Indiana. The statue is part of the school's sports area.
Someone who wished to remain a secret paid for the statue. It cost about $500,000 to create.
Game Day Fun
During the 2008 football season, a special tradition began. The statue started wearing a football jersey (a sports shirt). This jersey had the number 90 on it. This was the number of the team's co-captain, Ryan Baker. The statue wore this jersey for every home game.
A student named Tommy Woroszylo started this fun tradition. He was part of the Purdue Army ROTC program. ROTC is where college students train to become officers in the U.S. Army. Tommy passed the tradition to other students in the ROTC program. These students had the honor of putting the jersey on the statue:
- 2013: Dan Heath
- 2012: Dan Rosenbalm
- 2010-11: Keegan Wisehart
- 2008-09: Tommy Woroszylo
This jersey tradition became famous across the country. It was even shown live on ESPN. The local newspaper, the Lafayette Journal & Courier, wrote about it. It also appeared on the TV show NBC's Parks and Recreation in 2010.
Sadly, the tradition ended after the 2014 football season. The jersey was stolen two times during the 2013 season. Because of this, they stopped the tradition to prevent more thefts.
