Purdue's Iconic 23s
One of the most famous jersey numbers in sports (think Michael Jordan), Purdue has had arguably its best football player wear No. 23. In basketball, two of its top 20 players ever wore the two and the three across their chest. It is a number of distinction in Boilermaker annals.
In the coming weeks for some (hopefully) good off-season content, we will look at the most iconic jersey numbers shared by Purdue’s basketball and football teams. I understand it will limit us to numbers 1 to 55 (the highest number one can have in hoops). And, of course, because everybody does, we will rank the top performers for each number. Let the arguments begin and here goes:
1. Leroy Keyes, 1966-68
Voted the top player of the first century of Purdue football, Leroy Keyes is at the top of the list because there was nothing he couldn’t do on the football field. An All-American caliber defensive back as a sophomore, Keyes didn’t direct most of his attention to offense until his junior year in 1967. He could kick and pass, too, and wasn’t a bad basketball player either, claiming until his dying day in 2021 that he could have played with the likes of Rick Mount, Billy Keller, and Herman Gilliam.
He came to work in the athletic department, first as a running backs coach for Jim Colletto, in 1995. He spent the last 26 years of his life as being one of the most popular figures in Purdue sports history.
2. Jaden Ivey, 2021-22
As electrifying as Keyes was on the football field, Ivey had some the same impact on the basketball court. Ivey was one of the main reasons Purdue achieved its first No. 1 ranking in its history in Dec. 2021 and he was later named All-American (second team primarily) when the ’22 campaign closed. Purdue has never had a more explosive player to the rim from the backcourt.
3. Troy Lewis, 1985-88
Lewis finished just below Ivey on our list, due in part to Ivey being named All-American and Ivey’s ultimate NBA status. But Lewis was not only one of the most popular players in Purdue history, he was one of the most signficant. He is on the short list of Purdue’s all-time prolific scorers and ranking sixth on the Purdue list with 2,038 points. The former Indiana Mr. Basketball, along with classmates Everette Stephens and Todd Mitchell, were know as the Three Amigos of Purdue basketball and led the Boilermakers to their first back-to-back Big Ten titles in four decades in 1987 and ’88.
4. Tiffany Young, 1997-1999
Young was a role player during her Boilermaker career, but her tragic death in an auto accident after Purdue won the 1999 national title left an indelible mark on the Boilermakers’ athletic program. Young was known for her vibrant personality and her jump shot, and she had her share of important moments during the Boilermakers 34-1 season under coach Carolyn Peck.
5. Lewis Jackson, 2009-12
One of the most popular players of the Matt Painter Era, Jackson was a key cog in the Boilermakers’ success during his tenure. He started 104 of 121 games, and despite an injury in his sophomore season that limited him to just 16 games, he left Purdue with 456 career assists, ranking in the top seven all-time in school annals (prior to the 2023-34 season). His assist/turnover ratio was even better ranking him fifth all-time.
Honorable Mention
The five-slot was hard to pick and certainly subject to debate. Men’s Basketball’s Mike Robinson (1997-2000), Porter Roberts (1993-96), William Franklin (1969-72), and Mike “Scooby Doo” Scearce all were top performers as was the Boilermakers’ first 1,000-point scorer, and local product, Denny Blind. Camden Heide will have every opportunity to climb the list, and his dunk in the national title game will never be forgotten.
In fact, here it is now:
On the football side, there wasn’t as much competition in the Iconic category. Certainly, fullback Mike Augustyniak (1977-79) was one of a few Boilermakers in history to go from walk-on status to the NFL and Ralph Bolden saw a promising career be slowed by injury. His 234-yard rushing performance against Toledo in his sophomore campaign still is the third-best single-game effort in school annals. Chris Clopton was a fan favorite who wore jersey No. 23 in his junior and senior years and was a starting cornerback on the Boilermakers’ 2001 Rose Bowl team. Fellow DBs Cory Trice (2019-22) and junior college transfer Justin Scott (2006-07) had their moments as Boilermakers though injuries also slowed Trice in West Lafayette.
In women’s basketball, Rossville, Indiana native Jennifer Jacoby, who also overcame injuries, was a standout player for Lin Dunn and was a point guard on the Boilermakers first Final Four team in 1999.
