All eyes on RB Tyrone Tracy at Purdue Pro Day
Tyrone Tracy can exhale. The NFL scouts have put away their stopwatches and notebooks. By all accounts, the Purdue running back has aced his auditions.
“I had a good Combine, a good pro day,” he said. “I’m gonna relax for a little bit. I’m on a diet right now. So, I might go get me a little ice cream or something, just to celebrate.”
He’s earned it.
The buzz around Tracy began to build when he ran a sub-4.5 40-yard dash at the Combine last week, after initially opening some eyes while playing in the Hula and East-West Shrine games.
“They thought I was gonna run like a 4.55, or something like that,” said Tracy, who has been training at X3 Performance and Physical Therapy in Fort Myers, Fla., since December 28. “I was running a 4.42 during training. I ended up running a 4.49, which I’m good. Anything below 4.5 I was happy with.”
Tracy took another step in the evaluation process today by taking part in Purdue’s Pro Day inside Mollenkopf Athletic Center. In all, 10 Boilermakers worked out in front of 38 scouts from 31 of 32 NFL teams and two CFL franchises. And all eyes were on Tracy.
What grade would Tracy give himself for his post-college work?
“I’ll say an A,” he said. “Sometimes, I’ve tried to be hard on myself, but I’ve been through a lot. And this is one of the moments where I want to sit back and just witness what God has done.”
The performances have many NFL watchers thinking Tracy is now a draftable player, likely anywhere from the fifth-round or later when 2024 NFL draft takes place April 25-27 in Detroit.
In fact, Tracy likely will be the lone Purdue selected this season, a year after five Boilermakers–WR Charlie Jones(Bengals), QB Aidan O’Connell (Raiders), TE Payne Durham (Buccaneers), CB Cory Trice(Steelers) and LB Jalen Graham (49ers)–were picked, the most in a single draft since Purdue had nine players chosen in 2004.
On this day, Tracy just did drill work in addition to the bench-press, cranking out 20 reps at 225 pounds.
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It has been a long road for Tracy, a 2018 graduate of Decatur Central High in Indianapolis who signed with Iowa, where he spent four seasons as a wideout. He transferred to Purdue prior to the 2022 season and had mixed results. But a coaching change–and position change to running back–proved to be a god-send.
“It was a huge benefit coming here,” said Tracy, who points to Ryan Walters as the one who pushed for the switch from wideout to running back. Running backs coach Lamar Conard also had a big influence on Tracy.
“They honestly were the main two guys that helped me be where I am today just because of the fact that they allowed me opportunities on the football field. And they also gave me confidence in myself and trust that I can actually be a high-caliber running back.”
It all came together for the 6-1, 210-pound Tracy in his final season in West Lafayette in 2023, finishing finished on the team with 716 yards rushing with a team-high eight rushing TDs. Tracy also made 19 receptions and ranked second in the Big Ten in kickoff returns (25.5 ypr), running one back 98 yards for a TD vs. Fresno State
Now, Tracy waits. He’ll stay in game shape in the build-up to the draft, which he plans to watch from his home in Indianapolis. What would it be like to get picked by the Colts?
“It would be amazing,” he said. “I played (in Lucas Oil Stadium) in high school and twice in college. To be drafted by them would be a crazy, full-circle moment for me and my family. Just putting on a helmet, putting on the shoulder pads and actually going out there, running out of the tunnel, would be fulfilling.”
Purdue Pro Day results
