Awards galore for Purdue S Dillon Thieneman
The honors rolled in for Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman. Big Ten Freshman of the Year, AP third-team All-American, second-team All-Big Ten. On and on it went.
The cherry on top came earlier this week, when Thieneman was named FWAA Defensive Freshman Player of the Year.
“I kinda knew from the spring what he was,” said Purdue safety Sanoussi Kane earlier this season. “It’s awesome to see all this hard work pay off. He’s one of the hardest workers on the team, if not the hardest worker on the team.
“It’s just been great to have him back there in the secondary.”
Thieneman ended his 2023 campaign ranked third nationally in interceptions (6) and solo tackles (74), leading all freshmen and setting new Purdue freshman records.
“He’s always in (safeties coach Grant) O’Brien‘s office watching quarterback operation time, seeing who the deep threats are, getting formation tendencies,” said Purdue coach Ryan Walters, who does not permit true freshmen to speak to the media.
“At practices, he’s calling it out. He’s practicing full speed. You go in the weight room and like Dillon could be in there by himself with a workout plan and you know he’s going to attack every rep with everything he’s got with no supervision because that’s who he is, the way he lives his life.”
Thieneman’s six interceptions were double the nearest freshmen in the nation, as four recorded three apiece throughout the 2023 season, while his 74 solo tackles ranked first amongst all Big Ten defenders.
“It’s like he was created in a lab somewhere,” said Walters. “You try to find things in his game, things in his personality, things in his life where you’re like, oh, he needs to pick it up in this area.”
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Thieneman was preceded at Purdue by two brothers who also played safety: Jake (2015-18) and Brennan (2016-20). But Dillon–a product of Westfield (Ind.) High–is setting his own pace and path.
“I would say just the level of his preparation,” said defensive lineman Isaiah Nichols when asked last fall what makes the precocious Thieneman special.
“He’s a lot more mature than his age and his experience. We’re in the hotel and I come down off the elevator before the game and I see him going over his tip sheets and everything.”
That’s what sets the 6-0, 205-pound Thieneman apart from teammates.
“Just the way he works out and the way he’s been since he’s been here,” said Nichols. “He’s a guy that puts his head down, he goes to work. He doesn’t say too much to everybody.
“But I think he sets an example, he sets the standard for how your are supposed to work and what it means to be a Boilermaker.”
