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From Boonville to Purdue: Devin Mockobee set to give back to his roots

On3 imageby:Tom Dienhart•05/12/25•

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(Krockover Photography)

Selfless. Humble. Ego-free. Loyal. Purdue RB Devin Mockobee is the embodiment of a team player. And he is amplifying that attitude off the field with plans to make a sizable donation to the Boonville (Ind.) Youth Football League.

The southern Indiana town is where the star Boilermaker took his first steps on the way to an iconic career at Boonville High. And he is now poised to leave Purdue as an all-time great after arriving in West Lafayette as a walk-on in 2021 under Jeff Brohm.

This Friday, Mockobee will conduct a meet-and-greet at the Boonville High School Football Field from 6-7:30 p.m. CT. At that time, details of what is thought to be a sizable donation will be made.

Mockobee is the face of the 2025 Purdue team and its lone unabashed star who became a beloved figure in the offseason when he opted to stay in West Lafayette when all of his other high-profile teammates transferred following the tumult of a 1-11 season and coaching change.

Why did Mockobee opt to stay tethered to Purdue, where he’s playing for his third head coach after Barry Odom took over for Ryan Walters?

“My engineering degree is something that I hold very close to me because I put so many years of work into it,” said Mockobee earlier this spring. “A Purdue mechanical engineering degree is a very prestigious degree that I preferred to have. So, that was like 95% of my choice. And then the last 5% is just that I love being here. That’s all I want to do, because I just love Purdue.”

Mockobee enters his final season in West Lafayette No. 9 on Purdue’s all-time rushing list with 2,466 yards. With a strong 2025, Mockobee could finish as high as No. 2 on the chart with an outside shot to pass the No. 1 rusher: Mike Alstott, who has 3,635 yards.

MORE: Devin Mockobee’s running start 

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