Purdue's Iconic 13s

Purdue isn’t any different than most, as few players wanted to wear jersey No. 13 because they perceived it as unlikely. Ironically, two of its greatest basketball players of all time wore it on the road to greatness.

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:

1a. Glenn Robinson

One would be hard pressed to find a better player in college basketball in the last 40 years, maybe with the exception of Purdue’s Zach Edey, but Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson made the most of his two years of eligibility in West Lafayette in 1993 and ’94. The most heralded recruit of the Gene Keady Era (and maybe ever) Robinson lived up to his billing and joined Joe Barry Carroll as the school’s two overall No. 1 picks of the NBA Draft (Joe Barry Carroll, 1980).

Robinson still captures the imagination of Purdue fans to this day, and his 30-point, 20-rebound average in the 1993-94 season may not be duplicated by any Boilermaker soon. Glenn’s son Gelen Robinson wore the number with pride during his Boilermaker career and was a starting defensive lineman his junior and senior years.

1b. John Wooden, 1930-32

Ok, I know it is ludicrous to have John Wooden anything but 1A on any list. Still, my rationale is that few people knew Wooden wore No. 13 (they only had numbers on the back of jerseys in Wooden’s playing days in West Lafayette (1930-32), so it wasn’t a famous association with one of the greatest players of the first half-century of basketball.

Wooden led Purdue to a mythical national title in 1932, was recognized as the top player in the nation (like Robinson) and went on to win 10 national titles in 12 years as the head coach at UCLA. But those who saw him play, and not many are still alive that did, say Wooden was as great a player with ball skills like no other and a tenacity unmatched as well.

3. Akin Ayodele (1999-2001)

Ayodele, a charter member of Purdue’s Den of Defensive Ends, was a warrior on the field and a leader off of it. Part of coach Joe Tiller’s first recruiting class in 1997, Ayodele made the most of his one year in junior college before helping coordinator Brock Spack cultivate a freshman-laded defensive unit in the 2000 run to the Rose Bowl.

Ayodele, who ranks fourth all-time at Purdue in sacks and left school in the same position in tackles for loss, despite playing just three seasons in West Lafayette, enjoyed a successful nine-year NFL career. He is doing important work in his home state of Texas.

4. Ben McCall, 1977-80

McCall bided his time as a running back, waiting for his opportunity to shine. He gained nearly 1000 yards in his career and had his best games in his junior year in big wins over to-10 ranked Michigan and a Bluebonnet Bowl win over Tennessee. He was a key part of teams that did two things that haven’t been done since: Win three straight bowl games (1978-80) and win 10 games in a season (1979).

Like Ayodele, McCall spent a career as a community person in the Chicagoland area. For more on McCall, check out the recent interview below.

5. Tyrone Bedford, 1967-69

Much like McCall, Bedford was a key role player for Purdue’s first Final Four team in 1969. A part-time starter, Bedford was usually called up to bring energy off the bench and was a skilled rebounder for the Boilermakers despite his relatively small 6-foot-5-inch frame.

A Louisville, Kentucky native, the left-handed Bedford could also run the floor with the best of them, helping the Boilermakers vaunted fast break, which led the nation in scoring under coach George King in 1968-69. Bedford was the first prominent Boilermaker athlete to wear No. 13.

6. Rick Trefzger (1993-96)/Jack Plummer (2018-21)

This one is a draw in my view, though Plummer has arguably had the better college career; though much of it came after he left Purdue. The Arizona native has had two 3,000-yard plus passing seasons at Cal and Louisville, and his numbers weren’t shabby at Purdue though injuries and competition with Aidan O’Connell limited his playing time. In the end, his Boilermaker numbers 26 TDs and 10 picks from 2019-21.

Trefzger also had some big passing days and is one of a handful of Boilermaker quarterbacks to earn starts in all four seasons at Purdue. Trefzger led Purdue to an upset of No. 9 Michigan in his senior year, but he was mired, to some extent, in a run-oriented offense and losing seasons under coach Jim Colletto.

Honorable mention

Antavian Edison was part of the Florida invasion under coach Danny Hope and caught 58 passes from 2009-12 led Purdue in receiving in 2011. Nikki Taggart-Collen played two years at Purdue before transferring to Marquette. She is now the head coach at Baylor. Torri Williams, a three-year starter at defensive back during an injury-filled career, Broc Thompson and Gregory Phillips each wore No. 13 early in their careers but came to prominence under a different number. .Kickers Chris Summers and Spencer Evans are also part of the club as was Corey Cooper, a starting DB on Purdue’s Peach Bowl squad under coach Leon Burtnett in 1984.

Past Icon stories: No. 15 | No. 4 | No. 23