Purdue's Iconic 15s

The jersey number 15 has been good to Purdue basketball and football.

Two of its most iconic figures Zach Edey and Drew Brees in the 21st century (and beyond) donned the 1 and the 5 on their jersey and both played the pivotal role in getting the Boilermakers to the promised land in their respective sports.

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 and here goes:

1. Drew Brees and Zach Edey

It is futile, but fun, to argue who the most prominent figure in Purdue sports is between Brees and Edey. Brees led Purdue to the 2001 Rose Bowl for the first time in 34 years. Edey willed the Boilermakers to its first Final Four in 44 years and became the first back-to-back national player of the year in over four decades. Brees is a national figure in sports and entertainment and has promoted his Boilermaker lineage at every turn. It’s impossible, at least for me, to choose between the two.

3. Mike Phipps

Phipps finished runner-up in the 1969 Heisman Trophy, was a high first-round NFL Draft pick and became the first quarterback in college football history to defeat Notre Dame three times. Phipps’s on-field exploits helped solidify three straight 8-2 records and get the program, from a national rankings perspective to a place it has not been since.

4. Charlie Jones

Jones may have been a one-year wonder at Purdue, but he made the best use of his time in West Lafayette, making several All-American teams and becoming one of three Boilermakers in history to record 100 catches in a single season while establishing the school record for receiving yards in a single season (1,361), breaking John Standeford’s mark (1,307) that stood for 20 years.

His performance, along with quarterback Aidan O’Connell’s, led Purdue to a rare New Year’s Day bowl appearance.

5. Shaun Phillips

In some ways, Phillips is a one-hit wonder as well. While he was a four-year starter for Purdue from 2000-03, Phillips only wore jersey No. 15 in his senior year after wearing No. 53 and No. 22 in previous seasons. Phillips was a rush end on the Boilermakers’ best defense this century (and maybe ever) under coordinator Brock Spack. The 2003 team won nine games and earned a Citrus Bowl invite while becoming just short of a Big Ten title under coach Joe Tiller.

6. Tommy Luce

While he wasn’t known for his jersey number, Luce will go down in Purdue men’s basketball history as one of the most popular walk-ons ever and was part of two Big Ten title teams in 2017 and 2019. He became a national figure thanks in part to this video.

Luce still plays an important role in Purdue’s basketball program, completing his third year as a graduate assistant with the responsibility for opponent scouting, film breakdown, and helping with individual workouts.

7. James Bullock

Bullock was an All-Big Ten forward for coach Gene Keady in 1985 and worked his way into a prominent role during Keady’s early and formative years as a head coach. A native of Gary, Ind. (Andrean H.S.) Bullock was a key part of Purdue’s surprising 1984 title team, Keady’s first of six league crowns) and helped Purdue to a third-straight NCAA appearance in his ’85 senior season.

Honorable mention

The Boilermaker women’s hoops teams had three prominent No. 15s, including popular guard Courtney Moses (2011-14), standout forward Tanya Kirk (1993-96), and Danielle Campbell (2006-09). Moses once drained nine threes in a game, and was a Hoosier basketball legend from Oak Hill H.S. Kirk was a four-year starter and a key contributor on the Boilermaker first Final Four team in 1994. A personal favorite of mine was Dick Satterfield, who was a walk-on guard on Purdue’s 1974 NIT title team, and a member of Purdue’s “Soul Patrol” during his senior year of 1975.