Skip to main content
purdue logo

From lacrosse player to star Big Ten TE, it's been an excellent adventure for Purdue's Payne Durham

On3 imageby:Tom Dienhart•11/15/22•

TomDienhart1

On3 image

A high school lacrosse player wasn’t supposed to become one of the Big Ten’s top tight ends. But no one told that to Purdue’s Payne Durham.

He’s about to punctuate what has been a memorable career that will see him leave his name dotted among the best to play the position at Purdue.

• RB Devin Mockobee poised to be Purdue’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2008

• Injuries at linebacker creating depth concerns for Purdue

“I’ve been trying not to think about it,” said Durham about the end of his career after practice on Tuesday. “It’s gonna be emotional, for sure. I’ve been here a long time. I’ve met a lot of great people. And just kind of that moment, I obviously have a game to worry about, but it’s gonna be a really cool moment for me and something I’m looking forward to.”

Durham wants to take care of business on Saturday on Senior Day vs. Northwestern (1-9 overall; 0-7 Big Ten) before looking back over his shoulder at his career. When the fifth-year senior does reflect, Durham should be impressed.

He will enter Saturday with 118 career catches for 1,196 yards (10.1 ypc) and 19 TDs. And, many of his grabs have been memorable. Just last week, he hurdled not one–but two–hapless Illinois defenders after making a grab. Durham also somehow got a foot in-bounds on a leaping TD catch, too. The semifinalist for the Mackey Award has 48 receptions for 481 yards and six TDs in 2022.

• West title dreams can wait. Purdue’s Jeff Brohm focused on beating Northwestern

• Join GoldandBlack.com for $1

Did he think any school would take a chance on a guy who spent most of his high school career playing lacrosse in Suwanee, Ga., in suburban Atlanta?

“Nah,” he said, smiling. “When I take a step back and look at it, I mean, all the credit in the world goes to that guy, (tight ends) Coach (Ryan) Wallace and Coach (Jeff) Brohm. I mean, they rolled the dice on me. They believed in me. Coach Wallace has shown me just unwavering support throughout my whole career and I owe everything to him and Brohm for taking a chance on me. It’s a crazy story, for sure.”

And, it’s not over yet, as Purdue is still in the hunt to win the Big Ten West.

You may also like