Rod Woodson: College Football Hall of Famer Woodson is the 16th Boilermaker selected for the hall
Rod Woodson
College Football Hall of Fame 2016
Rod Woodson is Purdue's 16th College Football Hall of Fame inductee. He is one of 16 individuals, 14 players and two coaches, selected for the 2016 class.
Woodson is the fifth Purdue player inducted in the last 11 years.
Woodson, who played defensive back, tailback and punt and kick returner for the Boilermakers from 1983 to 1986, finished his career with 11 interceptions (including three returned for touchdowns) 445 tackles (including 320 solo), 29 pass breakups and 1,535 kickoff return yards.
Woodson was a consensus All-American as a senior in 1986 and finished runner-up for the Jim Thorpe Award.
Woodson was first team All-Big Ten his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
Woodson also ran on the track & field team for Purdue, where he still holds the school record in the 60- and 110-meter hurdles to this day.
Woodson's 60-meter hurdles time still has him tied for the 23rd fastest hurdler in NCAA history, across all divisions. His best 110m hurdles time still ranks among the fastest 25 individuals in the history of the NCAA.
Several of Woodson's career totals still rank among the best in Purdue history.
- Three interception return touchdowns - second
- 320 career solo tackles - second
- 11 career interceptions - third
- 445 total tackles - fourth
- 1,535 career kickoff return yards - fifth
- 29 career pass breakups - ninth
Woodson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009, after being selected in the 1987 first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers and playing 17 seasons of NFL football.
Woodson was just the 62nd player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
With his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, Woodson is just the second Boilermaker to be enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Woodson made it to the Super Bowl three times with three teams - XXX with the Steelers, XXXV with the Baltimore Ravens and XXXVII with the Oakland Raiders. He is one of just 10 players in history to make the Super Bowl with three teams.
Dave Butz
Hall of Fame Class of 2014
Dave Butz played defensive end for the Boilermakers from 1970 to 1972 for head coach Bob DeMoss.
Butz was a consensus All-American as a senior in 1972, and was widely regarded as the best defensive lineman in the country.
During his career, Butz won the Zipp Award, as college football's outstanding player, and was a finalist for the Lombardi award, for football's best lineman or linebacker.
In his career, Butz had 108 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and eight pass breakups. He was inducted into the Purdue Hall of Fame in 2004 and is also a member of the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame.
Butz was a fifth round NFL selection by the St. Louis Cardinals and played 16 seasons, including the last 14 with the Washington Redskins. He played in three Super Bowls and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1983.
"This is indeed a great honor. There are a lot of great ball players in the College Football Hall of Fame, and I am very pleased to be a part of it. I had an outstanding group of teammates at Purdue, and I'm very happy to represent them and the university." - Dave Butz after his selection
Otis Armstrong
Hall of Fame Class of 2012
Otis Armstrong was a halfback from 1970 to 1972 for head coach Bob DeMoss.
During his career, Armstrong became the all-time leading rusher in Big Ten history, a record which has since been broken, when he rushed for 3,315 yards in three seasons. At the time, his total ranked sixth in NCAA history.
As a senior, Armstrong rushed for 1,361 yards and finished eighth for the Heisman Trophy. he was named the Big Ten's Most Valuable player.
More than 40 years after his collegiate career, Armstrong ranks as the Purdue all-time leader with 670 rushing attempts. He is second in 100-yard rushing games (13), third in rushing yards, fourth in all-purpose yards (4,601), 10th in rushing touchdowns (17) and tied for 11th in rushing average (4.95 yards per carry).
Armstrong was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the ninth overall selection in the 1973 draft. He played eight years. Armstrong led the NFL with 1,407 rushing yards in 1974 and played in Super Bowl XII.
For his NFL career, Armstrong amassed 4,453 rushing yards, 123 receptions for 1,302 receiving yards and 879 yards on kickoff returns. He scored 32 touchdowns (25 rushing and seven receiving). Armstrong was a two-time Pro Bowl selection (1974 and 1976).
"I am excited and thrilled. Maybe even a little bit relieved because I know that my name has been on the ballot for several years. I know a lot of guys - friends of mine - who have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and now I know that I will be one of them. I thank all the good people back in Indiana and the Midwest who have been voting for me and helping to make this happen. This is the greatest honor I have ever received." -Otis Armstrong after his selection
William "Lone Star" Dietz
Hall of Fame Class of 2012
William "Lone Star" Dietz was Purdue's coach in 1921.
Despite finishing that season 1-6, Dietz had a lengthy career spanning many schools and decades. He served as the head coach for 19 seasons at seven institutions and enjoyed a distinguished career as an assistant coach, helping College Football Hall of Fame coach Pop Warner prepare Stanford for two Rose Bowl appearances.
After a one-year stay at Purdue in 1921, Dietz pushed Louisiana Tech to an 11-3 record in 1922 and 1923. Dietz then coached three seasons at Wyoming from 1924 to 1926, where he also spent time leading the baseball team.
Dietz's lone victory at Purdue, a 3-0 win over Northwestern on Nov. 5, 1921, was the Boilermakers' first Homecoming Game.
Mark Herrmann
Hall of Fame Class of 2010
Mark Herrmann played for College Hall of Fame coach Jim Young from 1977 to 1980. Over the course of his career, he became the most-prolific passer in NCAA history, establishing nine records, including passing yards and completions.
As a senior, Herrmann was named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player and a unanimous All-America selection while finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting. He set school season records for passing attempts (368), completions (242), completion percentage (.658), yards (3,212), touchdowns (23) and total offense (3,026). The last three figures also established Big Ten marks.
Herrmann's career numbers - all Big Ten Conference records at the time - included 1,309 passing attempts, 772 completions, .590 completion percentage, 9,946 passing yards, 71 passing touchdowns and 9,134 yards of total offense. The NCAA did not include bowl games in its statistics until 2002, meaning his national record numbers were 1,128 passing attempts, 717 completions, 9,188 passing yards and 8,444 yards of total offense.
He became the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw for 8,000 yards and subsequently the first to throw for 9,000 yards.
Selected by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 1981 NFL Draft, Herrmann had a 12-year professional career with the Broncos (1981-82), Baltimore Colts (1983), Indianapolis Colts (1984 and 1990-92), San Diego Chargers (1985-87) and Los Angeles Rams (1988-89).
"This is wonderful. I am very pleased for Purdue University and for my teammates. I could not have accomplished what I did without my teammates and a great coaching staff. I had a fantastic college experience. Those four years at Purdue shaped my life, and the ongoing interaction with Purdue continues to be a focal point for me and my family. Without Purdue's offer of a football scholarship, none of this would have happened." -Mark Herrmann after his selection
Mike Phipps
Hall of Fame Class of 2006
Mike Phipps played quarterback for Hall of Fame head coach Jack Mollenkopf from 1967 to 1969.
Phipps led the Boilermakers to three consecutive 8-2 seasons, establishing himself as the winningest quarterback in school history at the time. Purdue shared the 1967 Big Ten championship and was ranked ninth in the final Associated Press national poll.
In 1969, Phipps was a unanimous All-America selection and finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Phipps set school records with 2,527 passing yards and 23 touchdowns that year, while also rushing for eight touchdowns.
Twice named first team All-Big Ten (1967 and 1969), Phipps was selected first team Academic All-American in 1969 and was the recipient of a prestigious Rhodes scholarship.
Nearly 50 years after taking his last collegiate snap from center, Phipps' name still appears prominently in the Purdue record book. He ranks seventh in career touchdown passes (37) and eighth in career passing yards (5,423).
Selected by the Cleveland Browns with the third-overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, Phipps enjoyed a 12-year professional career with the Browns (1970-76) and Chicago Bears (1977-81). He amassed 10,506 passing yards with 55 touchdown passes.
Jim Young
Hall of Fame Class of 1999
Jim Young was Purdue's coach from 1977 to 1981. He guided Purdue to its only 10-win season in history, a 10-2 mark in 1979.
Young revitalized the Boilermakers around quarterback great - and fellow Hall of Famer - Mark Herrmann, leading the Purdue to three consecutive bowl games, all victories, over Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl in 1978, Tennessee in the Bluebonnet Bowl in 1979 and Missouri in the Liberty Bowl in 1980, while posting the best record (28-7-1) of any team in the Big Ten during that span.
Had an overall five-year record of 38-19-1 at Purdue, including a 26-14-1 mark against Big Ten teams, and currently ranks as the fourth-winningest football coach in Boilermaker history behind Joe Tiller, Jack Mollenkopf, and Noble Kizer.
Concluded his head coaching career with a record of 120-71-2, including 5-1 in bowl games, while coaching at Arizona, Purdue and the United States Military Academy.
Leroy Keyes
Hall of Fame Class of 1990
Leroy Keyes was an outstanding running back for the Boilermakers from 1966 to 1968. He is the Boilermakers' career leader with an average of 5.88 yards per rushing attempt.
As a junior, Keyes was named Most Valuable Player of the Big Ten Conference after rushing for 986 yards with 13 touchdowns and leading the Boilermakers to an 8-2 record. He amassed 1,870 yards total offense, the most in a season at Purdue.
Keyes became the first player in Purdue history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season (1,003) while equaling the school record with 14 rushing touchdowns as a senior. He was a consensus All-American in both 1967 and 1968, finishing third and second in the Heisman Trophy balloting.
Following his collegiate career, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Keyes with the third-overall pick in the 1969 NFL Draft.
Chalmers "Bump" Elliott
Hall of Fame Class of 1989
Chalmers "Bump" Elliott was a running back for Purdue in 1943 and 1944, while also serving active duty in the Marines. Elliott also lettered in basketball and baseball at Purdue in his first year with the Boilermakers.
He joined the Marines in 1943, and was assigned to officer training at Purdue and played three games with the Big Ten championship Boilermakers. He scored a touchdown against Minnesota in his first game.
In 1944, still at Purdue, he was a starting halfback and played the first six games, before being sent to China with the Marines.
After returning from China as a Marine Lieutenant, Elliott enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1946. He also played for the Wolverines in 1947.
In 1947, he scored eight touchdowns, to lead the Big Ten. He was a consensus All-American and was voted Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten. He led Michigan to a 10-0 season that year. Michigan was one of the first teams to employ two platoons, and Elliott was one of two regulars who played both offense and defense.
In 1959, at age 34, Elliott became Michigan's football coach. He served 10 years and led his 1964 team to a Big Ten championship and berth in the Rose Bowl.
Jack Mollenkopf
Hall of Fame Class of 1988
Jack Mollenkopf served as head coach of the Boilermakers from 1956 to 1969. He finished with a record of 84-48 at Purdue.
Mollenkopf ranks first among Purdue coaches in Big Ten wins (57), second in games (132) and wins (84), and third in winning percentage (.670). In addition, the Boilermakers were nationally ranked for 80 weeks - tied for the most under any head coach - including the No. 1 spot the first five weeks of the 1968 season.
Mollenkopf guided the Boilermakers to their only Rose Bowl victory in 1967 (14-13 over USC) and a Big Ten tri-championship in 1967 (with Indiana and Minnesota). The Boilermakers finished second in the Big Ten twice (1959 and 1966) and third on four occasions (1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969).
A prominent figure on the sidelines of postseason all-star games, Mollenkopf served as head coach of the 1958, 1959 and 1960 Blue-Gray games; 1962 and 1963 East-West Shrine games; 1964, 1967 and 1970 Hula bowls; 1968 All-American Bowl; and 1969 North-South Shrine Game.
Mollenkopf's inaugural season was the only losing campaign of his tenure. He previously was an assistant coach for the Boilermakers from 1947 to 1955.
Bob Griese
Hall of Fame Class of 1984
Bob Griese led the Boilermakers to three consecutive winning seasons as Purdue's quarterback from 1964 to 1966.
Griese finished his Purdue career completing 358 of 627 passes for 4,541 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also rushed 270 times for 442 yards and 14 touchdowns.
As a sophomore in 1964, Griese helped lead Purdue to a 6-3 record by throwing for five touchdowns and running for another four. The following year, Griese threw for a then-school-record 1,719 yards as the Boilermakers finished 7-2-1. Those accomplishments earned Griese consensus All-America honors.
In his senior season, Griese set personal highs in passing yards (1,888) and touchdown passes (12) en route to being named a consensus All-American for the second time. He led Purdue to an 8-2 regular-season record and a spot in the Rose Bowl against USC. In that game, Griese completed 10 of 18 passes for 139 yards and kicked two extra points as the Boilermakers won 14-13.
In 1966, Griese's senior season, he finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.
Following his collegiate career, the Miami Dolphins selected Griese with the fourth-overall pick in the 1967 NFL Draft. Griese led the Dolphins to three consecutive Super Bowls (VI, VII and VIII), winning the contest in 1972 and 1973. The 1972 Dolphins are the only undefeated team in NFL history.
Jim Phelan
Hall of Fame Class of 1973
Jim Phelan was the head coach at Purdue from 1922 to 1929. He finished with a 35-22-5 records with the Boilermakers.
Phelan's most successful year at Purdue came in 1929, when the Boilermakers finished 8-0 to win the Big Ten. That season, Phelan's Boilermakers outscored their opponents 187-44.
Phelan began his head coaching career at Missouri in 1920 and 1921 where his teams posted a combined 13-3 record. His next stop was Purdue, before heading to Washington from 1930 to 1941. With the Huskies, he won the Pacific Coast Conference in 1936. Phelan coached St. Mary's College in Moraga, California from 1942 to 1947 and made the Sugar Bowl in 1945 and the Oil Bowl in 1946. His overall record for 28 years of college coaching was 137-87-14. Among the great players he coached were Ralph "Pest" Welch at Purdue.
Phelan's next stop was the pros, coaching the New York Titans, New York Yankees and Baltimore Colts. After his coaching days he served three terms on the board of commissioners of Sacramento County, California.
Cecil Isbell
Hall of Fame Class of 1967
Cecil Isbell was a halfback for the Boilermakers from 1935 to 1937. He was a consensus All-American in his final season with the Boilermakers.
He played halfback for the Boilermakers for three years -- 1935, 1936 and 1937. He excelled as a runner, passer and punter. In 1936, he was responsible for 15 of Purdue's 23 touchdowns and earned second-team All-America mention.
Cecil went on to play professional football with the Green Bay Packers for four years. He then coached four years at Purdue, three as head coach, before becoming head coach of the Baltimore Colts.
Alex Agase
Hall of Fame Class of 1963
Alex Agase was a guard for the Boilermakers in 1943. That season, he earned All-America honors.
Combined, Agase was a three-time All-American at Purdue and the University of Illinois, during a playing career that was interrupted by a two-year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps. Agase also played professionally for six seasons.
Agase began his playing career at Illinois, where he was named an All-American in 1942. He had joined the Marines and because of the V-12 training program in West Lafayette during that time, Agase transferred to Purdue for the 1943 season. Playing guard and linebacker, he helped lead the Boilermakers to a perfect 9-0 record and a Big Ten title.
Agase actually only played in seven games that season, as he and 12 other players were called to active duty with two weeks left in the season. Agase spent time in training at Paris Island, before serving in the Pacific Theatre, most notably in the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. Agase earned a bronze star and a purple heart during his two years of active duty.
Upon returning stateside following the end of the war, Agase returned to Illinois, where he once again earned All-America honors, before earning his degree in 1947.
Agase played for six season in the All American Football Conference and the National Football League, winning three league titles with the Cleveland Browns.
Elmer Oliphant
Hall of Fame Class of 1955
Elmer Oliphant was a halfback for the Boilermakers from 1911 to 1913. He also lettered in baseball, basketball and track and left Purdue with seven letters in those three years.
Oliphant scored 43 points in a football game against Rose Poly in 1912, a school record that still stands today. After Purdue, he lettered in four sports at Army and was twice named All-American.
During a career at Purdue, Oliphant developed his swirling, wriggling style of ball-carrying. Oliphant suffered a broken ankle early in a game with Illinois, yet returned to action and kicked a field goal to defeat the Illini, 3-0.
At Army, Oliphant established Academy records for most points in a game (45), and most points in a season (125). He gained All-America notice at both schools and was a consensus pick in 1916 and 1917. He was also named an All-American in basketball.
Andy Smith
Hall of Fame Class of 1951
Andy Smith was the head coach at Purdue from 1913 to 1915. The Boilermakers went 12-6-3 in his time in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Smith's Boilermakers finished 4-1-2 in 1913 and tied for second in the Big Ten. In 1914, Smith's team finished 5-2, including a perfect 4-0 record at home.
Smith came to Purdue after coaching the University of Pennsylvania for four years from 1909 to 1912, where he went 30-10-3. After Purdue, Smith headed to the University of California, where he was the head coach from 1916 to 1925. Smith finished his head coaching career with a record of 116-32-13.
Smith's famous "Wonder Teams" began with the 9-0-0 club of 1920, a team that beat Washington State 49-0, Stanford 38-0 and Ohio State 28-0 in its final three games. It was 9-0-0 again in 1922 and 9-0-1 in 1923, when Cal allowed only seven points all year long. Finally, the last of the "Wonder Teams," the 1924 club, finished 8-0-2.