5 Best Purdue Boilermakers Football Players, Ranked

The Purdue Boilermakers football program was founded over 130 years ago, and since then, they’ve been considered to have won one national championship. In 1931, they were deemed co-national champions along with the USC Trojans. 

As for recent success, they last made a bowl game, the Citrus Bowl, in 2023. The NCAAF odds favoured LSU by 15. Well, LSU covered and then some, beating Purdue 63-7. 

The Boilermakers football odds are available at the BetMGM online sportsbook. 

While the Boilermakers haven’t seen much recent success, they can still claim some of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. 

See my list of the top five Boilermakers below. 

5 Best Purdue Boilermakers Football Players, Ranked

Purdue Boilermakers All-Time Greatest Football Players

1. Drew Brees

Brees played at Purdue from 1997 to 2000 but didn’t become a full-time starter until 1998. 

Over his career, he accumulated 11,792 yards (most in program history), 90 passing touchdowns (first), 12,692 total yards (first), and 104 total touchdowns (first). 

Brees also holds single-season records in passing touchdowns (39 in 1998), total yards (4,189 in 2000), and total touchdowns (42 in 1998). 

While at Purdue, Brees racked up numerous accolades and awards. 

He won the Maxwell Award (college football player of the year), was a two-time third-team All-American, Big Ten MVP, two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, two-time first-team All-Big Ten, and second-team All-Big Ten. 

Additionally, Brees was a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback) and finished fourth in the 1999 Heisman voting. 

2. Leroy Keyes

Keyes played both running back and defensive back for Purdue from 1966 to 1968. He had 354 carries for 2,090 yards and 29 touchdowns (fifth), as well as 80 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. 

He was a two-time unanimous All-American, two-time first-team All-Big Ten, and second-team All-Big Ten, and he won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, which is given to the Big Ten Conference MVP. 

He finished third in the 1967 Heisman voting and then finished second in 1968. He was also part of the 1967 Rose Bowl team, which Purdue won. 

Keyes is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

3. Bob Griese

Another Purdue signal-caller, Griese played for the program from 1963 to 1966, but took his first snaps in 1964. 

From 1964 to 1966, he had 4,402 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 29 interceptions, and ran for 14 touchdowns. 

He led Purdue to its first Rose Bowl win in 1967, beating USC 14-13. 

He won the Sammy Baugh Trophy (given to the nation’s top passer), was a consensus All-American, first-team All-American, two-time first-team All-Big Ten, and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football. 

He’s enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

4. Rod Woodson

Woodson suited up for the Boilermakers for four seasons from 1983 to 1986. 

When it was all said and done, he had 11 interceptions (tied for third) and 445 tackles (fourth). 

As a returner, he returned 70 kicks for 1,514 yards and one touchdown. He also returned 26 punts for 203 yards. 

He was a consensus All-American, a first-team All-American, and three-time All-Big Ten. 

In 2014, the Big Ten Network put Woodson on “The Mount Rushmore of Purdue Football” alongside Brees, Keyes, and Griese. 

Woodson is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

5. Mike Phipps

Phipps suited up for three seasons for Purdue from 1967 to 1969. 

He had 5,423 passing yards (10th), 37 touchdowns (ninth), 34 interceptions, and also ran for 460 yards and nine touchdowns. 

He took over for Griese and was a unanimous All-American, winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy and Chicago Tribune Silver Football. He was also a two-time first-team All-Big Ten. 

He’s also enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.