Purdue fans will always remember October 20, 2018.
Now, the two big stars of this evening are gone far too soon.
Yes, it was Tyler Trent’s big night as Purdue beat No. 2 Ohio State 49-20, but it was Rondale Moore who put on the show that night. The call of: “HE’S STILL LEAVING!!! » when he refused to be tackled on Purdue’s final offensive touchdown is a treasured memory for Purdue football, right up there with Brees-to-Morales.
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And now he’s gone.
2018 Rondale Moore was transcendent.
He showed us early on, with two touchdowns in the first quarter of his college career, that he was going to be special, especially on the play where he took a jet sweep on 3rd and short, made one more and left the entire Northwestern defense in the dust. He set records that year and became the Big Ten’s first-ever true freshman All-American. He was one of those rare players that you knew something special could happen every time he touched the football that year. Purdue went 6-7 with a number of close losses to Eastern Michigan, Missouri, Northwestern and Wisconsin, but even when the Boilermakers were behind and struggling offensively, there was Rondale.
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“Give the ball to Rondale and maybe he will do something.”
It even worked almost exactly the same way in the rain-affected loss at Eastern Michigan, where a certain touchdown was only stopped by the conditions and his own blocker running into him. He was one of those “How the hell can you stop this guy?” » guys.
He set foot on campus shortly after another guy like him had just left, and who also left way too soon:
Caleb Swanigan.
It’s unfortunate, but his career will be remembered as “dazzling.” That 2018 season was lightning in a bottle as he delivered multiple highlights in every game, bringing to life some highlight shows of college football that year and shining a spotlight on Purdue football that hadn’t been seen since Cowboy Joe. He was lost to injury early in the 2019 season, in one of the most cursed games in Purdue football history. The strange COVID year in 2020 was a quiet end to his career at Purdue, and then more injuries followed once he was in the NFL. He finished the last two NFL seasons sidelined with leg injuries, the second occurring before his season with the Vikings even began in earnest.
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Moore and Swanigan were legends in their time on campus, and they deservedly became celebrities early on with all the love and support our fandom can give them. It’s difficult to reconcile the pure joy they brought to their respective sports with the sadness of losing both well before their time.
This one hurts. Rondale was a special player. Flashy in his actions, pragmatic in his personality. Very rarely was there any celebration on his part. Simply hand the ball to the referee and move on to the next play. He didn’t need to speak; his game said it all.
The Hammer and Rails team extends its deepest condolences to his family, friends, teammates and all those who found joy in his life on and off the football field. This Ohio State Domination is such a legendary game, not only in Purdue history, but in college football history. For one night, Ohio State felt what it was like to have the shoe on the other foot. There was nothing they could do to stay with Rondale and the Boilermakers. The Buckeyes haven’t given up that many points in a game since. Like many of you, I was at Ross-Ade Stadium for this magical match, which capped off one of the best days of my life. I started the day in Kokomo at my best friend’s wedding. I ended it watching the Purdue student section invade the Ross-Ade Stadium field after completely destroying mighty Ohio State.
Personally, because of this moment alone, Rondale will always hold a special place in my heart.
It’s a devastating reminder to hold your loved ones close, cherish every moment, and let them know how you feel.
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Tomorrow is never promised.
