Devin Mockobee’s last lap: History within reach for Purdue’s star RB

LAS VEGAS — Devin Mockobee sure isn’t in Boonville anymore.

Seeing the Sphere from 30,000 feet on the way in to Sin City, waking up to a view of the Luxor pyramid play a part in the latest chapter of Mockobee’s unlikely tale with the Boilermakers.

The elder statesman of the Purdue backfield was one of three Boilermakers that accompanied Barry Odom in Las Vegas for Big Ten Media Days on Thursday.

It’s something the former walk-on from southern Indiana would have never expected when he stepped on campus as a wide-eyes freshman back in 2021 when Jeff Brohm was head coach.

“I got this fancy suit on. I’m in Las Vegas. This literally feels like a storybook. It’s unfathomable to little old 18 (year-old) Devin Mockobee. Definitely something he would never have seen,” Mockobee told GoldandBlack.com on Thursday.

That’s the reality for the senior tailback, however. Mockobee stole the hearts of Purdue fans everywhere with his breakout redshirt-freshman campaign in 2022 and has become a fan favorite ever since.

Now, he’s the face of the program. A gritty, hard-working and blue-collar guy who does things the Purdue way. There are few, if any, that uphold the values of Purdue the way Mockobee has during his run in West Lafayette.

Mockobee is one of the few holdovers from the previous regime in West Lafayette, and the lone returner that started 4+ games during the Boilermakers’ 1-11 campaign a year ago. The veteran running back’s loyalty to the school and program have also helped in the transition to the Barry Odom era, as the head coach put it.

“I look at really the values of Purdue, you know. And I’ve started talking about the ‘Purdue way’ on toughness and discipline, trustworthiness. Devin embodies all of that,” Odom said. “He does it every single day, on his habits, his work ethic. He’s got respect in the locker room. He has been able to help galvanize all the newcomers with the returning players and the high school guys that we had come in. Certainly excited for him to represent our program.”

Purdue fans will remember “Crazy Legs” for years to come, but Mockobee has an opportunity to etch his name in the history books in what will be his last hurrah in the old gold and black. He sits less than 1,200 yards away from Mike Alstott’s all-time rushing record of 3,635 yards. That is what he has circled on his to-do list 20 years after Alstott surpassed Otis Armstrong to set that record in 1995.

“I mean, I think the one thing that stands out most of anything is just the all-time rushing yards (record), is just trying to get as much as I can out of that. And I think that’s because I’ve never put too much focus on individual efforts, really, because at the end of the day, it’s always a team effort. But that’s just been something on the back of my mind that I’ve kept in there,” Mockobee said.

“He’s 1,200 yards away from being the leading rusher in Purdue history. So he’ll go down as one of the great ones,” Odom said.

Rising to the top of the Purdue rushing charts would require another milestone: Surpassing the 1,000 yard mark. Something that hasn’t been done by a Boilermaker since Kory Sheets in 2008.

“I mean, I got really close my freshman year, and been trying to chase that number again. So to hit that number and say that I’ve had 1,000 in a season in college would definitely be something that’s a nice check in the box for me,” Mockobee said.

As Mockobee chases history this fall, he will be doing so looking to help change the narrative about the program after last season’s abysmal campaign. And being picked 18th in the Big Ten Preseason Poll earlier this week is more fuel for Mockobee’s fire.

Mockobee has seen the highs of a Big Ten Championship Game appearance and the lows of being the worst Power 4 team in the country. His final chapter could now be playing a large part in turning the program around and setting the tone for the Odom era.

More: GoldandBlack.com’s coverage of Big Ten Media Days