Jackson Anthrop on Rondale
Jackson Anthop witnessed Rondale Moore’s greatness up close.
Anthrop saw the speed, the dedication, the work ethic … the jaw-dropping talent while working, grinding and sweating alongside Moore during practices far away from the Saturday spotlight.
The two played receiver together at Purdue from 2018-20. And Anthrop says he was the better for it–as a player and a person.
Anthrop arrived at Purdue from nearby Central Catholic High, the last in a long line of Anthrop athletes to matriculate to the Boilermakers. He left Purdue with 148 career catches for 1,420 yards and 11 TDs, and ran for 147 yards and two scores while also being a sure-handed return man on punts.
He also was a terrific teammate who sharpened his skills while watching and working with Moore.
Anthrop shared his thoughts with GoldandBlack.com on Moore, whose passing at 25 last weekend sent shock waves through the Purdue community and beyond.
MORE: The 3-2-1–Remembering Rondale | Rondale Moore passes away
Anthrop on Moore, in his own words:
“There are so many stories I could choose from, but this will always stick with me and I’m sure you may be familiar.
“When he first arrived at Purdue, everyone knew he was good. But when you witnessed it in person, it was next-level stuff. I’ve never seen someone so explosive and violent in their movement like him.
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“I’ve had the opportunity to compete with and against some great athletes, but he was simply different. Leading up to his first camp and throughout, I would always get a FaceTime from him to go over everything we would run in practice the next day, especially if David Blough was already asleep. He always wanted to be the most prepared player and it showed.
“I would always laugh whenever Coach Brohm would call a play in practice that we never ran much and he’d turn around to me quickly so I could give him the hand signal for what route to run and then watch him be him.
“What Rondale didn’t know is that he had a greater impact on me. He changed the way I thought and played the game. Great players do that naturally, and that’s what he did.
“Even today, the drills that he taught me while at Purdue are the same drills I teach my current football players at Central Catholic. It’s inspiring and heart warming to think he’s still making an impact on young athletes in our community.
“I’ll never forget our friendship and the countless memories we made on and off the field.”
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