Caleb Swanigan has passed away at age 25
Caleb Swanigan, the former Purdue All-American whose story captivated the college basketball world, has died. He was 25 years old.
"Biggie," as he was known, passed away on Monday in his adopted hometown of Fort Wayne.
Swanigan played at Purdue from 2015-2017 after coming to the program as the most decorated recruit in its modern history, a five-star prospect, McDonald's All-American and USA Basketball gold medalist.
His sophomore season, Swanigan was arguably the best player in college basketball, earning consensus All-America honors after averaging 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds. Months later, he became a first-round pick of the Portland Trailblazers, though his NBA career was short-lived.
Basketball was only part of Swanigan's story, though, as his origin story with the sport was one of inspiration.
Born into difficult personal circumstances, Swanigan was homeless for a time as a youth in Utah before being adopted by Purdue alumnus and prominent sports agent Roosevelt Barnes and relocated to Fort Wayne, where his transformation into an elite basketball player began.
Swanigan then came to be defined by an almost machine-like work ethic, focus, and tenacity. After leaving Utah weighing close to 400 pounds, Swanigan transformed physically, the most essential piece of his basketball development.
He left Purdue after his sophomore season and was selected by Portland with the 26th pick of the 2017 draft, but played just parts of three seasons between the Trailblazers and Sacramento Kings.
Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?
Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2022. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.