EXIT INTERVIEWS: Tario Fuller | Elijah Sindelar | Markus Bailey | Brycen Hopkins

To say Richie Worship's career didn't go as he anticipated would be an understatment. But he has no regrets despite dealing with a serious knee injury the last two seasons that essentially ended his career.

"Nope," said Worship. "I tried to make the best of it."

For Worship, it's all a case of: What if? What if he hadn't gotten hurt during practice back in 2017? The Cleveland native finished his career with 89 carries for 393 yards and two touchdowns. But, Worship could have had so many more yards and TDs.

"It is what it is," he said.

Worhsip was rolling back in 2017, running 53 times for 257 yards and two scores. He also had 10 catches for 73 yards. He was a 250-pound wrecking ball. But the week of the Iowa game, he hurt a knee in practice. He would play just one more game. And he would have just one more carry: In 2019, at Iowa, when Worship ran one time for three yards. He shut it down after that.

GoldandBlack.com caught up with Worship--who will graduate this weekend--for an Exit Interview.

GoldandBlack.com: Were you disappointed in your career?

Worship: No one expects injury to happen like that. It took me time to recover and heal, especially after the second surgery. At that point, I tried to do what I could every day to get back on the field. I was upset at first, but I don’t regret what happened because it was a learning process for me.

GoldandBlack.com: How did you get hurt?

Worship: I was going though an inside run period in practice. I stepped the wrong way into the block.

GoldandBlack.com: Did you know how serious the injury was?

Worship: Oh, definitely. I went down, and it was like a burning sensation. And then it kind of went away. It started to swell up. I didn’t know exactly what happened, but I knew something wasn’t right.

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GoldandBlack.com: What was it like finally to get back on the field?

Worship: I played the Iowa game, and I was happy because I had been out about two years at that point. After the Iowa game, it was a time to make a decision. I hadn’t had a whole lot of contact on the knee. So, going into the Iowa game, it was a case of: Are you sure you want to do this? I hadn’t had full contact. But, of course, I wanted to do it. I wanted to give it a shot to see how it held up. It was a gamble. Yes, I did have some swelling. It took some time for the swelling to get out. Then, I had to decide: What’s more important? Football right now or the rest of my life, my quality of life down the line?

GoldandBlack.com: Do you have to undergo any more surgeries?

Worship: No, I won’t have to have any more surgeries, thankfully.

GoldandBlack.com: What are you grateful for?

Worship: That’s a great question. I am thankful to graduate from Purdue. I will be the first to graduate college in my family. It’s a blessing and an honor to achieve that, especially from this university. I am enjoying the moment and cherishing it. I am on the hunt for a job. I graduate this Sunday.

GoldandBlack.com: What was your best memory at Purdue?

Worship: Even though I was injured, it was when we played Ohio State (in 2018). I think most people across the nation expected us to get blown out. It wasn’t supposed to be close. Everyone was efficient and working. We all knew our assignment. Going into the game, we all knew we were going to win. It was amazing to see the fans on the field and to see how happy the players and coaches were.

GoldandBlack.com: What was the craziest environment you played in?

Worship: I can give you a specific memory, when we played at Nebraska in 2016. They were sold out. Our coaches told us it would be loud. As a player, you expect that on the road, but you don’t think much of it. But I will tell you: That was the loudest place I had ever been in. I remember being on the field next to David Blough, and the noise was vibrating the turf. I couldn’t hear David audible. It was amazing. That was the loudest place I had ever been in.

GoldandBlack.com: Which player that you played with never got enough credit?

Worship: I would say Jackson Anthrop. His success was kind of covered up because of Rondale Moore. He is an explosive athlete. He is a hard worker. He always focused on the details. He never gave up when Rondale started playing. He didn’t. He became more of a leader, a vocal guy. He had to find a different way to be a leader instead of just showing it on the field. He had to show maturity. And when he got on the field, he made the most of his opportunities.

GoldandBlack.com: How do the running backs shape up for 2020?

Worship: We are a young team. Me and Tario (Fuller) were the seniors. There is a lot of young talent. I have seen how they work, how they stay in the weight room. Zander Horvath is pretty strong. King (Doerue) is one of the top backs on the team. He is kind of deceiving. You see how explosive he is, but he is faster than you think. He will have a lot of success. He is strong and a hard worker. You never will question that. Da’Joun (Hewitt) is a very savvy guy. He is young. Alfred (Armour) is a bruiser. They all have to buy in and work hard. I think they will be good.

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