Express Purdue Recruiting Rewind: 1999
Joe Tiller and Co., had some momentum going, coming off back-to-back winning seasons and Alamo Bowl victories his first two seasons in West Lafayette. And it showed with another top 30 recruiting class.
Playing those bowls in San Antonio, Texas—where the Boilermakers beat Oklahoma State and Kansas State—allowed the program to continue to hit the Lone Star State hard, landing four signees from deep in the heart of Texas. California produced three signatures.
Pundits were impressed with the 19-man haul. Tom Lemming ranked the Boilermakers' 1999 class No. 6 in the Big Ten. It had a heavy flavor of defensive players with 12 inked, led by six ends and four linebackers.
For the third year in a row, Tiller hit the JC ranks hard. The 1999 class included four junior college transfers, including Akin Ayodele. He was part of Tiller’s initial recruiting class in 1997 but had to take a detour to a JC. CB Ashante Woodyard and WRs Keith Dawson and Larry Shyne rounded out the JC signees in 1999.
Like Ayodele, Woodyard became a valuable member of the defense after being offered by Kansas, South Carolina and Cincinnati. Fans never will forget Purdue DT Craig Terrill (more on him later) blocking a Badger field-goal attempt in OT at Wisconsin in 2000 and Woodyard scooping up the loose ball and scoring the winning TD.
Highest ranked offensive signee: Despite having Drew Brees for two more years, Purdue still landed QB Ryan Breska, billed as a “sleeper." The 6-3, 200-pound product of Fountain Valley High in Orange County, Calif., picked the Boilers over Minnesota, Oklahoma, Utah and UTEP. Breska ended up transferring to Utah.
Most productive offensive signee: This is a tough one, as Purdue got little production from any of its offensive signees. WR Chris James gets the nod. He caught 29 passes in his Boilermaker career for 260 yards and two TDs. James' prep quarterback at Tampa Jesuit High was Gary Godsey, who was recruited by Purdue but signed with Notre Dame as a tight end. Godsey famously filled in at QB for the Irish in 2000 and led ND to a win vs. Drew Brees and the Boilers. The 5-10 James picked Purdue over the likes of Iowa State and UConn.
Highest ranked defensive signee: LB Landon Johnson. The rangy Johnson was a freakish blend of size (6-3) and speed who was a hit the moment he stepped on campus. The native of Lubbock, Texas, almost went to Colorado to play for Rick Neuheisel but changed him mind when Neuheisel left CU for Washington. Johnson also considered Oklahoma State and TCU coming out of Coronado High.
Most productive defensive signee: TE/DE Shaun Phillips. No way Purdue knew it had a future star NFL defensive end when it signed Phillips out of Willingboro (N.J.) High, beating out the likes of Temple, Louisville, N.C. State and Miami (Fla.). The 6-3, 225-pound Phillips arrived in West Lafayette as a “sleeper” and thinking he’d be a tight end—and he did occasionally line up at the spot. But Phillips made his mark on defense, developing into one of the Big Ten’s better pass rushers. He was first-team All-Big Ten in 2003 as a senior and still ranks No. 2 all-time at Purdue in sacks (33.5) and No. 3 in TFLs (60.5). Phillips helped establish Purdue's "Den of Defensive Ends" reputation.
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Didn’t blossom: Take your pick between LBs Tim Olmstead and Daniel Giles. Olmstead hailed from Kankakee Bishop McNamara High in Orland Hills, Ill., while Giles was from Ponchatoula (La.) High. Each came highly decorated with a who’s who of offers. Olmstead said “no” to the likes of Notre Dame, Florida and Washington. Giles counted Notre Dame and Florida among his offers. Neither panned out for various reasons.
Most underrated: DE Craig Terrill. The 6-4, 262-pound Terrill maximized every bit of talent he had upon arriving from nearby Lebanon, Ind., home of Purdue hoops icon Rick Mount. The blue-collar Terrill, who turned down Indiana and Boston College, was a force vs. the run and could get a push on the pocket from his tackle spot. He was a sixth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2004.
Highest NFL Draft pick: LB Akin Ayodele was a third-round selection by the Jaguars in 2002 after arriving from a JC with three years of eligibility. Ayodele is still No. 4 all-time at Purdue in sacks (29.0) and No. 6 in TFLs (54.0). LB Landon Johnson also was a third-round pick, going to the Bengals in the 2004 draft. DE Shaun Phillips went in the fourth round in 2004 to the Chargers.
The one that got away: There were two, actually: QB Rex Grossman, a Bloomington (Ind.) South product and Indiana Mr. Football winner who signed with Florida and became a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2003. Also, Purdue wanted WR Tyrece Butler, who went to Michigan after playing at Decatur Central in Indianapolis. Purdue swung and missed on many big-time players, as Tiller tried to cast a wider net and failed attempting to woo the likes of WRs Reggie Brown of Georgia (Georgia) and Maurice Harris of Florida (Ohio State).
Who played in the NFL? LB Akin Ayodele; LB Landon Johnson; DE Shaun Phillips; DT Craig Terrill
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