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Gold and Black Illustrated is celebrating 30 years of publishing. Over the next few weeks, we will look at each publishing year, recalling the moments that took place in that particular year.

Note: Captions describing each cover are not available on mobile platforms.

There may have been no more memorable year in our 30-year history.

Big Ten championships and Rose Bowl trips have an ability to do that.

I remember Purdue's first Rose Bowl trip to Pasadena as first-grader. I also remember my parents, who were die-hard Purdue fans, saying to their five children who they left at home back in the last week of 1966, "if you ever get the chance to go to the Rose Bowl, don't miss it. No matter what."

My mom would almost always say "I will pay for your trip the next time Purdue goes. Thirty-four years later, she was able to buy tickets for all five of her children to that beautiful sunny day in Pasadena. And she was right, the trip was worth it.

One of my prized possessions is my picture in front of the famed Rose Bowl sign outside of the south end of the stadium.

And yet that trip was made all the sweeter, because it didn't look like it was going to happen. I remember that sinking feeling that Drew Brees' career was going to fall short of Pasadena after the Boilermakers gave away a game at Penn State in late September. The prospect of facing Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State and a very good Northwestern team in the month of October was daunting. Victory, if not victories, seemed unlikely.

Then when Purdue trailed Michigan 28-10 at the half on a unseasonable cold early October day ... I thought three words: "not gonna happen."

It all changed and changed so quickly. In the span of 21 days, Purdue had gone from the depth of despair to the front-runner for Pasadena.

Every Purdue football fan old enough to remember where he or she was can pinpoint the location of their being when Seth Morales hauled in that "Holy Toledo" 64-yard reception to beat Ohio State. Where was I? I was on the ramp in the southwest corner of the stadium unable to see the field. I heard the roar when Morales caught the ball, and looked over my shoulder to see the Jumbotron to see him racing to the end zone.

It's nearly as unbelievable now as it was almost 20 years ago.

Finally, and in no way to diminish the accomplishment, I recall watching Katie Douglas and the way she played to end her career. There was no tougher competitor in the history of Purdue sports, let alone women's hoops. And, I thought sure as anything, that her last-second shot against Notre Dame in the national title game was going in. It didn't, and the Boilermakers fell short of their second national title in three years.

In terms of players, Stephanie White is the standard-bearer for Purdue women's hoops. Douglas should be remembered as a close second. And if that shot goes in? She just might have been No. 1.

I remember doing the film edit with photographer Tom Campbell when he showed me this gem. He calmly showed me at about midnight after the Boilermakers' Rose Bowl-clinching victory over IU.

"I think we have something here," Campbell said.

When I took a peek using the magnifying "loop," I knew in an instant he was right.

Sure, we happened to use his image on the cover of our magazine, but credit Campbell for being able to secure his place in Purdue history for having the iconic image of Purdue's Rose Bowl journey.

There are two such images in the history of Purdue football: this one of Brees on the sidelines moments after beating Indiana to clinch the Rose Bowl trip, and Bob Mitchell's snapshot of coach Jack Mollenkopf 34 years earlier standing outside the locker room at Minnesota after the Boilermakers had beaten the Gophers to earn their first trip to Pasadena.

And for Campbell, I know this moment remains special. He had a personal relationship with both Tiller and Brees, and somehow, it seemed like that bond with those two Boilermaker icons mattered when he snapped this photo.

At least I like to think it did.

This one is maybe the easiest selection in our three decades of publishing.

It can be summed up in one word: Brees.

And one could argue that Brees is as relevant to Purdue two decades later as he was in his senior year of 2000. He remains Purdue football's greatest ambassador it has ever enjoyed on a national stage.

And he transcends sports. Before Brees' life is complete, he may surpass Neil Armstrong and John Wooden as the school's most famous and important graduates.

The Austin, Texas, native rarely, if ever, misses on a chance to promote his alma mater on national television and social media. He visits Ross-Ade Stadium nearly every season his NFL schedule allows. It doesn't matter if the program is on the rise with coach Jeff Brohm, or in the depths of despair under previous regimes.

Brees always does things right and in turn it makes Purdue people feel extra special about being a Boilermaker.

My guess is if you wrote this 30 years from now, Brees would still have great relevance to the university. And, who knows, by then, he might even surpass the lofty perch he inhabits now.

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