To help commemorate the 20-year anniversary of Purdue's magical turnaround 1997 season, GoldandBlack.com's staff will break up the rosters and select the best players to wear a Boilermaker uniform since Coach Joe Tiller's first season on the sidelines.
GoldandBlack.com's 20-year Purdue player draft will have 100 players chosen — two picks each weekday over 10 weeks. Boilermakers who were on Purdue rosters between 1997-2017 are eligible for selection. The draft order is Alan Karpick, Stacy Clardie, Kyle Charters and Brian Neubert.
Charters at No. 43 ...
Draft ticker: Nos. 1-42
I was pumped about the prospect of getting Kelly Butler at 43, giving me a pair of offensive tackles, two of the best to play at Purdue in the last 20 years, to protect my quarterback, Kyle Orton.
And then Stacy ruined it by taking Butler at 42.
So, now what?
I want an offensive lineman, preferably a right tackle, but maybe versatility is as big a characteristic at this point in our summer draft. And with that in mind, I'll take Ian Allen, another member of the group that protected Drew Brees in the late 90s to 2000. The Gold and Black Illustrated cover, with those six linemen dressed as secret service, surrounding Brees as he gets out of a limousine and headlined "Protecting The Franchise," might be my favorite.
Allen might not have had the flash of Matt Light, Brandon Gorin or Chukky Okobi, but he was highly effective, particularly as a starter at right guard during the 2000 Rose Bowl season.
I'm going to pencil Allen, a 6-foot-5, 290-pounder in at right tackle — it's the position he played during a six-year NFL career — with the thought he can move, likely to RG, if needed.
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