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 has the need for speed ...
Draft ticker: Nos. 1-94
Few change the pace like Akeem Hunt, because few can run like him.
And that's why I'm making the former Boilermaker running back with my 24th pick; he'll pair exceptionally well with Ed Watson in my backfield to give my fantasy team a dynamic duo.
Hunt came to Purdue in 2011 as a sprinter who was only just learning the nuances of his position, but by the end of his career, he had turned into a versatile, near-1,000-yard running back. In 2014, the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder had 949 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry, with six touchdowns. Plus, he led the Boilermakers with 48 receptions and a couple more scores.
And had Hunt played on a team that had any sort of a downfield passing game — the top-seven receivers, statistically, that season were running backs, tight ends and slots — then he would have produced even more. On this all-star team, he'll have the advantage of not being the focal point of any defense, and should be able to take advantage big time.
Hunt has blazing speed, particularly once he gets out into space, which he can do either by running it there or catching it there. Maybe he gets only eight touches on this team, but any of those could go for a TD from any where on the field.
This is a game-changing pick at No. 95.
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