Where were you in 1998?
That's the last time Purdue had a running back picked in the NFL, with Edwin Watson going in the seventh round to the Packers.
The year 1998 is also when Zander Horvath was born. Now, he has ended Purdue's 23-year NFL running back draft drought by being selected in the seventh round (260th pick overall) by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Horvath was the third Boilermaker picked in the 2022 NFL draft, with defensive end George Karlaftis going in the first round (30th overall) to the Chiefs and wideout David Bell being selected by the Browns in the third round (99th overall).
The last Purdue players picked by the Chargers were center Nick Hardwick (third round) and defensive end Shaun Phillips (fourth) in 2004. In 2001, quarterback Drew Brees (second) and offensive tackle Brandon Gorin (seventh) were picked by the Chargers.
Horvath was a key cog for the Boilermakers. He finished his Purdue career with 1,181 yards rushing on 268 carries (4.4 ypc), running for eight TDs. He also caught 68 passes for 592 yards (8.7 ypc) with a TD.
On top of all that, he played special teams. Not bad for a guy who showed up in West Lafayette in 2017 as a walk-on who almost walked-on at Indiana as a … linebacker.
“Yeah, I think it worked out pretty well,” said Horvath. “I thought about (what it would have been like to be a linebacker at IU), how I would have turned out. But, I mean, I think it's pretty well the way I've been doing it now. So, I'm happy with my choice.”
Horvath received a scare last season when he suffered a broken fibula in the second game at UConn. He missed five games and slowly rounded back into form, finishing with 320 yards rushing and three TDs.
“No problems with that,” said Horvath at Pro Day. “I came back probably 75 percent. So, there was still a little injury when I was coming back the first two weeks. But towards the end of the season, it was absolutely nothing. And even now, there's no pain at all.”
Horvath looked A-OK at Pro Day, flashing speed, power, soft hands and agility.
“For me, just being my size, the agility, the side-to-side is big,” said Horvath, who trained for three months at X3 Performance and Physical Therapy in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Purdue offense is built around the pass, often working from a one-back set with three wideouts. And that scheme has molded Horvath into a unique weapon.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I mean, just from film I've watched, most fullbacks, they're just straight-up-the-middle, blocking people. But they are usually around 245, 250 (pounds). But I've kind of maintained that 229, 230 weight.
"And playing running back and fullback and just going out in routes, it definitely kind of set me apart, just showing that versatility that can catch, as well. And then open and turn up field after catching the ball, having to make moves.”
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