Indianapolis childhood teammates Thompson, Taylor, Tracy reunited at Purdue

There was time for just one last play. And, it would have to be a good one.

That's when it happened.

Reese Taylor dropped back, scanned the field and spotted Broc Thompson running a post-corner route. Touchdown!

"They were in the sixth grade and I was the coach," said Ryan Thomson, Broc's father. "It was the game-winning score with no time on the clock vs. Hamilton Southeastern. I'll never forget it. You could see it then."

"It" was big-time talent ... Big Ten talent.

Magic moments like that happened often for Taylor and Broc Thompson when they were playing together as youths in Indianapolis. Tyrone Tracy also was part of the action.

"Explosive athletes," said Ryan Thompson, a Major League outfielder for six teams from 1992-2002.

Now, years later and after matriculating on different paths out of high school, Broc Thompson, Taylor and Tracy are reunited back in their home state at Purdue to close their college careers.

Thompson got to Purdue first, arriving prior to last season. Taylor and Tracy joined him this offseason. Each is primed to play a key role in one of the most anticipated seasons in recent Boilermaker history.

“They are good players,” said Ryan Thompson. "It's going to be a lot of fun watching those guys.

“They all go way back. Phenomenal athletes. Good kids. It will be fun to watch this year.”

Their journeys to this point have been circuitous, with all three arriving in West Lafayette via the transfer portal. Wideout Broc Thompson came from Marshall, while cornerback Reese Taylor arrived from Indiana and wideout Tyrone Tracy from Iowa.

As the saying goes: It doesn't matter where you start. Rather, where you finish matters most. And each hopes to punctuate their career with aplomb, picking up where they left off as kids who dominated the youth fields of Marion County.

Thompson and Taylor first played together in grade school before matriculating to Ben Davis High. Tracy was part of the three-man troupe before his family moved to the Decatur Central High district.

Oh, and don't forget about David Bell. A year behind Thompson, Taylor and Tracy, Bell also moved through the youth and prep ranks with the trio before starring at Warren Central. Unlike his fellow Nap Town trio, Bell picked Purdue out of high school. And he would have been part of the 2022 fun in West Lafayette, but he left Purdue a year early, getting picked in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Browns.

“Everyone knew about David,” said Ryan Thompson, whose older son Trevor played hoops at Virginia Tech and Ohio State. “Everyone knew about Broc. Everyone knew about Reese. Everyone knew about the East Side guys.”

Broc Thompson started out throwing passes and Taylor was a running back.

“Broc just didn’t grow,” said Ryan Thompson. “So, we moved him to wideout and had Reese throw passes.”

Good move.

Broc Thompson and Taylor became key cogs on dominate youth teams that competed in the Indiana Elementary Football Association. The two went on to stardom at Ben Davis, playing on unbeaten teams in ninth and 10th grade while helping Ben Davis win the 6A state title as seniors in 2017. Taylor was voted Indiana Mr. Football that season playing quarterback.

Meanwhile, at Decatur Central, Tracy was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Indiana in 2017. He helped lead the program to a 35-8 mark as a running back, wide receiver, and defensive back. Tracy was deadly with the ball in his hands his entire life, spending much of his youth as a running back--a spot he will play on occasion this fall for the Boilermakers.

“I think that’s his best position,” said Ryan Thompson.

But when it came time to pick colleges, each chose a different path.

• Reese Taylor, Indiana: Taylor is the kid who was picked first in recess football games.

The dynamic athlete began his 2018 freshman season at IU starting at cornerback before moving to offense in Week Two. Taylor saw time at running back and wide receiver while also acting as the team’s back-up quarterback the final four games. Oh, and he ran back kicks, too, while in Bloomington.

Taylor left Indiana having recorded 69 career tackles, eight tackles for loss and two interceptions. He also tallied 173 receiving yards and 84 yards rushing as a quarterback during the 2018 season.

He took part in spring drills and looks primed to be a key part of the Purdue secondary, while also perhaps helping in the return game.

• Tyrone Tracy, Iowa. He didn’t pay Purdue much heed coming out of high school in 2018. Instead, Tracy opted to join the Hawkeyes.

Tracy had his moments in Iowa City, making 66 receptions for 871 yards and five touchdowns and running 16 times for 93 yards and two scores the last three seasons after redshirting in 2018.

But he never became entrenched and got lost in the shuffle. Tracy started 16 of the 38 games he played for the Hawkeyes, including four of the first five in 2021. He finished last season with 15 catches for 106 yards and a TD.

“I think that the type of offense Coach (Jeff) Brohm has allows for receivers to make a name for themselves,” said Tracy, who took part in spring drills. “Obviously, David Bell went here. He had a huge impact on the offense. When he left, that opened up a lot of touches. So, I like the opportunity.”

Does Tracy ever wonder what it would have been like had he came to Purdue out of high school?

“I do wonder that,” said Tracy. “I know God had a purpose for me going to Iowa. They taught me a lot of good things there, how to be a professional, how to go about my business and how to be disciplined through all my work, school, life and being a football player. Overall, it made me into a better man.”

With Milton Wright an academic casualty, Tracy has a good chance to start at wideout while also playing a key role as a ballcarrier. Bottom line: He could be one of the most dynamic playmakers on the offense.

• Broc Thompson, Marshall. Before Marshall, Thompson made a pit stop at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. Thompson needed to develop physically—he weighed about 155--academically and emotionally. It worked.

“Great move for him,” said Ryan Thompson. “They did the whole 'Taps' deal, got up at 5 a.m., the bugle, the whole deal. It all was phenomenal. It was unbelievable. He ended up being a platoon sergeant, he ended up being a captain of his platoon. He was a captain on the football team.”

Thompson landed at Marshall in 2019, spending two seasons with the Thundering Herd and catching 33 passes for 562 yards. But he was looking for a school closer to his Indianapolis home so he could be near a younger brother who had been diagnosed with cancer.

"I didn't really expect for Purdue to even be in the picture," said Thompson. "My aim was to be closer to home because my brother beat cancer, but I was really just looking for a home. I definitely had no clue, and it was just like, you know, I'm fine with the transfer. I felt like Purdue was the best fit for me.”

It has been an excellent fit. Thompson debuted at Purdue in 2021 by making 30 receptions for 457 yards and four TDs, saving his best for last in the Boilermakers' win vs. Tennessee in the Music City Bowl.

Despite playing on two bad legs, Thompson was the game MVP after making seven catches for 217 yards and two TDs. He needed to step up with Bell opting out and Wright academically ineligible. Now, Thompson--coming off surgery to both shins that kept him out in the spring--has a chance to be Purdue's alpha wideout in 2022.

"It is going to be fun watching those guys play together again," said Ryan Thompson. "I think fans are going to like it, too. This should be a fun season."

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