J.D. Dellinger: "I just felt like I owed Boiler Nation an apology"
J.D. Dellinger is eager to kick another field goal again.
“Extremely,” said the fifth-year senior.
Think of it as part of the healing process for a young man coming off a difficult game almost two weeks ago at Minnesota that is still haunting.
"I was thinking we were gonna kick three or four (field goals) last week (vs. Rutgers), honestly. But, yeah, extremely eager. But I am beyond moved on from it. It’s been a couple of weeks. Yeah, really, eager.”
What Dellinger is ready to move on from is the big dose of adversity he faced at TCF Bank Stadium at Minnesota on November 20, when he missed not one, but two, field goals that could have been the difference in what was a 34-31 loss for the Boilermakers.
After the game, Dellinger sent a Tweet apologizing. Why?
“I didn't feel good about it after the game,” said Dellinger. “And I just felt like I owed Boiler Nation an apology for how I played. I've never missed in the fourth quarter as a starter. I never missed that important of a kick before. It wasn’t the only reason we lost the game, but it was definitely a large reason why we lost the game. I just felt I owed a lot of people an apology for how I played. So, that was really it.”
Dellinger was on a roll when the Boilermakers kicked off in the Twin Cities on that chilly Friday night. He nailed a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter to trim Minnesota’s lead to 14-10 in the second quarter. That was Dellinger's fifth successful field goal in a row.
But adversity struck after that.
First, Dellinger had a 27-yard field goal blocked at the end of the first half with Purdue trailing 21-10. Then, with 4:08 remaining in the tilt and Purdue trailing, 34-31, Dellinger pushed a 33-yard field goal wide right.
The two missed field goals were costly in a three-point loss in a game that also was noteworthy for a dubious offensive pass interference call on Boilermaker tight end Payne Durham late in the game that scrubbed a potential winning touchdown catch.
It was a difficult night, but Dellinger was embraced.
"I had some close people reach out to me," said Dellinger. "And those people know who they are and I feel extremely grateful. And the reaction I got from my Tweet absolutely blew me away, and it was nothing but positive and encouraging words and it really made me feel good about the community that I'm a part of, this Purdue community, and knowing how passionate and caring this Purdue community is. It just made me feel really good."
Dellinger didn't owe fans or anyone an apology after the game. It was a class act of contrition by a young man who obviously felt bad about the outcome. And it spoke volumes about his character. Things happen.
“Well, all of our players, I want them to express whatever they feel and the fact that he was man enough to put that out on Twitter tells me, it's a sign that he cares and I have no fault with it one bit,” said Jeff Brohm. “I think he felt bad that we weren't able to get these two field goals and get us scores and to me I love it about him. He's a guy that does care, and when something doesn't go the way he wants, the fact that it bothers him, that actually, you know, makes me proud of him even more.
“Because I want all of our coaches and players when things don't go well to want to do our part instead of saying this could have happened and Joe could have done this and Bill could have done that.”
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A back issue has been impacting Dellinger.
"I am hurt," said Dellinger. "But there are tons of people hurt on every team. It's been hurt. I can tell you the long story or I can give you the short story. But, yeah, I'm a little hurt."
Added Brohm: "I think JD is doing well. You know, he's been a consistent performer. He's had some some back issues that have hindered him a little bit. You know, the first blocked kick was probably a little bit low and we let some seepage in there. And then, I'm sure that may have affected the next one.
"So, you know, he was disappointed, which is a sign of a great player, when they're disappointed and they're willing to take the blame. So, I give him credit for that. ..."
Dellinger could come back in 2021 for a sixth season, as an NCAA waiver has declared this a free season from an eligibility standpoint.
"I'm not really sure. My plan right now is probably not to come back," said Dellinger. "I'm just kind of physically and mentally probably just time to move on and let someone else have a chance at it. But, I enjoyed my time at Purdue and am very grateful to have the opportunity to play football here."
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