Purdue senior Jordan Roos' new look not just about style

When Jordan Roos came on his unofficial visit to Purdue and learned that offensive lineman Dennis Kelly was cutting his long, shaggy hair and donating it, the seeds were planted.

Roos didn’t start growing out his hair right at that moment — he had an unfortunate phase as a freshman at Purdue when he dyed it blonde, buzzed it and then dyed his beard jet black — but about three years ago, the current Boilermaker fifth-year senior captain shifted gears. It was time to think big picture.

Roos found the “Wigs for Kids” program, a non-profit group that doesn’t charge families for services and offers hair replacement for children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other medical issues.

And he went all-in.

And let it all go.

Before Roos walked into Third Street Barbershop in Lafayette for a 10:15 a.m. appointment Friday, the only "cut" he’d had in three years was to trim wayward curls.

But Roos was ready, if a bit anxious. He'd had a serious group chat with his sisters the night before, researching styles, and he'd posted a Snapchat video earlier in the morning with his hair flowing to the side, dramatic, sad music undertones and a message that reminded all his followers that "today is the day."

So it was quite an endeavor for barber Erin Dye, who said it was probably the longest hair she'd ever cut on a man.

After braiding sections of the air — making sure they were the appropriate minimum 12 inches to be donated (they were) — she shaved off each at the end and, one by one, handed them to Roos. Then she went to work on shaving the sides and the back. Trimming along the way. At one point, she had to have a discussion about products — Roos said he hasn't used anything other than shampoo and conditioner over the last several years. She showed him a couple options in style, too. Roos opted to shave the sides and back but keep some length on the top, so he could slick it back or gather it a bit to a side. (The style was inspired by Brad Pitt's in "Fury.")

And when Roos' hair was blow-dried and styled just-so, he sighed and smiled.

"I was so nervous," he told Dye. "I didn't know if I could pull this off."

When the smock finally was removed and Roos rose out of the old-school, black leather barber chair more than 90 minutes later, he was looking sharp and feeling light.

He also was carrying four little braids, ready to be packaged off and donated. Just a day before Purdue plays Nevada in its Hammer Down Cancer Game, which was the whole point of the timing of the cut.

“It’s the most exciting part,” Roos said afterward. “I try any chance I get to help somebody else out and have an impact in somebody else’s life and maybe encourage somebody else to do the same thing. I’ll do it every time, no matter what I get from it.”

More on Roos: Captain's Log video series | Feature in Gold and Black Illustrated

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