Tyrone Tracy Jr. looking to "seize the day" with Boilermakers in 2023
Purdue running backs coach Lamar Conard has had a vision for Tyrone Tracy Jr. for a long time—over seven years to be exact. Back when Tracy was a junior and one of Indiana's top prospects at Decatur Central, he went out for a typical workout. There he found Conard, who was the Illinois State running backs coach at the time.
Conard told Tracy point-blank he's going to be a running back. Tracy admittedly "blew him off" as he was already committed to Iowa as a wide receiver. Little did the former three-star recruit know the two would cross paths not too far into the future.
Fast forward two years, when Conard took the running backs coach job at Miami of Ohio and was still recruiting the Tracy family. Conard helped the Redhawks land Tyrone's younger brother, Kenny Tracy, as a running back in the class of 2020. He wasn't done though. After another two years, Tyrone and Kenny's other brother, Javon Tracy, signed with Miami of Ohio in the class of 2022.
That's where the Boilermakers enter the picture. While Purdue was undergoing staff changes this off-season, Kenny texted his older brother, telling him that Conard was leaving his post at Miami. When the eldest of the three division one football brothers checked Twitter, he saw that Conard would be headed for West Lafayette.
"God willing, he ends up here at Purdue. So it was just God, I'm not gonna lie to you. It's something that you really can't put down on paper. You can't write it better because I actually blew him off in high school, but then he ends up here really being one of the best coaches I've ever had," Tracy said.
After coming back to his alma mater for the second time as a coach, Conard went to bat for Tracy, telling the Purdue coaching staff that he was capable of doing great things with the ball in his hands, according to Tracy.
"For him to go in there and vouch for me after all these years, it really creates a special bond between me and him," Tracy said.
It didn't take long for Tracy to prove his position coach right. He gave Purdue a spark in the season opener to kick off his second year with the Boilermakers.
After Fresno State had cut Purdue's lead to four at the end of the first half, the Indianapolis native took the opening kickoff of the second half 98 yards to the house, giving the Boilermakers a boost to start the third quarter. It was just the fourth kickoff return in Tracy's college career, and it went for six.
Tracy understands the role special teams can play in Purdue's success this season, pointing to how the momentum can swing with a big play, in his case, a kickoff return for a score.
"When we have good explosive returners, that also creates momentum for the offense, for the fans, for the whole team," Tracy said. "So I feel like once you have a good special teams coach, good special teams players out there that are doing special things, I feel like you are creating momentum for the offense to go score."
Despite having arguably the biggest play of Saturday's game, Tracy gave all the credit to his teammates.
"I mean, to be honest with you, it wasn't really much that I did besides run," Tracy said. "It really wasn't nothing that I did that was really special. It was really just the whole unit coming together, doing their jobs, winning their one-on-ones."
Following Saturday's loss, head coach Ryan Walters praised Tracy for his performance in the Boilermakers' season opener.
"Our running backs are talented. He's obviously talented with the ball in his hands. He's a tough runner and he's fast enough to hit a home run. So, definitely was pleased with his production," Walters said.
Just one game into his sixth-year senior campaign, Tracy has already seen a more expanded role than when he transferred to Purdue in 2022. Last season, the former Hawkeye tallied 198 receiving yards and 138 rushing yards with no touchdowns.
It was a frustrating season for the talented weapon, but Tracy shared that he doesn't want to harp on the past and is trying to stay in the moment.
"I really don't try to think from the past to now. I try to go day to day, game to game," Tracy said.
Tracy is expected to have an expanded role with the Boilermakers in what will be his final collegiate season in 2023. He made the full-time move to running back this off-season, but will also factor into the receiving game out of the backfield and is currently the top kick returner on the depth chart.
"Right now honestly, this team has put me in a position to where I have opportunities in front of me. I just have to go ahead and seize the day, seize every opportunity that approaches me," Tracy said.
No matter what role he's asked to fill, Tracy expects to do it and do it well. In Saturday's defeat, he saw just three carries and one reception, going for -1 total yards, but did break into the end zone after Purdue struggled at the goal line in the second quarter.
Fellow running backs Devin Mockobee (16 carries) and Dylan Downing (five carries) took the bulk of the snaps out of the backfield. With limited opportunities offensively, Tracy wanted to make his presence felt, which he accomplished in a big way.
"On Saturday, as you guys see the numbers, there really wasn't much opportunity in the backfield. So I had to seize opportunities elsewhere, which is on special teams, kickoff return, or just cheering on my teammates on the sidelines or when I get in the game, blocking, running the ball, getting first downs, whatever it is. Make sure the team secures the W," Tracy said.