One of the first conversations Tyrone Tracy Jr. had with Ryan Walters when the new head coach got to campus could have a massive impact on Purdue's offensive attack in 2023.
Walters asked Tracy which position he liked better, running back or wide receiver. Tracy told his new head coach he wanted to be in the backfield, and now he's getting that opportunity to join the running backs full-time with the Boilermakers this spring.
The transition from the receiving core to the backfield was a welcomed move for the Indiana native, but a familiar face being added to the coaching staff made it even more exciting for Tracy. Walters hired Lamar Conard as the Boilermakers' new running backs coach after he held the same position at Miami (OH) for the previous five years.
Tracy and Conard may be working together for the first time this spring, but the two have a prior relationship that runs deep. During his time at Miami, Conard coached both of Tracy’s brothers, Javon and Kenny, in Oxford. That familiarity provided relief as the Purdue coaching staff was in flux earlier this off-season.
"When he came here, it was actually like a relief just cause I didn't know who the running back coach was going to be -- like right when he got the job, he texted me, and I texted him like, we already knew what was going on," Tracy said.
Tyrone was the first of the three Tracy brothers to form a connection with Conard, dating back to his days at Decatur Central, where he was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Indiana. Conard recruited Tracy out of high school before he ultimately committed to Iowa. That relationship, which started over seven years ago, comes full circle in 2023 as the two join forces in West Lafayette.
Tracy knew his future was set in the backfield for the Boilermakers when Conard got the job. Tracy knows firsthand how much Conard will be there for him, both on and off the field.
"Right then and there, I knew that like I'm gonna be a running back just because like I know Coach C, I know he's gonna take care of me. I know he's gonna take care of me outside the facility as well. He ain't just like a running back coach, he's a father figure while I'm here," Tracy said.
In February, Conard spoke about Tracy's ability as a running back at Purdue, which is where he believes the Iowa transfer should have been all along.
"I always thought he was a running back, and I believe that he has some 'it' to him. He just has a good pad level, good feel. But there's things that I can help him with that will help him grow immediately," Conard said.
