Mershawn Rice Overcoming Injury History, Working to Emerge at Wide Receiver for Purdue

Mershawn Rice caught three passes for a career-high 59 yards in Purdue's 35-31 loss to Penn State. He's had to overcome injuries throughout his entire college career and now has a chance to step up for the Boilermakers during the 2022 season.

D.J. Fezler | Sep 7, 2022

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Purdue Boilermakers

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — It's been a long and arduous road for Mershawn Rice to finally see his efforts pay off on the football field at Purdue, and he's still fighting to get where he wants to be.

The redshirt junior wide receiver has been riddled with injuries throughout his college career. After playing in one game as a reserve as a freshman in 2019, nagging hamstring and ankle issues meant Rice could only appear in one game the following year, too.

Rice played in three games for the Boilermakers last season before his campaign was cut short due to a foot injury. The team's season-opening loss to Penn State was Rice's first game since a matchup with Notre Dame on Sept. 18, 2021, where he registered four catches for 37 yards

Even now, he's recovering from a hamstring issue that nearly kept him out of the game against the Nittany Lions. But just by being able to haul in three catches for a career-high 59 yards, Rice said it helped his confidence tremendously.

"I felt like a little kid just to be able to go out there and have fun and play with my brothers," he said. "It's something I've been waiting for since the Notre Dame game."

Purdue wide receiver Mershawn Rice (9) is helped off the field by Purdue wide receiver Deion Burks (18) and Purdue wide receiver Milton Wright (0) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. — Purdue wide receiver Mershawn Rice (9) is helped off the field by Purdue wide receiver Deion Burks (18) and Purdue wide receiver Milton Wright (0) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend :: © Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

In the absence of last year's leading receivers David Bell and Milton Wright, the Purdue offense is making strides in 2022 with depth and experience. But the team just simply can't make use of players who struggle to stay on the field.

Rice, who has undergone rehab for injuries this offseason, missed several practices leading up to the season opener which limited his playing time. Senior pass catcher Broc Thompson has yet to show that he's at full strength and was even helped off the field after a catch against the Nittany Lions.

However, the Boilermakers may have found their No. 1 receiver in Iowa transfer Charlie Jones, who grabbed 12 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown against Penn State.

But as Rice and the team's wide receivers continue to work through injuries and increase their conditioning through practice, some of them will have to emerge in Purdue's pass-heavy offense for it to be successful.

"I think it's still a work-in-progress. A lot of our receivers have been banged up in the offseason up until now," Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. "You'd like to get a few guys to step up and be that second guy."

When healthy, Rice is a sturdy, big-bodied target who stands at 6'2" and 205 pounds. His injury history has allowed him to become a student of the game and a master of Brohm's offensive system.

All that's left for the former four-star athlete out of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, is to showcase all of his skills on the field. He got a small taste against a talented secondary for the Nittany Lions, coming up with big plays when his number was called.

Rice's first catch of the season went for eight yards on Purdue's final drive of the second half. On the same possession, he gashed the defense for a 25-yard pickup that put the offense in Penn State territory.

His efforts helped the Boilermakers get into scoring position before a fumble killed any chance of getting on the board before halftime.

Rice also caught a 26-yard pass from Aidan O'Connell in the third quarter to jumpstart a 10-play, 81-yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass to Jones. By the end of the game, his 59 yards receiving were the second-most on the team.

"It felt like they kind of bounced off me a little bit," Rice said. "I had a good balance on me and I know the playbook, I've studied it for years. I'm technically an old guy now, so I think that I just use that to my advantage."

Purdue is still finding out how to get the most out of Rice in his fourth season with the program. He's an exceptional athlete who just needs to figure out how to stay healthy in order to contribute to this team.

Rice will continue to work through that like he always has. And when he's healthy, he's a big-time weapon on a dangerous passing offense for the Boilermakers.

"Some things, it's just out of his control. But he's been trusting God, just staying level-headed. Just trusting the process and our training staff has been working with him," Purdue senior running back King Deorue said. "He's doing a lot better, and now that he's back out there, he's gonna make big plays for us this year. I promise you that."

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