Purdue Inducts Seven Members Into Hall of Fame, Including Hummel and Parkinson
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue athletics honored the seven members of the 2020 Hall of Fame induction class on Friday night at a banquet and again on the court at the Purdue basketball game against Michigan on Saturday.
The seven members of the Hall of Fame induction class include volleyball player Ariel (Turner) Gebhardt, Shaun Gulce from track and field, Robbie Hummel and Bruce Parkinson from men's basketball, football player Chuck Kyle, Casey (Matthews) Spitz of diving and Shereka Wright from women's basketball.
The honor meant a lot to all of them, because of what they accomplished, and where they did it.
"Purdue has been such a special place to me," Hummel said. "I loved playing here. I love this university, it's an unbelievable place to go to school. The people I met, my friends, my teammates, I got to play with really amazing people and play for an amazing coach (Matt Painter)."
Hummel was one of the most versatile players in Purdue basketball history. He finished his career ranking in the top 10 in rebounds, three-pointers made, and points scored and was a three-time All-Big Ten selection during his illustrious career. Hummel now works as a basketball analyst for ESPN and the Big Ten Network and also plays on the USA Olympic 3-on-3 basketball team, where he won a gold medal in 2019.
"I apologize for my knees," Hummel later joked during the banquet. "We had a team that could win it all, and I will always think that. That was the most fun I've ever had playing basketball
"I'm really humbled. All of the other recipients, you guys have had incredible careers and I'm just honored to be up here with you guys because I hear your guys' accomplishments and it's a really special group, so congratulations to everybody else, as well."
Bruce Parkinson played basketball at Purdue from 1973 to 1977 and still holds Purdue records for assists in a game, season and career and helped the Boilermakers to a 1974 NIT Championship.
"It's quite an honor. It's really humbling, given that it's not like Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, it's across all of the athletics and both men's and women's programs," Parkinson said.
Parkinson was extremely thankful to the university that gave him the opportunity to play college basketball in such a great place. "Purdue has made this, I mean every detail has been perfect and it's just been an energizing weekend."
Of the 9,000-plus athletes that have worn a Purdue jersey over time, only 167 have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since it began in 1994.
