Purdue-Notre Dame Rivalry Helped Bring Drew Brees to West Lafayette
A smile cracks on Drew Brees' face when he's asked about the return of the Purdue-Notre Dame rivalry this weekend. His demeanor changes, and the excitement and enthusiasm he exudes is contagious when talking about the Irish coming into Ross-Ade Stadium.
Most Purdue fans share Brees' emotion. For decades, the early-season matchup against Notre Dame was the premier game on the Boilermakers' schedule. But the former Heisman Trophy finalist is elated to see the rivalry game return for a more personal reason.
"Believe it or not, that was one of the factors, one of the things I appreciated when I chose Purdue," Brees told Purdue on Sports Illustrated while promoting Dos Equis "Go for Dos" campaign.
"Look, I didn't have many opportunities — it was Purdue or Kentucky. After the academic reputation of Purdue, it was looking at the Big Ten schedule and looking at the fact that they played Notre Dame every year."
At the time of Brees' recruitment, Purdue didn't have much to pitch. Coach Joe Tiller was entering his first season at the helm in 1997, taking over a program that hadn't reached a bowl game since 1984 and had just one winning season in the previous 12 years.
The one guarantee at the time? Brees would get the opportunity to play against the Fighting Irish.
"To be in a situation where I was playing against Notre Dame every year. It was like, man, that's a dream come true," Brees said. "Playing in that stadium, amongst all the titans in college football. Historically, that was a huge factor."
Brees grew up in Austin, Texas, a long 1,200-mile drive to the Touchdown Jesus landmark in South Bend, Ind. But the Westlake High School quarterback was familiar with the prestige and tradition of Notre Dame's football program.
The Fighting Irish were known to recruit the Texas area well, and Brees was familiar with some of the program's biggest stars from his home state.
"There were a lot of Texas kids that played for Notre Dame. (Receiver) Tim Brown was one, and there were a few others that I can recall," Brees said. "When I was a kid, I was watching the Southwest Conference, and I was watching Notre Dame. Because Notre Dame was independent, they were always on NBC, so we were watching Notre Dame games."
In 1997, Brees got his first taste of the Purdue-Notre Dame rivalry game, though he watched from the sidelines. After the Boilermakers lost the season opener to Toledo, Tiller's crew bounced back for an historic 28-17 win over the Fighting Irish at Ross-Ade Stadium — snapping an 11-game losing streak to the Irish.
Billy Dicken threw for 352 yards, Edwin Watson rushed for two touchdowns and Adrian Beasley had a critical scoop-and-score in the win. Fans rushed the field in West Lafayette. An exhuberant Tiller provided an iconic postgame comment.
"I hope we have a whole lot more of these," Tiller said, surrounded by a sea of black and gold. "It's a great win for Purdue. The first of many, we hope."
Brees earned Purdue's starting job in 1998 and would get the opportunity to play Notre Dame the next three seasons. Although he was 1-2 against the Fighting Irish, the quarterback had his spotlight moment in 1999.
After Notre Dame jumped out to 10-0 lead halfway through the first quarter, Brees and the offense kicked it into gear. He finished the game with 317 passing yards, 39 rushing yards and two total touchdowns as the Boilermakers secured a 28-23 victory.
But it was actually a two-point conversion that is remembered most fondly from the contest. After a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, Brees sprinted towards the pylon with four Notre Dame defenders in the area. The quarterback left his feet, took a hit in mid-air and reached the ball across the goal line to give the Boilers a 22-16 advantage.
— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteDustin) September 10, 2024
"Yeah, that was at a critical point in the second half of that game," Brees said. "There have been some two-point conversions that have been pretty significant in my career. That was one."
About a decade after Brees' career in West Lafayette ended, Notre Dame announced that it was ending some of its traditional rivalries with Big Ten programs. Because the school signed a deal with the ACC, it ended annual games against Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue.
The last annual Purdue-Notre Dame game was played on Sept. 13, 2014 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Since then, the Boilermakers have played their in-state rival just once, a 27-13 loss to the Fighting Irish in South Bend.
"I hated when that game went away," Brees said. "I get it, per their ACC agreement, they were going to play ACC teams and drop the Big Ten teams."
On Saturday, the rivalry gets renewed. Notre Dame will make its first trip to Ross-Ade Stadium since Sept. 14, 2013. The Fighting Irish have won eight straight over the Boilermakers, with Purdue's last victory coming in 2008.
This weekend's matchup is the first of five consecutive contests between Purdue and Notre Dame. It's not a permanent return of the annual rivalry, but it's better than nothing. Brees is hopeful that, one day, the two teams can come to a long-term agreement.
"You always looked forward to watching Notre Dame play Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue," he said. "It would be great if they could bring that back somehow."
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DUSTIN SCHUTTE