Purdue fans will always remember October 20, 2018.
Now both major stars from that night are gone way too soon.
Yes, that was Tyler Trent’s big night as Purdue thumped No. 2 Ohio State 49-20, but it was Rondale Moore who put on a show that night. The call of, “HE’S STILL GOING!!!” when he refused to be tackled on Purdue’s final offensive touchdown is a treasured memory for Purdue football, right up there with Brees-to-Morales.
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And now he is gone.
2018 Rondale Moore was transcendent.
He showed us right from the beginning, with two touchdowns in the first quarter of his collegiate career, that he was going to be special, especially on the play where he took a jet sweep on 3rd and short, made one more, and left the entire Northwestern defense in the dust. He set records that year and became the Big Ten’s first-ever true freshman All-American. He was one of those rare players who you knew something special could happen anytime he touched the football that year. Purdue went 6-7 with a number of close losses to Eastern Michigan, Missouri, Northwestern, and Wisconsin, but even when the Boilermakers were behind and struggling offensively, there was Rondale.
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“Get the ball to Rondale and maybe he’ll do something.”
It even almost worked exactly like that in the rain-soaked Eastern Michigan loss, where a certain touchdown was only stopped by the conditions and his own blocker running into him. He was one of those “Just how the hell do you stop that guy?” guys.
He set foot on campus not long after another guy like him had just left, and who also is gone way too soon:
Caleb Swanigan.
It is unfortunate, but his career will be remembered as “meteoric”. That 2018 season was lightning in a bottle as he put up multiple highlight plays each game, living on the college football highlight shows that year, and putting a spotlight on Purdue football that hadn’t been seen since Cowboy Joe. He was lost to injury early in the 2019 season, on one of the most cursed plays in Purdue football history. The weird COVID year in 2020 was a quiet ending to his Purdue career, then more injuries followed once he was in the NFL. He finished the last two NFL seasons on the sidelines with leg injuries, the second occurring before his season with the Vikings even truly began.
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Moore and Swanigan were legends in their time on campus, and they rightfully jumped to stardom early with all the love and support our fandom can give them. It’s hard to reconcile the pure joy they brought to their respective sports, and the sadness of losing both well before their time.
This one hurts. Rondale was a special player. Flashy in his actions, business-like in his personality. There was very rarely a celebration out of him. Just hand the ball to the ref and move on to the next play. He didn’t need to talk; his game said it all.
The Hammer and Rails staff extends our deepest sympathy to his family, friends, teammates, and anyone who found joy in his life both on and off the football field. That Domination of Ohio State is such a legendary game, not just in Purdue history, but in college football history. For one night, Ohio State felt what it was like to have the shoe on the other foot. There wasn’t anything they could do to stay with Rondale and the Boilermakers. The Buckeyes haven’t lost by as many points in a game since. Like many of you, I was there in Ross-Ade Stadium for that magical game, and it capped one of the best days of my life. I started the day in Kokomo at my best friend’s wedding. I ended it by watching the Purdue student section swarm the Ross -Ade stadium field after absolutely destroying mighty Ohio State.
Personally, because of that moment alone, Rondale will always hold a special place in my heart.
This is a devastating reminder to hold your loved ones close, cherish every moment, and let them know how you feel.
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Tomorrow is never promised.
