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Purdue Football: Tyler Trent memorialized at Ross-Ade Stadium

By Matthew Bartlett

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - AUGUST 30: Fans make their way to the stadium prior to a Big Ten game between the Northwestern Wildcats and Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on August 30, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - AUGUST 30: Fans make their way to the stadium prior to a Big Ten game between the Northwestern Wildcats and Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium on August 30, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Purdue football super fan Tyler Trent made an impact on the Boilermakers and the college football world. Now his legacy will live on at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Things aren’t how they used to be. College football has become a business. For better or worse, money, sponsorship, facilities and recruiting edges have risen to the top of the pecking order. This new world has produced powerhouse programs — Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, etc. — but sometimes at the expense of the proverbial “little guy”.

Tyler Trent was no little guy. The cancer-battling Purdue super fan inspired the nation during the 2019 season before ultimately losing his fight to the hated sickness. Now, rather than cash a check from a booster to put another name on another portion of their stadium, Purdue has decided to do something refreshing and honorable.

The Boilermakers will name the Student Gate at Ross-Ade Stadium the Tyler Trent Student Gate.

In the ever-changing landscape of college football, Tyler Trent’s name and legacy will be forever preserved in one of the most visible areas of the Purdue football program. No student will be able to see the Boilermakers play without walking through the gate which now bears his name. This small decision will touch this fanbase forever, as it should, because Trent’s impact on this program has been significant.

But Purdue is doing more than just the physical marker. They’ve also created a scholarship fund in Trent’s name. Both are small gestures which speak volumes. University President Mitch Daniels summed it up the best:

"Tyler showed the character and resiliency to which we all should aspire. His message of hope and positivity resonated far beyond our campus; it truly touched the entire nation. His story is now a big part of the Purdue history, and this gate and scholarship will serve to preserve it forever."

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Thank you Purdue and thank you Tyler Trent. For giving us a reminder that some things in life matter more than others, even more than football.

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