Purdue Football: A farewell to All-American wide receiver Rondale Moore

Rondale Moore was one of the most exciting receivers at the collegiate level in recent memory but now his career with Purdue football is over.

It’s been one of the most bizarre years in history and it’s led to some unprecedented decisions made by athletes across the world.

Some athletes have decided not to join their teams in the NBA bubble, some have tested positive for COVID-19 in the MLB and others are hoping to get a chance in the NFL. Fall high school sports have been moved, for the most part, until the spring and college football and basketball players are opting out at high rates in recent weeks.

Guys like reigning Big Ten receiver of the year Rashod Bateman and potential All-American linebacker Micah Parsons have decided to skip the 2020 season in order to prepare for the NFL draft. Miami’s Gregory Rousseau has done the same but he was only a freshman last year, so he has to return for the 2021 season.

Arguably the biggest name to opt out thus far, though, has been Rondale Moore and he did so on Thursday afternoon, saying his farewell to Purdue fans on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/moore_rondale/status/1291492884269740033?s=20

As a Michigan State fan, this doesn’t hurt my heart as much as it would if I were a Boilermaker, but it’s disappointing nonetheless.

So I decided to write a quick farewell to one of the best receivers the Big Ten has seen in years.

Farewell, Rondale Moore

Rondale,

You don’t know me, I didn’t root for you, but you had a major impact on the sport that I love and you brought joy to even the most casual of fans.

Turning on Sportscenter in the fall of 2018, it was nearly impossible to see a highlight or top-10 play without you involved. You made defenses look silly and even made future NFL draft picks at Ohio State look like high school freshmen in that massive upset.

You were everything fans of college football wanted on their team.

Purdue fans were lucky enough to call you theirs for two years and watching you go down with an injury in 2019 was devastating for you just as much as it was for the sport. Everyone was rooting for you and your sophomore year was stripped from you. If we knew that it would be the last time we saw you on a college field, we would have cherished the time we had gotten to watch you more.

What you did for Purdue fans was nothing short of amazing; you gave them hope for the future. You brought excitement back to West Lafayette for the first time in years. You had that electricity. You could ‘ooh’ and ‘ahhh’ crowds with ease and whenever the ball was in your hands, we knew something wild was about to happen.

Although you’ll no longer be terrorizing my favorite team’s defensive backfield, I can honestly say that you were a national fan favorite and I wish you got one more ride.

I’m sorry that your career at Purdue ended the way it did. It’s not fair. You deserved more and you were undoubtedly in line for All-American and Heisman-caliber seasons if not for an injury and a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.

Now do something for all of us one more time: go dominate the NFL. We know you’re capable of it — we saw what you did against an NFL talent-ridden Ohio State roster a couple of years ago.

Go be great. Again.

Sincerely,
College football fans everywhere