presents: the story behind the sandwich
Not Surprising 'The Boilermaker Pete'
Stands Out
BY ALAN KARPICK
AKarpick@GoldandBlack.com
T
he story of the sandwiches at the Triple XXX
Family Restaurants tells a lot about the history of Purdue sports, and its greatest icons. Duane
Purvis, Leroy Keyes, Bob Griese and now even David
Boudia are on this list.
But so is the unofficial team mascot.
"To us, Purdue Pete is bigger than life, he kind of
is the lynchpin for all Purdue athletics," said Greg
Ehresman, who owns Triple XXX with wife Carrie.
"We wanted something to capture the spirit of Purdue Pete, and The Boilermaker Pete sandwich does
that."
If you read the menu, it succinctly points out that
it is a "Triple Decker beauty" with one-third pound
ground sirloin, two slices of American cheese and
grilled onions. It's the only three-story sandwich on
the menu.
While it is enough to make you hungry, what does
this have to do with the history and tradition of Purdue athletics?
"All of our other sandwiches highlight individuals and the accomplishments there, but Boilermaker Pete is all about the collective,"
Ehresman said. "Pete is a lunchpail, go-to-work-each-day type of
guy. Our restaurant caters to people that we think all have much of
the same work ethic. Purdue Pete is
about all of us."
Ehresman said the sandwich was on
the menu long before he began working at
the restaurant decades ago, probably origninating some time in the 1960s. The original
Triple XXX on State Street has been around in
some form since the '20s, but Purdue Pete has only
existed since the mid-1950s.
So what do former Purdue Petes think about Triple
XXX's honoring the Boilermakers' unofficial mascot.
"To me, it is what it is all about," said John Langenkamp, who served as Purdue Pete from 2004-08.
"If you aspire to be a Purdue Pete, you are all about
the tradition that is Purdue
University. It's not just
in athletics; it is in academics, it is everywhere.
"So as much as
I like athletics,
to me, honoring
Purdue Pete is
honoring all those
that love Purdue. Purdue Pete is the unassuming common
man that makes Purdue a special place."
Purdue
Purdue Pete has been a Boilermaker tradition since
the 1950s and many who follow Purdue think he embodies the spirit of the University.
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