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AN INSPIRING EVENING IN MACKEY
New Hall of Fame class humbled by induction
Purdue
BY ALAN KARPICK
AKarpick@GoldandBlack.com
J
From left Morgan Burke, Serene Ross, Jane Jamison Messer
(representing Alpha Jamison), Joe Tiller, Matt Light, Stacy
Lovelace, Carol Mertler, Willie Merriweather, Molly Walbaum
oe Tiller was even a little subdued.
(representing husband Richard) and Tricia Parkin (representSure the jokes came out, but maybe not as ing her uncle Tony Butkovich) at the induction ceremony.
rapid fire as usual. But the impact of being recognized as a person worthy of Hall of Fame induction
is enough to even cause Tiller to get serious for a
moment.
"I think when you are inducted into a Hall of Fame,
it means you are joining a group of individuals who
have had an impact and been difference-makers,"
Tiller said during the ceremony held on Sept. 28 on
the floor of Mackey Arena. "To be included in differ-
f
ence-makers at an institution like Purdue, it is pretty
special."
Tiller seemed especially honored to share the experience with Matt Light, his offensive tackle on the
Rose Bowl team. But he did have a quip about Light's
position switch as a Boilermaker.
"Through my genius we talked him into playing
tackle instead of tight end," Tiller said with a laugh.
"I said to Matt, 'Do you want to be a slow tight end or
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