GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 26, ISSUE 3 73
P R E S E N T S : T H E R O S E B O W L A N N I V E R S A R Y
Remembering The Road
To Pasadena
Fifteen share their memories of 15 years ago
"T
here are so many things
that come to me about that
experience every day. I remember
the commitment we made as the
lowest-ranked recruiting class
in the Big Ten to win a Big Ten
championship and go to the Rose
Bowl. That is my goal for everyone
that puts on a uniform for Purdue
today. Go out and get it. Yes, we
had great wins, but it started with
a dream and a plan
… and a chip on
our shoulder about
needing to prove
yourself every day.
That stays with me."
Drew Brees,
Quarterback
New Orleans
Saints/Philanthro-
pist
B
oilermaker fans can recite the
story of the Run for the Roses
by heart. The disappointing early
season losses to Notre Dame and Penn
State, the magical run through October
and the ice-cold celebration in Ross-Ade
Stadium after clinching the Rose Bowl
berth after trouncing IU. But what does
it mean to those most involved 15 years
ago? To commemorate the 15-year anni-
versary, in December we caught up with
15 who were involved with the experi-
ence. In alphabetical order, here is what
they had to say about their "takeaway" a
decade-and-a-half later:
