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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 5 32 Kerrigan loves being the second-most recogniz- able alumni face of Purdue football and has worked to stay close to the program. He was back in town for the spring game in early April and holds an annual char- ity golf event at the Birck-Boilermaker Golf Complex, something he will do again this year on the same week- end of his induction. "I know how much Drew Brees means to this pro- gram and, heck, he was a Heisman Trophy finalist," Kerrigan said. "He is still one of the best players in the NFL to this day. To be even be considered in the same sentence as him means a lot to me and it is not some- thing that I take lightly." Kerrigan also likes the other way he is being immor- talized, with a sandwich item, introduced in 2016, at the Triple XXX Family Restaurants. He made sure he stopped by the restaurant when he was back in town for the spring game. It is the largest burger at Triple XXX and people have had trouble finishing it. "It was a staple of my diet in college," Kerrigan said. "It is really cool to me to go back to the X and see the burger named after me. People will say they got the Ryan Kerrigan burger and either didn't finish it or or- dered it on an empty stomach. It is defi- nitely one of the bigger items." That's an understatement for a man who doesn't really like attention drawn to him. He is known for his boyish good looks and his cameo appearance in the movie "Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!" But those good looks were taken off the mar- ket when he married Jessica Mazura a couple months ago. The former soccer player at Cal-Berkeley met Kerrigan at a charity event, something that Kerrigan spends a lot of time with. "She is great, and she might be more competitive than I am," said Kerrigan, who thinks the two complement each other well. "I am very lucky." Speaking of good fortune, Kerrigan hopes that the rival Philadelphia Eagles' surprising rise from last place to Super Bowl champion in the span of one year rubs off on his team. "It gives you hope to see a team in last place go on to win it all," said Kerrigan, who admit- ted he wasn't rooting for the Eagles against the Patri- ots. "That is what is so great about the NFL, too, is that there is so much parity. It really can be anybody's year." For 29 years of his life, it seems like every year has been Kerrigan's year. j Purdue's Hall of Fame Class of 2018 • Jermaine Allensworth, baseball, 1991-93 • Gregg Bingham, football, 1970-72 • Clifford Furnas, track & field, 1919-22 • Stephanie (Lynch) Harpenau, volleyball, 2005-08 • Maria Hernandez, golf, 2006-09 • Ryan Kerrigan, football, 2007-10 • Kara (Patterson) Winger, track and field, 2005-09 CERAMIC • ENGINEERED HARDWOOD LAMINATES • MARBLE CARPETING Specializing in • Homes • Businesses • Churches • Schools Where Contractors Buy Their Flooring Builders! Call our Contract Department and ask for our Contract Specialist 3437 South Street 765-447-9393 800-403-6889 FAX 765-448-9978 Across from the Post Office GO BOILERS