Duane Purvis
Encyclopedia
Duane Purvis was an All-American football
player and track and field performer.
A native of Mattoon, Illinois
, Purvis played halfback
and fullback
for the Purdue
Boilermakers
from 1932 to 1934. He was selected as an All-American in 1933 and 1934. Considered an all-around player, Purvis averaged five yards per carry in 1934 with touchdown runs of 80 and 73 yards. He was also considered to be an excellent defensive player and "without peer" as a long passer, using a strong right arm that also made him a world-class javelin throw
er. He played in the 1935 East-West Shrine Game and suffered a knee injury in the game. During his hospitalization in California, the Oakland Tribune published a profile on Purvis describing him as a "brown-eyed, fair-haired, firm-jawed chap" who was considered "the finest back ever to pack a pigskin for the Boilermakers' eleven." Asked if he intended to play professional football, Purvis replied, "I should say not. I've had just about enough football. It's a great game when you're in college and the best game to forget about when you're out. I'm going to get to work as soon as they hand me that old A.B. at Purdue."
For more than 30 years, Purvis held the career rushing record at Purdue with 1,802 yards. His record was broken in November 1968 by both Leroy Keyes and Perry Williams.
In the sport of track and field, Purvis earned All-American recognition three times; winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association
javelin championship in 1933 and 1934. Purvis was also ranked third globally in the javelin during 1933; that same year, in a poll conducted by the Associated Press
, Duane Purvis was selected as the top athlete in the Big Ten Conference
. As further testimony to the athletic prowess of Duane Purvis; his 1933 Purdue University javelin record of 66.60 meters remained on the books until 1982, when it was eclipsed by Boilermaker Jim Hartman - with a mark of 69.92 meters.
Upon graduating from Purdue, Duane Purvis taught in the university's physical education department.; he was married to Dorothy Mae Evans (Sept. 1, 1911 - Jan. 25, 2007).
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and track and field performer.
A native of Mattoon, Illinois
Mattoon, Illinois
Mattoon is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,555 as of the 2010 census. It is a principal city of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.Mattoon was the site of the "Mad Gasser" attacks of the 1940s....
, Purvis played halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
and fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
for the Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
Boilermakers
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
from 1932 to 1934. He was selected as an All-American in 1933 and 1934. Considered an all-around player, Purvis averaged five yards per carry in 1934 with touchdown runs of 80 and 73 yards. He was also considered to be an excellent defensive player and "without peer" as a long passer, using a strong right arm that also made him a world-class javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
er. He played in the 1935 East-West Shrine Game and suffered a knee injury in the game. During his hospitalization in California, the Oakland Tribune published a profile on Purvis describing him as a "brown-eyed, fair-haired, firm-jawed chap" who was considered "the finest back ever to pack a pigskin for the Boilermakers' eleven." Asked if he intended to play professional football, Purvis replied, "I should say not. I've had just about enough football. It's a great game when you're in college and the best game to forget about when you're out. I'm going to get to work as soon as they hand me that old A.B. at Purdue."
For more than 30 years, Purvis held the career rushing record at Purdue with 1,802 yards. His record was broken in November 1968 by both Leroy Keyes and Perry Williams.
In the sport of track and field, Purvis earned All-American recognition three times; winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
javelin championship in 1933 and 1934. Purvis was also ranked third globally in the javelin during 1933; that same year, in a poll conducted by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Duane Purvis was selected as the top athlete in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. As further testimony to the athletic prowess of Duane Purvis; his 1933 Purdue University javelin record of 66.60 meters remained on the books until 1982, when it was eclipsed by Boilermaker Jim Hartman - with a mark of 69.92 meters.
Upon graduating from Purdue, Duane Purvis taught in the university's physical education department.; he was married to Dorothy Mae Evans (Sept. 1, 1911 - Jan. 25, 2007).