Devin Mockobee has no remorse over Purdue football career's premature end. 'That's ball'
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WEST LAFAYETTE ― Devin Mockobee emerged from through doors at the north end of Mollenkopf Athletic Center’s indoor practice football field, a walking boot on his left foot and crutches easing the pressure on his injured limb.
The last play of Mockobee’s Purdue football career came with 5:29 to go Oct. 25 against Rutgers at Ross-Ade Stadium.
Purdue’s fifth-year senior running back tried to bounce outside, but defensive back Kaj Sanders grabbed Mockobee’s hips and slid off to his ankles just as Mockobee was planting his left foot. Mockobee heard a pop in his left ankle and soon after would learn of ligament damage that would need repaired before returning to football activities.
The injury temporarily took two of Mockobee’s loves away: football and the ability to drive his 1993 Ford Mustang, which is stored away in the garage only until he can again maneuver the clutch with his wounded ankle.
“That’s ball,” said Mockobee, who has no ill will about an unfortunate end to his improbable career. “So you’ve got to take what you get.”
Mockobee was originally committed to Navy when he received a walk-on opportunity from Purdue, courtesy of former Boilermaker running backs coach Chris Barclay after Mockobee won the 2021 Indiana High School Athletic Association state title in long jump and finished second in the 110-meter high hurdles.
His story is well known around Purdue country: fourth string walk-on turned starter who helped Purdue reach its only Big Ten title game in 2022.
With his career now closed, Mockobee finishes behind only three running backs in Purdue history in career rushing yards: Mike Alstott, Kory Sheets and Otis Armstrong. Mockobee is the team’s leading rusher this season by 247 yards over Antonio Harris and likely will be the first Boiler to lead the team in rushing in four different seasons. And he did it while playing under three different head coaches.
He came to Purdue a walk-on who earned the moniker “crazy legs” for his big play ability and elusiveness and leaves a complete running back with NFL aspirations, a dream his focus has now shifted to.
Along the way, he became a fan favorite, sticking through three head coaches all while referring to Purdue as his dream school who wanted to be a Boilermaker to obtain a mechanical engineering technology degree as much as he did for football.
“There’s always been ups and downs with all of it,” Mockobee said. “These past three years haven’t been exactly what I’ve envisioned in the winning aspect of things. At the end of the day, I’ve been blessed more than I could’ve ever imagined from what I got here as to where I am now.
“It teaches you a lot of lessons in that regard from those downs; how to operate and what you can withstand and what you can keep working for no matter the situation.”
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Devin Mockobee reflects on Purdue football career, post ankle surgery
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