Purdue ICONS: #50-40

This part two of the others receiving votes category, where we start to gain some separation and hierarchy before getting into the individual profiles that will make up the top 25. Once again, this was an incredibly fun list to tabulate. This 50-40 countdown features guys and gals that finished on a lot of ballots close to the bottom, adding up slowly over time. I only consider one personality to be a major surprise, as he was the only one outside of the top 25 to receive a first place vote. That person starts off the next stage in a tie for 50^th place.

50 tie. Troy Lewis (26 votes) - One of the famed Three Amigos, Lewis was a star at Purdue from 1985-88. He was recently passed on Purdue's all-time scoring list by E`Twaun Moore. Lewis finished with 2,038 points, good enough for fifth on the all-time list and he is one of just five Purdue players to top 2,000 career points. Moore, Rick Mount, Joe Barry Carroll, and Dave Schellhase are the only other four to do so. Lewis scored 590 points in 1988 as Purdue received a #1 seed to the NCAA Tournament, only to fall short against Kansas State.

50 tie. Neil Armstrong (26 votes) - This one is a bit of a stretch, but one person nominated him with a 25^th place vote due to his status as a member of the All-American Marching Band. The next day, someone voted him #1 for the same reasoning. Those were the only two ballots Neil appeared on, but there is no question that he is our most famous living Alumni. His AAMB pin, which he took to the moon, is on display in the Elliot Hall of Music. Considering how much the band adds to the atmosphere of athletic events I can definitely keeps Neil here.

48 tie. Carl Landry (27 votes) - Carl's chapter is still being written, as he played a large role in the New Orleans Hornets upsetting the Lakers on Sunday. He came to Purdue from Vincennes University and asserted himself with two and a half solid seasons, overcoming a torn ACL to lead Purdue back to the NCAA Tournament in 2007. He has bounced around the NBA a bit, but for a second round pick he has had a large impact at every stop. He has played for the Rockets, Kings, and now Hornets. He averaged 12.2 points per game for his career coming in to this season. He had 17 points in Sunday's upset of the Lakers, and he is one of just three active Purdue players in the NBA.

48 tie. Duane Purvis (27 votes) - Purvis was the starting fullback for one of Purdue's longest eras of prosperity. The Boilermakers went 18-4-2 from 1932-34 with Purvis as halfback and fullback. He was named as an All-American in his final two seasons and he showcased his arm as the occasional quarterback in an era when the passing game was in its infancy.  He was also known as a world-class javelin thrower, and he was Purdue's leading rusher with 1,802 yards until 1968. As a javelin thrower he was a 3-time All-American, but never got to compete in the Olympics. He was named Big Ten Athlete of the Year in 1933. he's also the namesake of the Duane Purvis All-American at Triple XXX:

1/4 lb. of 100% ground sirloin served on a toasted sesame bun with melted cheese on top with lettuce, tomato, pickle, Spanish onion and French fries. Add thick creamy peanut butter on the lower deck and you're in for the touchdown!

47. Stu Schweigert (29 votes) - Stu is one of my favorite Boilermakers of all-time. He has Purdue's all-time interceptions record of 17, which is six more than the previous record. He had 360 tackles in his time at Purdue as a four-year starter, and he eventually went on to the NFL with the Raiders and Lions. He is still working on an NFL return by playing for the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL. He earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2000 when he was the starting safety on our last Rose Bowl team. One could argue that he is the best defensive back to ever play at Purdue.

45 tie. Charles Murphy (31 votes) - Before there was John Wooden, there was Charles "Stretch" Murphy. Murphy played at Purdue from 1927-30 after winning a state championship at Marion. Purdue was 53-13 during his time and he was a two-time All-American his last two years. His last year he was an All-American with Wooden, as he was one of the game's first true centers at 6'6". He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960 with former teammate Wooden.

45 tie. Shereka Wright (31 votes) - Wright is one of six women to be a consensus All-American in her time at Purdue, earning the honor in 2004. She is also the last woman to do so. She is currently an assistant coach with Kristy Curry at Texas Tech. In 2001 she was an all-tournament selection as Purdue finished as National Runner-Up. This was as a freshman. At the time it was thought she and her highly touted class would win another national Championship before they were done, but they never returned to the Final Four.

44. Lamar Lundy (32 votes) - A few years ago I was covering a high school game in Richmond when Lamar Lundy's number was retired by the Red Devils. Lundy was a 13 year member of the Rams and their Fearsome Foursome defense. At Purdue he was our Jackie Robinson, becoming the first black athlete to receive an athletic scholarship. He was a star in both football and basketball at Purdue, and was later drafted to both the NFL and NBA. While with the Rams he caught 35 passes for 584 yards and six touchdowns before moving permanently to defense. The 6'7" defensive end was dominant force that was once an All-Pro selection.

43. Hank Stram (35 Votes) - A lot like tony Butkovich and Alex Agase, Stram had his playing career at Purdue interrupted by World War II. He still earned seven letters in football and baseball before going off to war. He came back and became an assistant coach at Purdue. By 1960 he was a professional head coach, where he developed fellow Boiler Len Dawson with the Kansas City Chiefs. He led the Chiefs to three AFL championships and a victory in Super bowl IV. He later coached two seasons in New Orleans before retiring and becoming a broadcaster. He was a solid color man for 18 years with CBS before he retired in 1993.

42. MaChelle Joseph (36 votes) - Joseph is currently the head coach at Georgia tech, but in her playing days at Purdue she helped Purdue's women's program to its first four straight 20-win seasons. She earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors as well as second-team all-conference accolades in 1989, Joseph was a first-team all-Big Ten selection in 1990, 1991 and 1992 and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year as a senior. She also earned Kodak All-America honors in 1992, when she was tabbed the Women's Basketball News' College Player of the Year.

41. Anthony Spencer (38 votes) - Spencer may not have had the numbers that some of Purdue's recent legends had, but his senior year was enough for him to accomplish what Drew Brees, Mike Alstott, and Kyle Orton never did: He was a First round NFL Draft selection by the Cowboys. He has 200 tackles and 15.5 sacks since being drafted in 2007, but he is remembered as the dominant member of a miserable defense with 10.5 sacks in 2006. He had 63 tackles last season in starting all 16 games for Dallas.

40. Dave Butz (40 votes) - My dad once had a class at Purdue with Dave Butz, forming one of the very few personal connections on this list. They could not have had more opposite athletic careers after said class. My dad's general lack of athleticism in any way led to a 35-year career in pharmacy, passing these genes on to me and giving me the "all heart, little ability" label in many sports. Butz was 6'8" 300 pounds and went on to play in the NFL from 1973-88. He won a pair of Super Bowls with the Redskins and was named to the All-Decade team of the 80s by the NFL. He missed just four games in a 16-year NFL career.