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As we know, the Cradle of Quarterbacks has produced more yards and more NFL starts than any other school. This article from August 2009 shows that nine different Boilermaker quarterbacks have stared at least one NFL game, with the Boilers notching 704 starts, well ahead of Washington's 617. Purdue has added to that list since then. Curtis Painter became the 10th Purdue quarterback to start an NFL game in 2011 when he started eight games for the Colts. Drew Brees has started all but one game for the Saints since the article was published, adding 78 starts to his total for 184 starts.
Now Kyle Orton will add on to the Purdue totals, as the back injury to Tony Romo means Orton will get his first start since 2011 with Kansas City. It will be his 37th start since the article above was published. Combined with Brees' start vs. Tampa on Sunday will give Purdue quarterbacks 828 NFL starts.
It will also be the fourth different team Orton has started a game for, breaking Jim Everett's record of three teams (New Orleans, the Rams, and one start in 1997 with San Diego).
Your list of total starts for Purdue QBs:
Drew Brees - 185 starts (counting this Sunday)
Jim Everett - 153 starts
Bob Griese -151 starts
Len Dawson - 104 starts
Mike Phipps - 72 starts
Kyle Orton - 70 starts (counting this Sunday)
Gary Danielson - 60 starts
Scott Campbell - 13 starts
Mark Herrmann - 12 starts
Curtis Painter - 8 starts
A Cowboys win could also lead to Boiler vs. Boiler crime in round one. If Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, and Carolina all win on Sunday the Saints will visit the Cowboys in the wild card round of the NFC playoffs.
The starts above are all regular season only. Dawson, Brees, and Griese have all won Super Bowls, while Everett also reached the playoffs in his career. Here are the playoff numbers:
Brees: 5-5 as starter:
Griese: 6-5
Dawson: 5-3
Everett: 2-3
That makes 862 starts, counting playoffs, for Purdue quarterbacks, with three Super Bowl rings.
Also, Purdue has the most passing yards of any school by far:
Brees: 50,700 (5th all-time)
Everett: 34,837 (20th all-time)
Dawson: 28,711 (47th all-time)
Griese: 25,092 (64th all-time)
Orton: 14,661
Danielson: 13,764
Phipps: 10,506
Herrmann: 4,015
Campbell: 2,983
Painter: 1,670
That is 186,939 (and counting) yards passing by Purdue starting QBs in the NFL. I am not sure if there was a Purdue QB that played, but did not start, in a game. It also doesn't count other random passes, as Mike Alstott technically had two passing attempts and Leroy Keyes completed one pass for 14 yards in his career.
We could also technically claim Jeff George's 124 starts and 27,602 yards (which were not in the article listed above), but no one wants to claim Jeff George.
Cradle of Quarterbacks indeed.