Our August 11, 2025, edition of Chariot Auto Group 2001 Rose Bowl recollections features former Purdue defensive tackle Craig Terrill. A redshirt freshman on the 2000 Big Ten champs, Terrill was he pride of Lebanon, Indiana and would up being a four-year starter, and an All-Big Ten level player for Brock Spack’s defense. Audio Only […]
Our August 11, 2025, edition of Chariot Auto Group 2001 Rose Bowl recollections features former Purdue defensive tackle Craig Terrill. A redshirt freshman on the 2000 Big Ten champs, Terrill was he pride of Lebanon, Indiana and would up being a four-year starter, and an All-Big Ten level player for Brock Spack’s defense.
Terrill’s first kick block of his football career couldn’t have been bigger for Purdue
In a season of big plays, Purdue’s redshirt freshman defensive tackles Craig Terrill made one of the biggest.
As Wisconsin lined up for a 50-plus-yard field goal attempt on the first possession of overtime, the Boilermakers’ eighth game of the season, the visitors like their chances to make a big play. Junior Akin Ayodele had made a sack moments before to force the long attempt, but the fact that the Badgers chose to kick caught Purdue a bit off guard.
“I was surprised they were kicking it first of all, being in overtime and you’re losing possession either way,” Terrill said. “It was the first kick I’ve ever blocked, ever in football. I’d never blocked one in high school. I know we worked a lot on field goal block, like in practice, and we had a great special teams coach in Scott Downing. That’s the beauty of field goal is just throw your body in there and try to put your face in front of the ball and hope it hits some part of you.”
That it did.
“We had been pushing their offensive line back all day, and usually in a field goal block, it is a hand tip or it bounces off the helmet, but this one hit my chest,” Terrill said.
So how come Terrill didn’t win the foot race to get the ball? Tongue in cheek, Terrill said, “Thank goodness I didn’t have to pick that ball up and somebody (with the speed of) like Ashante was there to grab it, because I wasn’t going to make it to the end zone, but he had the speed.”
And 36 yards later, Purdue had the game winner and a pile-up in the end zone celebrating the triumph.
“I started celebrating earlier (before Woodyard made the end zone) just to make it look like I could have done it,” said Terrill, who played seven years in the NFL with the Seahawks, with a smile.
Lebanon, where Terrill and his family still live, was a much smaller town than it is today, so it was an extra special treat to have so many “small town” fans from his hometown in Pasadena. It was Terrill’s first trip to California.
“It was 25 years ago, we need to go again,” Terrill said.
Terrill, a skilled guitarist with a couple of albums to his credit, remains an ardent fan of Bruce Springsteen, but also has an affinity for country music. He and his wife, Rachel, have three daughters, ages 16, 13, and 11. One of the daughters is a drummer who recently won a local talent show. Terrill even occasionally gets to “sit in” when the kids are playing at home.
“They are all musical, and they have a wide variety of interests, including sports,” Terrill said. “I need Bruce to go back on tour in America so I can take them to a concert.
“Rachel and I are blessed with great kids.”
More: Rose Bowl Recollections: Chukky Okobi | Vinny Sutherland | A.T. Simpson | Scott Downing | Ben Smith
Gold and Black Illustrated Archives–2000 season game stories
Game 1: No. 15 Purdue 48, Central Michigan 0
Game 2: No. 14 Purdue 45, Kent State 10
Game 3: No. 21 Notre Dame 23, No. 14 Purdue 21
Game 4: No. 21 Purdue 38, Minnesota 24
Game 5: Penn State 22, No. 22 Purdue 20
Game 6: Purdue 32, No. 6 Michigan 31
Game 7: No. 21 Purdue 41, No. 17 Northwestern 28
Game 8: No. 17 Purdue 30, Wisconsin 24 (ot)
Game 9: No. 16 Purdue 31, No. 12 Ohio State 27
Game 10: Michigan State 30, No. 9 Purdue 10
Game 11: No. 17 Purdue 41, Indiana 13
Game 12: No. 4 Washington 34, No. 14 Purdue 24
Category: General Sports
