WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Ryan Walters has been Purdue's head football coach for less than one day and he's already making a big impression - especially with one player.
Walters walked into his first meeting with his new team and wasted no time getting down to business.
"Where's Devin at?" Walters asked the room, calling for redshirt freshman running back Devin Mockobee to stand up.
Mockobee, a Boonville, Indiana native, has rushed for a Purdue freshman-record 920 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 29 passes for 248 yards in his first season of game action for the Boilermakers. He was twice named Big Ten Freshman of the Week and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors.
Walters faced Mockobee as Illinois' defensive coordinator this season when the freshman ran for 106 yards and a touchdown in a 31-24 Purdue win. The coach took notice.
"Obviously, I played against you, all right," he said. "When I found out he was a walk-on, I'm like, 'What the hell's going on over there?' So first order of business, I'm going to pull rank right now and you're on scholarship."
The meeting room erupted in cheers for the freshman.
"I guess that's what it's like to flex a little bit as a head coach. Congratulations man, I couldn't be more happy for you," Walters said.
"Dreams do come true," Mockobee tweeted Monday evening.
"I felt this for him. It’s been quite the journey and worth every single second. Thank you coach and thank you boilermaker fans for accepting my son," Mockobee's father, Conrad, tweeted.
Purdue faces No. 17 LSU in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida on Monday, Jan. 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
