Everything’s coming up rosy in Purdue countdown of the 50s

This week’s countdown of the best to wear Purdue football numbers 51-60 could almost be called the Rose Bowl edition.
Four players from the Boilermakers' two Rose Bowl teams made the list, as did perhaps the finest pass rusher in Purdue history and one of the centerpieces of arguably the finest recruiting class in Boilermaker football history.
No. 51
The pick: Joe Odom
Odom (1999-2002) was an athletic linebacker who started his final three seasons. Odom's junior year was his best statistically with 78 tackles and three interceptions. He was a sixth-round pick of the Chicago Bears and played three seasons.
Honorable mention: Jayme Washel (1992-95) was a three-year starting defensive tackle.
No. 52
The pick: Jack Calcaterra
Calcaterra (1964-66) put the Boilermakers' best interests ahead of his own when he agreed to move to offensive tackle as a senior after starting for two seasons at middle guard. The move shored up an offensive line that protected Bob Griese and opened holes for a deep running back corps led by Perry Williams.
Honorable mention: Ray Gunner (1978-81) was a two-year starting guard.
No. 53
The pick: Shaun Phillips
Even though he wore three different numbers at Purdue, Phillips (2000-03) was too good not to get mentioned somewhere in these rankings (He had no chance at No. 15).
Phillips started 49 consecutive games and developed into one of the best pass rushers in Boilermaker history. He recorded 14.5 sacks as a senior, earning first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-American honors.
While he came to Purdue hoping to catch passes from Drew Brees, Phillips did play tight end in goal line situations and caught two touchdown passes. He went on to collect 81.5 sacks in an 11-year NFL career.
Honorable mention: Defensive tackle Jon Krick (1993-96) didn't let diabetes stop him from having a productive collegiate career. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. ... Offensive lineman Todd Tyrie (1984-86) was one of a handful of Lafayette Jeff standouts to play for the Boilermakers in the 80s. Tyrie started at guard alongside another former Broncho, Rick Skibinski, in 1985 and then took Skibinski's spot at center the following season. … Kirk Barron (2015-18) started the final 39 games of his career at center and was honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2018.
No. 54
The pick: Jake Replogle
Injuries short-circuited a promising career for Replogle (2013-16), who was on the watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award and Outland Trophy before his senior season. He was Purdue's Defensive MVP in 2016 and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. He recorded 35 tackles for loss, including 14 as a junior, and was a three-year starting defensive tackle.
Honorable mention: Mark Fischer (1994-97) was a three-year starter at guard and tackle who went on to a four-year NFL career with Washington. ... Rob Turner (1999-2002) was a three-year starting guard. ... Mark Drenth (1982-85) started three seasons at offensive tackle.
No. 55
The pick: Gregg Bingham
Twice a first-team All-Big Ten middle guard, Bingham (1970-72) led Purdue with 89 tackles as a senior. Drafted in the fourth round by the Houston Oilers, he proved to be a wise pick. In 12 seasons, Bingham started 173 regular season games at linebacker and recorded 21 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries.
Honorable mention: The father-son combination of Pat and Bart Conley left their marks on Purdue football. Both were three-year starting linebackers: Pat from 1964-66 and Bart from 1992-94. Bart led Purdue with 93 tackles in 1993. ... Lou Defilippo was the starting center on the undefeated 1943 Boilermaker squad and his son, Louis Jr., would be a two-year starting offensive lineman for Purdue in the 1960s. ... Linebacker Darren Trieb (1988-90) led Purdue with 143 tackles in 1988 and 144 in 1989 after transferring from Iowa State. ... Fellow linebacker Eric Beatty (1989-92) took over Trieb's No. 55 in 1991 and earned All-Big Ten honors in 1992. He still ranks third in career tackles with 448. ... Ian Allen (1997-2000) was one of five future NFL offensive linemen from the 2000 Rose Bowl team. ... Defensive tackle Brandon Villarreal (2002-05) recorded 35 tackles for loss during his career.
No. 56
The pick: Chukky Okobi
Okobi was a rare four-year starter at guard and center for Purdue from 1997 to 2000, not bad for someone who claimed the Boilermakers were his only scholarship offer. He was second-team All-Big Ten as a sophomore but an injury cost him half of the 1999 season.
Okobi moved to center for the 2000 season and was part of an offensive line that featured five future NFL players. He spent eight seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Honorable mention: Center Walt Cudzik was a two-year starter and a member of the 1952 co-Big Ten championship team. He was a charter member of the Boston (now New England) Patriots. ... Lafayette Jeff graduate Rick Skibinski, like his father, uncle and cousin, was a starter for the Boilermakers at center in 1985. ... Matt Turner was a four-year starter at guard and center from 2002-05.
No. 57
The pick: Ed Flanagan
A late bloomer who put on 40 pounds between his freshman and sophomore year, Flanagan developed into a second-team All-Big Ten center in 1964, the same year another future pro, Bob Griese, took over as starting quarterback.
Flanagan then became a 10-year starter for the Detroit Lions, earning four Pro Bowl appearances. His final two years in the NFL were also as starting center for the San Diego Chargers.
Honorable mention: Robert Kugler (2012-15) was a four-year starter at guard and center. He also was named Academic All-Big Ten all four seasons.
No. 58
The pick: Kevin Motts
This was not an easy choice, especially since All-Big Ten linebacker Brock Spack was a classmate of mine at Purdue, but when someone has held the Boilermaker career tackles record for 40 years like Motts, that has to mean something.
From 1976-79, Motts collected 520 tackles from his middle linebacker spot. That's 41 more than runner-up Fred Strickland accumulated. Motts was a second-team All-Big Ten selection as a senior.
Honorable mention: Brock Spack (1980-83) was a three-year starter and still ranks fifth in career tackles with 384. He was a first-team All-Big Ten pick in 1981. ... Neil Habig was a three-year starter at center from 1955-57 and played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League. ... Bob Yunaska (1965-68) was a three-year starting linebacker who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 1968.
No. 59
The pick: Rosevelt Colvin
The first, along with Chike Okeafor, of many outstanding defensive ends to suit up in the Joe Tiller era. A three-year starter, the last two under Tiller, Colvin (1995-98) still holds the record for sacks in a season with 15 as a senior and for his career (35).
Colvin, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, went on to earn two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots during a 10-year NFL career that included stops in Chicago and Houston.
Honorable mention: Ned Maloney (1945-47) was a two-time team Most Valuable Player at end and a member of Purdue's All-Time Football Team selected in 1987. Maloney returned to Purdue after two years with the San Francisco 49ers as an assistant coach (1951-72) and equipment manager (1972-87). He was inducted into the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. ... Linebacker James Looney (1979-80) starred for the Bluebonnet and Liberty Bowl championship teams. He owns the record with 20 solo tackles against Michigan in 1980. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors that season after recording 180 total tackles. ... When Looney departed, Mark Brown stepped in the next two seasons (1981-82) and was just as good, if not better. Brown recorded 209 tackles as a senior, including 161 solos, both still Purdue records. He played nine seasons in the NFL with Miami and Detroit. ... Linebacker Stanford Keglar (2004-07) was a three-year starter who also played three seasons in the NFL.
No. 60
The pick: Chuck Kyle
One of the newest members of the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, he is among a handful of three-time first-team All-Big Ten selections in Purdue history. Kyle (1966-68) ended his career with a performance that still stands as a school record. The middle guard recorded 27 tackles (14 solo) against Indiana to wrap up consensus All-American honors.
Honorable mention: Linebacker David Frye (1980-82) was a three-year starter who fought from being undrafted to enjoying a seven-year NFL career with Atlanta and Miami ... Stan Sczurek (1959-61) was a three-year starter at guard, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior. He played four seasons in the NFL with Cleveland and the New York Giants.