Thompson: Purdue football Who Wore It Best Nos. 6-10

Two members of Purdue's Cradle of Quarterbacks make an appearance in this edition of Purdue Football: Who Wore it Best?

But, these quarterbacks weren't automatic selections even though they rank among the best to wear gold and black. Picking the best who wore numbers 1 through 5 was much easier than this week's task. 

If you disagree with my picks, let me know. My email is at the end of this column.

PART 1:Who wore Nos. 1-5 best in Purdue football?

The pick: Wide receiver Isaac Jones 

Jones will be forever remembered for his final catch in a Purdue uniform, a 19-yard touchdown reception from Drew Brees with 30 seconds left that gave Purdue a 37-34 upset victory against No. 4 Kansas State in the 1998 Alamo Bowl. 

Jones was one of Brees' favorite targets in 1998, catching 83 passes for 899 yards and seven touchdowns. Jones thrived in the two seasons he played in Joe Tiller's offense, making 124 of his 154 career receptions for 1,332 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Honorable mention: Wide receiver/running back Jeff Hill (1990-93) was one of the few playmakers for Purdue in the early Jim Colletto era, rushing for 678 yards as a sophomore and catching 35 passes for 559 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. His speed and versatility earned him three seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals; Desmond Tardy (2004-2008) was Purdue's first Indiana Mr. Football winner. He made the successful transition from quarterback at Warren Central to wide receiver/kickoff return specialist for the Boilermakers. Tardy's best season was as a senior when he caught 67 passes for 876 yards and five touchdowns.

Did you know?: Hill has been the head men's and women's track and field coach at NCAA Division III Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Ky., for the past eight years. He led the men to the program's first Presidents' Athletic Conference championship in 2016-17.

MORE:Thompson: Who wore Nos. 1-5 best in Purdue football?

The pick: Safety Adrian Beasley

Beasley will be forever remembered for his 43-yard fumble return for a touchdown against No. 12 Notre Dame in 1997 that helped the Boilermakers all but clinch Joe Tiller's first victory at Purdue.

However, that was just the beginning for Beasley, the Alamo Bowl Outstanding Defensive Player of the game in 1997 against Oklahoma State. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 1999 and his 11 career interceptions rank tied for third in school history.

Honorable mention: DeAngelo Yancey (20013-16) was a second-team All-Big Ten receiver as a senior finishing third in the conference with 10 touchdowns and leading all Big Ten receivers in yards per reception. He totaled 2,344 career receiving yards and 20 receiving touchdowns before earning a place on the Green Bay Packers' practice squad in 2017; Ashante Woodyard (2000-2001), like Beasley, also recorded a memorable return for a touchdown.The junior college transfer cornerback swooped up a blocked field goal try in overtime at Wisconsin and returned it 36 yards for the victory during the October 2000, run that paved the way for Purdue's second Rose Bowl trip. He overcame a knee injury as a senior to record two interceptions, a blocked punt and 32 tackles; Cornerback Brandon King (2005-09) was a three-year starter before making NFL stops in Indianapolis, Miami, Jacksonville and Detroit.

Did you know?: Rob Deignan (1992-95) was the Big Ten's punting leader in 1993 with a 41.6 average.

The pick: Raheem Mostert

Arguably the fastest man to ever wear a Purdue football uniform, Mostert wasted little time making an impact as a freshman. His 99-yard kickoff return against Western Michigan in the Little Caesars Bowl was a highlight of a season that saw him average a school record 33.5 yards a return. Against Wisconsin in 2011, his five kickoff returns for 206 yards broke 42-year-old school records for total yards and average yards per return.

Mostert became a bigger part of the Purdue offense in 2014, splitting time with Akeem Hunt in the backfield. He rushed for 529 yards and three touchdowns on 93 carries to go with 34 kick returns for 731 yards. 

Mostert also was a four-time Big Ten sprint champion in track and field in 2014.

Honorable mention: Converted quarterbacks Ralph Turner and Keith Smith played key roles for the Boilermakers. Turner made 38 starts at safety from 1999-2002, and was one of Purdue's top tacklers as a senior with 71 to go with two interceptions. Smith (2006, 2008-10) turned himself into a first-team All-Big Ten wide receiver in 2009, leading the league in receptions (91) and receiving yards (1,100); Scott Sovereen was a second-team All-Big Ten kicker in 1978, helping Purdue reach the Peach Bowl.

Did you know?: Sovereen was Purdue's first All-Big Ten placekicker, a feat matched only by Travis Dorsch (first team, 2001) and Rick Anderson (second team, 1980)

The pick: Mark Herrmann

Herrmann left Purdue in 1980 as the most prolific passer in NCAA history. holding nine NCAA records including career passing yards (9.188 not counting statistics from three bowl games) and completions (707). A four-year starter, Herrmann not only was the first NCAA quarterback to pass for 9,000 yards but for 8,000 as well. He was the Offensive MVP for all three bowls he led Purdue to victories (Peach, Bluebonnet and Liberty). A unanimous All-American in 1980, Herrmann finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting and went on to an 11-year NFL career. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Honorable mention: One would think that a member of the College Football Hall of Fame would be a lock for Who Wore No. 9 Best? It wasn't that easy thanks to the careers safety Stuart Scheweigert, wide receiver Dorien Bryant and cornerback Anthony Brown had at Purdue.

Schweigert was one of the impact freshmen who helped Purdue win its most recent Big Ten championship in 2000 and its second Rose Bowl appearance. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2000, Schweigert broke Rod Woodson's career interceptions record with 17 during a career that saw him earn two first-team All-Big Ten selections and a pair of second-team honors.

Bryant, the best wide receiver recruit during the Tiller era, set Purdue's all-purpose yards record (6,219) among his 23 school and Big Ten marks during his time in West Lafayette from 2004-07. He was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection.

Playing with an attitude that he had something to prove, Brown was a three-year starter who blossomed as a senior in 2015 with four interceptions and 60 tackles. That earned him a fifth-round selection by the Dallas Cowboys, for whom he has made 19 starts during the past two seasons.

Did you know?: The late Eric Hunter was Purdue's second consecutive quarterback to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, following Brian Fox who transferred to Florida after the 1988 season.

The pick: Dale Samuels

Why Samuels rather than Scott Campbell, another member of the Cradle of Quarterbacks?

Two reasons really. One, Samuels led the Boilermakers to one of, if not the greatest victory in school history in 1950 when Purdue halted No. 1 Notre Dame's 39-game unbeaten streak with a 28-14 victory in South Bend. The Irish had not lost at home since 1942.

The other is he quarterbacked Purdue to a Big Ten Conference co-championship in 1952. The Boilermakers were denied a Rose Bowl trip when the league athletic directors voted for Wisconsin.

Honorable mention: Campbell (1980-83) had the unenviable task of following Mark Herrmann as Purdue's starting quarterback but proved quickly that he was up to the task. In a 45-33 loss to Ohio State in 1981, Campbell had 31 completions in 52 attempts for 516 yards and three touchdowns. His attempts, completions and yardage were all school records. Campbell still ranks fifth in Purdue history with 7,636 passing yards and 45 touchdowns.

Ray Edwards (2003-05), a member of Purdue's Den of Defensive Ends, ranks in the school's top 10 with 16 career sacks.

Thompson is the Journal & Courier's sports editor. Email him at kthompson@jconline.com.