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A 2021 ACL injury to his left knee could’ve put him out of competitive football for good.
But for Purdue Boilermakers cornerback and former Christian County Colonels star Cory Trice, it wound up being just the catalyst he needed to channel everything back into the game he loves.
At 6-3 and 215 pounds, Trice has transitioned from free safety to the outside over the last few years, notching a sub-4.6 40-yard dash but saw a lot of that hard work and progress shattered last year — when a twisted ankle against Notre Dame eventually became something more.
To come back from it in less than a year? Nothing short of difficult.
This push has helped him put together one of his best overall seasons as a Boilermaker. Through 11 games, Purdue is 7-4, and he’s notched 23 tackles and 10 pass deflections in those contests.
In the October 8 31-29 win over Maryland, his first-quarter interception of quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa helped Purdue stay within a 7-3 deficit.
Now, he’s approaching a heavily-anticipated in-state matchup against Indiana this Saturday, a possible berth into the Big 10 title game, an invite to the senior-laden East-West Shrine Bowl, an FBS Bowl game — and growing energy around his professional opportunities.
And he’s doing this all with humility, despite the fact most current NFL draft boards have the svelte senior going somewhere in the fourth or fifth round.
Trice undoubtedly had strong redshirt freshman and sophomore campaigns. In 2019, he finished with 35 tackles, three interceptions and four pass deflections, then followed that with 31 tackles and two more deflections.
But there’s something about this season, he said, that just feels…better. Feels different.
With an injured knee and COVID-19 accelerating the transfer portal to new and unprecedented heights, Trice could’ve moved on in these last 18 months — and no one probably would’ve thought any different of it.
Instead, Trice opted to stay put — courtesy of some insight from his family, and mostly his mother.
Once the pads, the helmet, the cleats, the injuries and the grind get to be too much, Trice says he wants to stick near the game — perhaps as a coach or a teacher — and take student-athletes to the next level.
And like any good instructor, he’s already got some worthwhile advice for those wishing to follow in his unique footsteps.
In October, Trice was named to the College Sports Communicators “Comeback Player of the Year” List, as one of only five cornerbacks given the nod.
Set for February 2, 2023, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Trice’s planned appearance in the East-West Shrine Bowl puts him in a long list of professional talent to participate — including Tom Brady, Walter Payton, Lawrence Taylor, John Elway, Gale Sayers, Will Shields, Troy Vincent, Larry Csonka, Joe Greene, Pat Tillman, Dick Butkus and more. The showcase was first held in 1925.
