Tyrone Tracy Jr., a Purdue football player, declares for the 2024 NFL Draft

Indianapolis, Indiana – Tyrone Tracy Jr., an Indianapolis native, has submitted his NFL draft declaration for 2024.

“This has always been my dream, and I am prepared to face every obstacle,” said Tracy Jr., a Purdue University student who has faced many challenges.

A former University of Iowa player, Tracy Jr. formally left the Hawkeyes to pursue his goal of making the league. “God made me uncomfortable when I was comfortable. I was very comfortable at Iowa. He made me uncomfortable, so I had to pick up my stuff and move. So that I had to transfer to Purdue,” said Tracy Jr.

The 24-year-old suffered a period of isolation after switching to Purdue; he called his mother, who prayed for him.

“The main thing that I prayed for was wisdom,” said Tracy Jr. “I feel like God has placed me in situations or experiences to where I have no choice but to gain wisdom from it.”

Tracy Jr. gained experience in his early years at Decatur Central High School, where he was able to begin playing on the varsity team as a freshman. Tracy Jr. and his family thought he could progress more quickly at Decatur even though football was a strong suit at a few other high schools in the Indianapolis area.

And his family was correct—the 6-foot-1 rushing back won Indiana football’s Gatorade Player of the Year award in 2017.

“I have put a lot into it, so it’s only right that I see it through,” Tracy Jr. said. “I have a lot of people behind me rooting for me to do well. My thing is, I’m not trying to prove the doubters wrong, but I’m trying to prove the believers right.”

He has consistently shown them to be correct. Tracy Jr. continued to win after winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award in 2017. During his time in college, he was recognized by coaches and the media as an honorable mention All-Big Ten player.

In 2023, he ranked 13th in the country for yards per rush as well. This season, he also recorded the highest kick return average by a Boilermaker since 2013.

“It’s to the point where I have no other reason but to give God all the credit,” said Tracy Jr. “Every goal, every accomplishment I get, I give it all back to Him.”

Away from the field, the Purdue University communications major hosts a show of the same name, which in just three episodes has received over 130,000 views.

The senior graduate also volunteers extensively at the Wabash Center, which offers services to people with disabilities. His passion for helping people started at Decatur when he had a superfan with special needs named Peyton Meares. This admirer made the trip to West Lafayette and Iowa, where Tracy Jr. made several appearances on the “big screen.”

“Our God placed this partnership together,” said his oldest brother, Charley Turner V. “This was probably the most authentic partnership he’s really ever done.”

Tracy Jr. honored his Decatur heritage by switching his high school football number to 3 in memory of his late boyhood friend, Dijon Anderson, a student at Warren Central. Anderson was assigned the number 3. Tracy Jr. has worn that number throughout four years of his time in college.