Purdue's Cory Trice Named to Comeback Player of the Year Watch List After Return From Injury

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After having his season cut short last season with an ACL tear, Purdue cornerback Cory Trice has made it back to the field for his redshirt senior season in 2022. 

He's started all six games for the Boilermakers, and his performance this season was recognized on Wednesday when he was added to the Comeback Player of the Year Award watch list. 

"I think Cory has done a really good job," Purdue coach Jeff Brohm said. "He's coming off an ACL injury that takes a little bit of time. Went a little slower than we would like, and there were a few setbacks along the way, but he has continued to work through it. He practices as hard as he can."

The award recognizes student-athletes from all divisions of college football for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances. At the end of each season — in a vote by a panel of writers, editors and sports information directors — three college student-athletes will be honored as Comeback Player of the Year Award winners during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.

Trice started the first two games for Purdue in 2021 before suffering his season-ending knee injury. After returning to the field, he has recorded 11 tackles and an interception while leading the team with seven pass deflections through the first six weeks of the year. 

The path to full recovery for Trice was an arduous one, both physically and mentally. He missed the entirety of offseason workouts for the Boilermakers and was often limited in practice during fall camp. 

By the time the season started, he had been cleared to play without a brace on his knee but didn't feel comfortable playing without it until a Week 5 matchup with Minnesota on Oct. 1. 

"It felt like a roller coaster man. Like one day, I'm doing good. A few weeks, I'm doing good. And then I hit a roadblock," Trice said. "It was more mentally because, at the end of the day, I knew I was gonna get healthy. I just didn't know when, so I just kept taking it day by day."

According to Pro Football Focus, Trice played 38 coverage snaps against the Golden Gophers without allowing a reception. The following week against Maryland, he nabbed his first interception of the season to help Purdue earn a 31-29 win. 

"Cory works hard. He wants to win. He's a great competitor," Brohm said of Trice. "And I think he can continue to improve as the year goes on." 

The Boilermakers, now with back-to-back road wins, return to Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday for a Big Ten West matchup with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET.  

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