Smith, Kerrigan tabbed first-team All-Big Ten

When Coach Danny Hope took over the Purdue program, he talked about the possibility of several Boilermakers becoming the best in the league at their positions.

Well, Monday night, two of them were announced as such, when defensive end Ryan Kerrigan and wide receiver Keith Smith were named first-team All-Big Ten by the media; the duo was second-team as voted by the league’s coaches.

The duo are Purdue’s first first-team All-Conference members since Dorien Bryant and Anthony Spencer in 2006.

Smith, a junior, finished the season with 91 catches for 1,100 yards, along with six touchdowns. It’s the most yardage for a Boilermaker receiver since John Standeford had 1,307 (in 13 games) in 2002.

“I think Keith’s numbers speak for themselves,” Hope said. “Anytime you have over 1,000 yards in receptions and lead the league, you’ve certainly one of the top players at that spot.

“He really cashed in on the opportunity, really lost weight and developed himself as a player. I think that he’s a smart enough player to realize the opportunity that was in front of him, and he really prepared himself. A lot of guys don’t do that, so hats off to him.”

Kerrigan, a junior, finished one of the finest seasons by a Purdue defensive end ever, with a Big Ten-best 13 sacks (tied for fourth-most in school history) and seven forced fumbles (tied for the school record). He also ranked third in the league in tackles for loss with 18.5 and had 66 total tackles.

“I always knew that Ryan was a really good prospect and a really good player and felt that he had the potential to be one of the top players at his position, as well as the country. But he had to take some steps to become more consistent as an explosive player, because he is, especially for his size.

“He has two things that make a difference. He has enough quickness and athleticism to make you miss and enough size to overpower you. And a lot of defensive ends, there’s not A-pluses in both, but he is.”

Other Boilermakers honored by the Big Ten were: defensive backs David Pender (second team, media and coaches) and Brandon King (second team, coaches; honorable mention, media); running back Ralph Bolden (second team, media and coaches), quarterback Joey Elliott (HM, media), safety Torri Williams (HM, media and coaches); defensive tackle Mike Neal (HM, media); center Jared Zwilling (HM, media); tackle Zach Jones (HM, media); guard Ken Plue (HM, coaches) and place-kicker Carson Wiggs (HM, media and coaches).

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