Aaron Martin

For the Journal & Courier

Rosevelt Colvin is happy to talk about his glory days with the Purdue football team, and for good reason. Ditto for Travis Dorsch.

Instead, Colvin and Dorsch are more focused on the program's future.

The former teammates were instrumental in Purdue's rejuvenation between 1997 and 2001, when the Boilermakers won 46 games and made five bowl appearances. Both see the possibility of good things for the Boilermakers in the days ahead.

Colvin and Dorsch were among nine Purdue greats inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 9.

"Travis and I have been talking about the opportunities we got from coming here. I am very, very thankful that they thought enough about me to honor me," said Colvin, an Indianapolis native who now uses his hometown as a base for a career as an entrepreneur.

"Purdue University speaks for itself. It's the Stanford of the Midwest. And with the facilities we have and the athletic department we have, it is very attractive to an athlete and his family who wants what Purdue has. It bodes well for the future. We've got work to do, but a lot of things are already there that can help us build momentum."

Colvin, for one, knows all about turning around football programs at Purdue.

A letter winner in his first two years as a Boilermaker in 1995 and 1996, when they went a combined 7-14-1, Colvin saw Purdue go 18-7 under new coach Joe Tiller in his final two seasons. Purdue, which had suffered through 16 straight losing seasons before Tiller's arrival, won nine games and made bowl appearances in both of those years.

Colvin ultimately racked up a school-record 35 career stacks — a mark that still stands — and was named both first-team All-Big Ten and team MVP as a senior. Colvin went on to a 10-year professional career with the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots, winning a pair of Super Bowls with the Patriots.

"When coach Tiller came in, that was kind of the catalyst. He changed the dynamics of our thought process," Colvin said. "It's the same thing now. All the fundamental parts of the program are there. Now, they've got to change the culture. They don't have to do exactly what we did, but they need to change things and create a culture of their own."

Dorsch, a teammate of Colvin's in 1998, saw the reborn Boilermakers come to full fruition during his time at Purdue. He was the punter and place-kicker for the Boilermakers for four years between 1998 and 2001, during which they went 30-19 and appeared in four straight bowl games.

Purdue reached its pinnacle under Tiller in 2000, winning a share of the Big Ten championship and a berth in the 2001 Rose Bowl. It was Purdue's first Rose Bowl appearance since 1966-67.

"The team I played on took advantage of a specific set of circumstances. To have been part of that was special, and I hope it doesn't take another 30-plus years to get there again," Dorsch said. "I think they'll come around. I think, with a combination of guts and attitude, some talent and some luck as well, things will turn around. From the coaches to the athlete to the fans, everybody has to hang in."

Dorsch, who also played baseball at Purdue for two years, finished his career as the Big Ten leader in field goals (68) and total kicking points (355).

He was the first player in Big Ten history to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors as both a punter and kicker. He earned All-America honors as a kicker and was a consensus All-America punter, winning the Ray Guy Award as the nation's outstanding punter as a senior.

Dorsch, an Academic All-Big Ten honoree in all four of his years at Purdue, went on to a professional playing career in the NFL and in Europe before pursuing a career in sport and exercise psychology. Having earned his Ph.D. from Purdue in 2013, Dorsch is now an assistant professor at Utah State University.

"Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a huge honor. I say it with a sincere heart — none of the nine of us would say that we achieved it alone," Dorsch said. "It is really a chance to honor our friends and family, and also the coaches and administrators. There is really a family feel here at Purdue, and I'm honored to be a part of that."