Payne Durham becomes a bull of a tight end for Purdue football team

CEDAR RAPIDS — It really was a heck of a way to get someone to go out for your team.

Reggie Stancil was the football coach at Peachtree Ridge High School in Georgia about six years ago and noticed this big tall kid roaming the school’s hallways.

Payne Durham was 6-foot-5 and built solidly, had the look of a prototypical football player. But lacrosse always had been his sport.

“I started playing lacrosse when I was really young,” Durham told WLFI-TV in Lafayette, Ind. “I was talked into playing football by my new head coach at my high school at the time. We were at a pep rally my junior year in the spring. He came up to me, introduced himself and told me if he made a 3-pointer on the basketball court, then I would come out for a workout.”

Stancil swished his 3-point attempt.

“He made about eight in a row,” Durham said. “So I decided to come out for a workout. I was with all my buddies, all my buddies played, and I really had a fun day. So I just decided to keep going back and back. Finally, it was like ‘OK, I guess I’m playing football.’”

Despite being a gridiron neophyte, Durham played well enough as a senior in 2017 to grab the attention of major-college coaches. His lacrosse days were done.

He ended up signing with Purdue, and is the Boilermakers starting tight end, one of the top tight ends in the Big Ten Conference this season. Purdue hosts Iowa on Saturday morning.

“Lacrosse doesn’t have as many scholarships per team as football does,” Durham said. “Football obviously is full-ride scholarships, and free college is obviously interesting.”

A redshirt season, Durham is Purdue’s second-leading receiver, behind Iowa transfer Charlie Jones. He has 39 receptions and four touchdowns, which also is second on the Boilermakers.

Durham had two touchdowns, including the game winner as Purdue beat Tennessee in the Music City Bowl this past December. One of his TDs was a 65-yarder in which he tightroped down the sideline.

He worked hard on his speed and agility in the offseason, and has added those assets to an ability to run block well.

“I think he worked his butt off in the offseason in terms of mobility,” said Purdue tight ends coach Ryan Wallace. “That’s been a big thing for him, in terms of just getting faster, being able to bend better. His knowledge of the offense is tremendous, obviously being in it for a fifth year. He’s a competitor, he’s smart, he’s a great leader. Just being able to take over it (the starting spot), he’s healthy finally. He was beaten up all last year.”

Durham has been nicked with injuries throughout his Purdue career, but has played in 40 games and caught 17 touchdown passes.

“I’ve been working on my speed. I feel like that’s my weakest trait,” he said. “I can definitely get faster. I’ve been working on a lot of technique stuff. A lot of guys you see play really good in college and stick around a long time in the NFL are technicians. People that just do every small thing right. I’ve really been trying to focus on that and watch a bunch of film and go in and work.”

He was asked if he patterns himself after any specific NFL tight end.

“There are a few,” he said. “Obviously I’m a Gronk (Rob Gronkowski) fan. I think anyone who wears 87 has to be, it’s mandatory. I watch Jack Doyle from the Colts a lot. He played for my coach currently (Jeff Brohm at Western Kentucky), and is, like I said, a technician, someone who does everything right.

“Tyler Higbee from the Rams is another one. I love the way he plays the game. Again, another (Western Kentucky) guy with a connection to my coaching staff here. I think he does everything right, is fun to watch.”

So is Durham. He’s a potential NFL player, someone whose lacrosse days definitely are in the rear-view mirror.

“The Purdue club team has asked me a few times to try out,” he said. “But I think my coaches would be pretty upset with me. Maybe later on down the road, I’ll play in a men’s Sunday league or something.

“But, no, not right now.”

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