Former Hawkeye Tyrone Tracy Jr. overcomes hardships on winding path to NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrone Tracy Jr. “almost fell out of my seat” when he saw the news.

The former Iowa and Purdue athlete was getting a haircut when his agent told him to check for an invitation to the NFL Combine. At first, there was nothing.

Five minutes later, his agent told him to check again, and Tracy was filled with joy.

“Called my mom and dad immediately,” Tracy said. “We all started almost crying.”

The joyous moment is especially sweet given Tracy’s challenging path that included changes in schools and positions.

“I had some hardships going on,” Tracy said Friday at the NFL Combine. “I hit some brick walls."

After a promising start to his Iowa career — he started eight games and caught 36 passes for 589 yards — he had only 14 catches for 154 yards in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.

“In 2020, my numbers didn’t look good,” Tracy said. “I’m coming back thinking, ‘OK, 2021, my year.’”

Then in 2021, he had 15 catches for 106 yards. The receiver, two years after grabbing 36 receptions, only had 28 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.

“2021 wasn’t my year,” Tracy said.

The Indianapolis native then transferred from Iowa to Purdue. Even at pass-happy Purdue in 2022, his “numbers still didn’t look as good as I wanted” — 29 catches for 198 yards.

“During some of this time, I’m thinking like, ‘Football might not be for me,’” Tracy said. “I kind of went through a hard phase.”

But the Boilermaker then flourished in 2023 following a position change from wide receiver to running back.

He took 113 carries while averaging an uber-efficient 6.3 yards per carry and recording a team-high eight rushing touchdowns.

Ryan Walters broached the idea of playing running back to Tracy after he took over for Jeff Brohm as head coach at Purdue.

“You can do a lot of different things, but the most explosive thing you can do is when the ball is in your hands,” Tracy remembers Walters telling him. “So when you get the ball in your hands at running back, that’s the easiest way to get you the ball.”

Tracy was initially “skeptical” before eventually embracing the position change.

It helped that it was not an entirely foreign position for Tracy, who played running back at some points during spring ball and fall camp at Iowa.

Running back “felt super natural” when he practiced at the position at Iowa. He thought, “Man, I could actually do this.”

“I never had an opportunity to do it on Saturdays, but we had some really good running backs,” Tracy said. “We had Tyler Goodson. So I understand.”

Pro Football Focus ranks Tracy as the 170th-best overall prospect and 14th-best running back in his draft class.

Between Tracy’s background as a wide receiver, running back and punt/kick returner, he gives NFL teams plenty of options for how to use him. He is happy to do “whatever you need me to do.”

“A lot of teams have been saying I’ll be used at running back, third-down back,” Tracy said. “Just from my receiver background, running routes out of the backfield, catching the ball very well.”

Tyrone Tracy: ‘No bad blood’ with Iowa

Despite the ups and downs of his four years in Iowa City, Tracy has embraced his Hawkeye roots throughout the pre-draft process.

He wore a specially-designed helmet at the Hula Bowl with Purdue’s logo on one side and Iowa’s gold Tigerhawk logo on the other.

“That’s who I am,” Tracy said. “That’s me — Iowa and Purdue. I’m not just one school.”

Iowa, Tracy said, “taught me how to be a man, how to be a professional.” Purdue, meanwhile, “gave me an opportunity to display my skill set at a high level.”

Tracy showed plenty of love for his former school in his 20-plus minutes with media Friday at the combine.

“I don’t have no bad blood,” Tracy said. “I didn’t burn no bridges. I love Iowa. I love the people there. I love the coaching staff. Some of my best friends still came from Iowa.

“Nico Ragaini actually just texted me like two days ago saying, ‘Good luck, Sweet Feet.’”

“Sweet Feet” — the nickname Tracy gave himself as a freshman at Iowa — now can enjoy the sweetness of being one step closer to the NFL as he goes through “the biggest job interview in the world” at the combine.

“God has blessed me tremendously with the path that I took,” Tracy said. “I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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