WEST LAFAYETTE – All 32 NFL teams made a stop in West Lafayette Thursday to judge for themselves if some former Purdue stars will cut it at the next level.

“You gotta discipline yourself and know this is the time to make your money,” says cornerback Reese Taylor. “You gotta lock in and know everything you do is on display.”

“Overall I was happy with my day,” adds tight end Payne Durham. “I thought I came out here, field work I did really good on. Happy I can go back to being a football player now.”

These athletes are used to being on display in front of a crowd, but usually, that crowd is 10’s of thousands of people inside a stadium on a Saturday afternoon. Pro Day is certainly a performance, but is a slightly different animal.

“It’s the biggest job interview of my life,” continues Durham. “A little nerve-wracking to be sure. At the end of the day, position drills are just football, and I know I can do that.”

“The only difference is how quiet it is,” observes linebacker Jalen Graham. “A decent amount of people, but everything’s quiet and everyone’s paying attention.”

As these former Boilers hope Pro Day leads them to a future in the NFL, it also marks the end of their time at Purdue.

“I’m thankful for this community,” says Durham. “They poured so much into me. Thankful for it all. I wouldn’t change it for the world, and it’s meant the world to me to be a Boilermaker.”

But now, a new chapter begins.