Football

Tyler Trent Student Gate to be dedicated before Purdue football's home opener

By Joshua Doering Aug 16, 2019
(Photo courtesy of Twitter/@TrevorPetersTV)

Purdue is making sure Tyler Trent’s life and the legacy he left are not forgotten.

University president Mitch Daniels told Trevor Peters of WLFI on Thursday that the school plans to dedicate the Tyler Trent Student Gate at Ross-Ade Stadium before the football team’s home opener on Sept. 7. The student entrance gate was renamed in Trent’s honor back in March.

Trent was originally diagnosed with bone cancer in 2014 and in April 2017 was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (a rare form of bone cancer). He was able to start classes at Purdue that August, but passed away at the age of 20 on Jan. 1, 2019.

His inspiring story gained national attention when ESPN ran a feature on him prior to the Boilermakers’ 49-20 upset of undefeated Ohio State on Oct. 20.

“My faith is what keeps me going, honestly,” Trent said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2018. “I don’t think I would be able to smile or have the happy face that people have seen on TV without my faith.”

Before his passing, Trent wrote a book about his battle with cancer and his experience watching the Ohio State game. Trent’s goal is to raise $1 million for cancer research through the book.

“I think the biggest thing that I want people to take away is life is extremely, extremely difficult and hard,” Tony Trent, Tyler’s dad, said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast after the book’s release. “I hope that they take away hope. I hope that they can insert their name inside that book.”

Purdue begins the season at Nevada on Aug. 30 before hosting Vanderbilt for its home opener Sept. 7, when the gate will be dedicated in a pregame ceremony.

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— NEW PODCAST: Remembering Tyler Trent with Purdue QB David Blough
— NEW PODCAST: Tony Trent, Father Of Purdue Superfan Tyler
— Purdue student Tyler Trent gives glory to God as he battles terminal bone cancer

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