Purdue Tight End Payne Durham Named Semifinalist for John Mackey Award

Originally posted on FanNation Boilermakers Country
By D.J. Fezler | Last updated 11/9/22

Purdue redshirt senior Payne Durham was among nine semifinalists for the John Mackey Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end.

Durham has posted 41 receptions for 411 yards and four touchdowns so far in the 2022 season for the Boilermakers, ranking second on the team in all three categories. He is one of three Big Ten tight ends that were selected as semifinalists for the award, alongside Iowa's Sam LaPorta and Ohio State's Cade Stover.

Durham's 41 catches are good for second in the Big Ten and fifth in the nation among players at his position. He eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for his career in Purdue's 43-37 win over Nebraska on Oct. 15, finishing the game with five catches for 30 yards and becoming just the eighth tight end in program history to accomplish the feat.

The week prior, Durham recorded a season-high 109 yards receiving on seven catches in a 31-29 victory on the road against Maryland.

Durham is tied for 10th in program history with 17 receiving touchdowns alongside Jim Beirne and Calvin Williams. He ranks second in touchdowns among all tight ends for the Boilermakers, trailing only Dave Young (27).

The 2022 John Mackey Award recipient will be presented at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 8, 2022, which will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Purdue will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 12, for a road matchup with Illinois. The game is scheduled for noon ET at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill., and will be broadcast on ESPN 2.