WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Spurred by enduring interest in the authentic John Wooden Purdue basketball jersey purchased by Drew Brees and donated to Purdue last May, replica tank shirts of the iconic piece of memorabilia go on sale this week.
Purdue University and Learfield IMG College collaborated with Original Retro Brand to create a shirt depicting Purdue and the number 13. The tank will be available at the Purdue Team Store and on line, priced at $45. It will come tagged with a patch featuring Wooden's name and likeness.
Brees won the 1930s Wooden jersey in an auction. The consigner of the museum-quality item, John Neff of Guerneville, California, received the jersey following the death of his grandfather, Frank, who attended Purdue at the same time as Wooden, and the two remained in touch through the years. According to the Neff family, Wooden gave Frank the jersey. Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services (MEARS), a leading sports memorabilia evaluation company, authenticated the jersey, which experts believe is the only one of its kind.
"We are very pleased to have this piece of Purdue history commemorated in this way," said Mike Bobinski, Purdue vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics. "And making it available at tournament time seems very appropriate given John Wooden's place in NCAA Tournament history. Naturally, Purdue is very proud to count coach Wooden among our accomplished former players and alumni."
The original jersey is on display in the Mackey Arena concourse.
A standout player at Purdue from 1930 to 1932, Wooden was a three-time All-American and the 1932 National Player of the Year. As a senior, he averaged 12.2 points per game in leading the Boilermakers to a 17-1 record and the Big Ten Championship. Purdue was named national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation.
Wooden went on to be the head coach at UCLA from 1948 to 1975, amassing a 620-147 record, an extraordinary .808 winning percentage. The Bruins captured 10 national championships, including seven in a row from 1966 to 1973, and 19 Pac-10 titles. They put together unfathomable winning streaks of 88 games and 38 NCAA Tournament contests.
A native of Martinsville, Indiana, Wooden is one of just three individuals enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (1961) and a coach (1973).
Purdue University and Learfield IMG College collaborated with Original Retro Brand to create a shirt depicting Purdue and the number 13. The tank will be available at the Purdue Team Store and on line, priced at $45. It will come tagged with a patch featuring Wooden's name and likeness.
Brees won the 1930s Wooden jersey in an auction. The consigner of the museum-quality item, John Neff of Guerneville, California, received the jersey following the death of his grandfather, Frank, who attended Purdue at the same time as Wooden, and the two remained in touch through the years. According to the Neff family, Wooden gave Frank the jersey. Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services (MEARS), a leading sports memorabilia evaluation company, authenticated the jersey, which experts believe is the only one of its kind.
"We are very pleased to have this piece of Purdue history commemorated in this way," said Mike Bobinski, Purdue vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics. "And making it available at tournament time seems very appropriate given John Wooden's place in NCAA Tournament history. Naturally, Purdue is very proud to count coach Wooden among our accomplished former players and alumni."
The original jersey is on display in the Mackey Arena concourse.
A standout player at Purdue from 1930 to 1932, Wooden was a three-time All-American and the 1932 National Player of the Year. As a senior, he averaged 12.2 points per game in leading the Boilermakers to a 17-1 record and the Big Ten Championship. Purdue was named national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation.
Wooden went on to be the head coach at UCLA from 1948 to 1975, amassing a 620-147 record, an extraordinary .808 winning percentage. The Bruins captured 10 national championships, including seven in a row from 1966 to 1973, and 19 Pac-10 titles. They put together unfathomable winning streaks of 88 games and 38 NCAA Tournament contests.
A native of Martinsville, Indiana, Wooden is one of just three individuals enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (1961) and a coach (1973).