WATCH: Kevin Sumlin discusses the impact legendary Purdue coach Joe Tiller had on him
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin coached wide receivers at Purdue from 1998 to 2000, the beginning of the Joe Tiller era for the Boilermakers. He also played linebacker for Purdue from 1983 to 1986, when Tiller was the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the program.
Therefore, when Tiller passed away at the age of 74 on Sept. 30, Sumlin took it hard. The Aggies coach will attend Tiller’s funeral on Wednesday in Buffalo.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Sumlin said he owes a lot to Tiller, adding that he’s a better person for having known the legendary coach, as you can see in this video from the Texas A&M football account:
“I’m a better person because of Joe Tiller.” –@Coachsumlin, who will attend his funeral mass tomorrow in Buffalo. #12thMan pic.twitter.com/R6fVFLbT4p
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) October 10, 2017
“I’m forever indebted,” he said at the end of the video.
Sumlin isn’t alone in being positively impacted by Tiller, who coached from 1965 to 2008, winning 126 games as a head coach.
Tiller will be missed, and Sumlin certainly won’t be the only former Tiller assistant at the legendary coach’s funeral.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
