Decatur Days
Ever since Tyrone Tracy Jr. stepped foot onto the varsity football field during his freshman year at Decatur Central in 2014, it was clear that there was a promising future awaiting the young star.
It was a 41-21 victory over Whiteland in the freshman campaign that set a precedent for what to expect in his future as he rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns on just four attempts.
The next season, Tracy would double his season production — racking up 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns — but also blossoming into more of a receiving threat — as he accumulated 680 yards and seven touchdowns through the air to pair with his rushing production.
After a junior year where he took a reserve role in the rushing attack, Tracy would explode in his final year at Decatur Central.
During his senior season, he helped the Hawks to a 10-2 record, rushing for 1,412 yards and 13 touchdowns and catching 54 passes for 1,132 yards and 16 touchdowns. A season total of 2,544 yards and 29 touchdowns.
The other-worldly numbers would lead Tracy to be named the Gatorade Indiana Player of The Year as well as receiving Offensive Player of The Year nods for both his sophomore and senior seasons.
Off to Iowa
Such an impressive high school resume would make him a three-star recruit and a staple in the 2018 Iowa recruiting class.
After a redshirt freshman season, Tracy would become a top target for the Hawkeyes as he caught 36 passes for 589 yards and three touchdowns.
This impact would be short-lived though, as a Covid-shortened 2020 season saw Tracy go for just 14 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown. The following season Iowa would focus its offensive strategy on running the ball.
With Tracy’s usage at Iowa slowly dwindling, Tracy would come back to the Hoosier state as he transferred to Purdue in 2022.
Back in Indiana
Once Tracy arrived in West Lafayette, the Decatur Central alum would make another transition — back to his roots as a running back.
After playing in a reserve role in his first season in West Lafayette, during his sixth-year senior season at Purdue, everything seemed to fall into place for the dynamic playmaker. As the full-time starter, Tracy rushed for 113 attempts for 716 yards and eight touchdowns — good for a conference-leading 6.3 yards per carry.
Pairing with his explosive play in the backfield, Tracy would return 16 kickoffs for 408 yards and a touchdown.
For his final collegiate campaign, the Purdue alum would be rewarded with AP second-team All-Big 10 honors and would be named to the Academic All-Big 10 team.
Off to the league
Following his impressive tenure at Purdue, Tracy would accumulate draft hype for his big-play ability and hybrid skillset. At the NFL Combine, Tracy had an impressive showing with a 4.48 40-yard dash and a 40” vertical jump.
As the rounds went by, it was the New York Giants searching for a Saquon Barkley replacement to take a chance on the Indy native by way of trade with the 166th overall pick in the 5th round of the draft.
Once he signed his rookie contract, Tracy would have an efficient start to the pre-season with a five-carry, 26-yard outing against the Lions in week one. However, after a scary scene of his leg bending the wrong way in practice the Giants would rest the rookie for the remainder of the preseason.
With the regular season rolling around, it was a slow start over the first two outings for the new Giants running back with a total of four yards on three attempts.
Then week three rolled around. Rushing for 23 yards on five attempts while reeling in an additional 17 yards through the air, Tracy was starting to show his efficient versatility once again. A week later, it was a lone 19-yard catch that showed proof of life that the big-play ability was still there.
On Oct. 6, everything would play out perfectly for Tracy. With injuries in the backfield, the Indy native was given the starting nod and took full advantage of the opportunity.
Rushing for 129 yards on 18 attempts in a 29-20 win over the Seahawks, Tracy led all rushers in yards during week four — earning him Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of The Week.
Entering week five of the NFL season, all eyes are on Tracy to continue the workload in New York regardless of the health status of his fellow Giant runningbacks.
You can catch Tracy back in action on Oct. 13 during Sunday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals.
