April 20, 2010
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -
Purdue senior guard Chris Kramer made a prestigious addition to his list of honors on Tuesday when he was named the recipient of the Varsity Walk Award, given annually to the outstanding senior who has participated as a varsity athlete and brought national recognition to Purdue.
Bob Verplank, a 1957 Purdue graduate, was the originator of the idea of Varsity Walk. It was the project of the Purdue Reamer Club spring pledge class of 1956. The walk was located in the Purdue Mall with the Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering buildings to the south and the Physics and Chem-Met buildings to the north. An awards tower listing all the recipients stands at the northwest corner of the Materials and Electrical Engineering buildings.
Purdue's career steals leader, Kramer was one of 10 national finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and a first-team Lowe's Senior All-American in 2010 for his work on the court, in the classroom and in the community. He was also selected to participate in the Reese's College All-Star Game.
Kramer's game-winning layup with four seconds left in overtime to propel the Boilermakers past Texas A&M and into their second-straight Sweet 16 was a lasting moment from one of the most memorable NCAA Tournaments in recent history.