WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - In celebration of its 75th anniversary in El Paso, Texas, the Sun Bowl Association has announced that former Purdue teammates Kyle Orton and Taylor Stubblefield are among the 75 players that have been selected to the All-Sun Bowl Team to commemorate the Association's Diamond Anniversary. The Boilermakers participated in three Sun Bowls over the span of Orton's and Stubblefield's careers, taking on Washington State in 2001, Washington in 2002 and Arizona State in 2004.
Orton, the only quarterback in bowl history to start three Sun Bowls, completed 54 percent of his passes and threw for a combined 983 yards and seven touchdowns in El Paso. In 2001, against Washington State, he set Sun Bow records for completions (38), attempts (74), passing yards (419) and total offensive plays (83).
Teaming up with Brian Hare, Orton also completed the longest pass in Sun Bowl history when the two connected on an 80-yard throw-and-catch for a touchdown in the third quarter of the 2004 contest against Arizona State.
Orton was named the C.M. Hendricks Most Valuable Player of the Sun Bowl after leading the Boilers to 34 straight points to rally from a 17-point deficit in Purdue's 34-24 win over Washington in 2002.
Drafted in the fourth round by the Chicago Bears in 2005, Orton finished his collegiate career third at Purdue and fourth all-time in Big Ten history in passing yards (9,337) to go along with 63 touchdown passes and a 58.8 completion percentage.
