Caleb Swanigan

Caleb Swanigan was just 13 years old when former Purdue football player Roosevelt Barnes, at the behest of Caleb's older brother, took him under his wing, ...

It’s apparent that in Caleb Swanigan’s life there was much to try and forget, much pain to numb, and a family history to try and outrun. To see the next move and go up and grab it. Caleb Swanigan, the young man who fought so hard and sacrificed so much in order to find stability away from a life of drugs and overeating had found himself in the position that many had long feared was his destiny. The young man who overcame so much and put it all out on the floor each and every night was gone. The young man who weighed in at nearly 400 pounds had transformed his body and his mind and became a first round NBA Draft pick. He was an NBA player, he was an All-American, he had his jersey retired at a major university. Following this season he did the smart thing and declared for the NBA Draft. He was selected in the first round, 26th overall, by the Portland Trailblazers. He had done the unthinkable. Following this incredible season for Swanigan he was named a consensus All-American becoming the first Purdue player to do so in six seasons. It was the story of a young man who grew up in a difficult environment that included homeless shelters, moving back and forth between Utah and Indiana with a mother trying to do her best with six children and a father who had fallen victim to drug addiction. Swanigan recorded one of the top statistical seasons in not only Purdue history, but NCAA history, en route to first-team honors. Instead, just look at his sophomore season and you realize he had 29 double digit rebound games that season out of just 35 games. It was the story of a young man who loved dessert, cheesecake especially, who seemingly used food to comfort himself in these awful situations.