Purdue junior running back Akeem Shavers is most definitely the pride of Tyler Junior College.

In fact, the former TJC football standout wrote a "Heroes & Friends" column for the college that appeared in the Nov. 6 edition of the Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph.

In the article, Akeem profiled his journey from Redwater High School in Northeast Texas - 13 miles from Texarkana - to Independence Community College in Kansas and then finally to Tyler. He thanked the TJC coaches and teachers for giving him the tools to be able to sign a Division I scholarship with Purdue.

Shavers added another chapter to his story on Tuesday night by rushing for 149 yards on 22 carries to lead Purdue to a 37-32 victory over Western Michigan in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit. Shavers, who was filling in for the injured starter, was named the game's MVP.

Shavers played one season for the Apaches - in 2010 - and received only 50 carries in a disappointing 3-5 campaign. TJC head coach Danny Palmer said Shavers missed one game with an injury and another after a death in the family, but still did enough in six games to make second-team all-conference after averaging 9 yards a carry.

Shavers probably sold Purdue with two games - he scored on a 60-yard run against vaunted Blinn and then went 80 yards to the house against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and finished with 210 yards on 16 carries.

Ironically, the first time Palmer laid eyes on Shavers was when he played against the Apaches for Independence in the 2008 season opener at Eagle Stadium in Lindale. He rushed for only 12 yards on four carries that warm night in August, but still made a lasting impression on Palmer.

TJC's Teric Williams almost scored on the game's opening kickoff, but the speedster was taken down from behind inside the 5-yard line by … you guessed it … Shavers.

"We were checking the kicking film (that next week) and I said, ‘Who is this guy running Teric down?' It was a flash running him down, gaining on him. ‘Is that a wide receiver?' We pulled up a roster and it was Akeem Shavers.

"At the end of the year his high school coach called and said (Independence) was making changes and I said to tell him to come to TJC if he can get a release," Palmer said.

After rushing for 235 yards on 64 carries and scoring two touchdowns for Independence, Shavers transferred to TJC in the spring of 2009. He ended up redshirting in the fall because he didn't make the "out-of-state/transfer" cut (the conference regulates only five roster spots per team).

"I knew he was a good kid and he studied hard and worked hard in the weight room," Palmer said. "At the last minute we get a transfer from Baylor and Akeem is stuck and doesn't make the transfer list. A coaching mistake … (coaches) are not all perfect evaluators."

After going through two spring sessions, Shavers was bigger, stronger, faster and academically sound entering the 2010 season. After showing breakaway speed and power, and graduating at mid-term, Purdue came calling.

"The Purdue coach wanted to know if I had any mid-term running backs," Palmer said. "I think that was (Akeem's) only Division I offer.