Former Purdue, Colts QB Curtis Painter inducted into Indiana Football Hall of Fame
WEST LAFAYETTE − Curtis Painter has always been surrounded with the right people to help him succeed.
It was that way at Vincennes Lincoln and Purdue University, where he was a star quarterback.
It was that way in the NFL, where he played for the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants.
It's that way in football afterlife, where Painter is an entrepreneur.
"There’s a lot to sports, there’s a lot more business to the NFL than what people realize," said Painter, who played in the NFL from 2009-13. "Just setting the foundation, a lot of the core things you learn going through sports translates to the rest of your life. I certainly take those with me and use them all the time."
Currently, Painter is the chief marketing and managing partner of Indiana Liquor Group, a chain of 57 liquor stores he helped start in 2018.
He maintained residence in Indianapolis, even after he left the Colts to play in Baltimore and New York. He still makes his way to Purdue home football and basketball games.
Even though Painter was born in Illinois, he considers Indiana home, having lived in the state since his teenage years.
So it was only fitting that on June 25, he was recognized as one of the best quarterbacks to come through the state when Painter was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame at Purdue Memorial Union during the National Football Foundation Joe Tiller Chapter honors reception.
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"There’s a lot of people I accept on behalf of them. Teammates that supported me, family, friends that were always there," Painter said. "Really it’s a tribute to the type of people that were around me, the receivers, the running backs the linemen. It’s a huge personal honor but I really thank all those guys, too."
Painter's NFL career included playing in 14 games with the Colts and Giants, starting eight games for Indianapolis in 2011 and was the backup to Peyton Manning when the Colts played in Super Bowl XLIV.
At Lincoln High School, Painter set school records with 5,039 passing yards and 49 touchdowns.
For the Boilermakers, Painter still owns the single-season record with 3,985 passing yards in 2006 and is second in career passing yards only to Drew Brees with 11,792.
"I was very fortunate to learn behind Kyle (Orton). He was a good mentor to me. A true class act," Painter said of his Purdue beginnings. "And then to get the opportunity the next year to play some towards the latter half of that year. It wasn’t always the most successful couple games that year but I learned a lot. Playing early helped transport my career and finish strong."
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue's Curtis Painter inducted into Indiana Football Hall of Fame
