Heart of Dallas Bowl: No ACL, no problem for Purdue's Robert Marve

“It's definitely torn,” he insisted, laughing Saturday after practice. “But it seems to be working for me.”

It's just the latest twist in Marve's crazy journey.

He was a high school hotshot who broke a bunch of Tim Tebow's high school state records in Florida. He signed with Miami, where he started as a redshirt freshman.

But that season was a rocky one. He was suspended for the opener after an arrest, then found himself sharing the quarterback duties with Jacory Harris and finally was suspended another game for academic issue.

Marve decided to leave Miami shortly after the season.

Oklahoma State was among the schools that he considered.

He ultimately transferred to Purdue, but shortly after arriving, he tore the ACL in his left knee. He rehabbed and started for the Boilers the next season, but four games into the year, he tore the same ACL.

While he was rehabbing, scandal erupted at Miami. Booster Nevin Shapiro gave improper benefits to several football players, and Marve was one of them. He admitted as much to the NCAA in striking a deal that would make him eligible to play last season.

After spending last year primarily as the backup quarterback, he decided to appeal for a sixth year of eligibility.