Boilermakers Country

Zach Edey Tells Hilarious Story of Getting 'Banned' From Trick-or-Treating

When you're 7-foot-4 basketball player, people tend to only see the positive side. But there are some negatives to being so tall. For Purdue star Zach Edey, his unprecedented height at a young age cost him a lot of Halloween candy.

Dustin Schutte

Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) holds up a piece of the net Sunday, March 31, 2024, after
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) holds up a piece of the net Sunday, March 31, 2024, after / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

There are a lot of advantages to being 7-foot-4, especially when it comes to playing college basketball. But being the tallest kid in the neighborhood wasn't always advantageous for Purdue's Zach Edey. His height cost him quite a bit of Halloween candy.

Edey was asked a question about his height during his Final Four media availability on Thursday. Specifically, one reporter was curious to know when Edey started to realize his height was a big deal.

That's when Edey revealed that trick-or-treating ended pretty quickly for him. He said parents started to get suspicious when a 6-foot fourth grader started going door to door for candy.

"When I was growing up, I was 6'10 in eighth grade. So it was probably around there when I really started getting the stares, people really started looking at me," Edey said.

"I remember I wasn't allowed — I got banned from trick-or-treating when I was like in fourth grade because people would get mad at me because I was too big. ... Well, not but I'd get like stink eyes. I was 6-foot going door to door. People would be like, 'What are you doing? You're too old for this.'"

Edey can look back on that now and laugh, but you have to imagine that wasn't the most fun realization as a kid. He just wanted to enjoy Halloween with the rest of his friends.

For what Edey lost in trick-or-treat goodies, he's made up for in basketball accolades. The 7-foot-4 center is on his way to winning his second National Player of the Year honor and has led Purdue to back-to-back Big Ten regular season titles.

The Boilermakers are back in the Final Four for the first time since 1980 and have a legitimate chance to win a national championship.

Missing out on Halloween candy stinks, but we're guessing Edey is probably happy with the way things turned out.

Related stories on Purdue basketball

  • WHAT MATT PAINTER SAID: Here's everything Purdue coach Matt Painter said during his Final Four media availability on Thursday from Phoenix. CLICK HERE
  • PURDUE VS. N.C. STATE POINT SPREAD: Purdue may be in its first Final Four since 1980, but the Boilermakers are a huge betting favorite over N.C. State in Saturday's game. CLICK HERE
  • BURNS VS. EDEY: Zach Edey has seen pretty much every defense imaginable during his career at Purdue. But NC State's DJ Burns Jr. believes he can present quite the challenge to the reigning National Player of the Year. CLICK HERE
  • LEBRON JAMES SHOUTS OUT ZACH EDEY: While talking about the star power in men's and women's college basketball, NBA superstar LeBron James gave a shoutout to Purdue center Zach Edey. CLICK HERE
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Dustin Schutte

DUSTIN SCHUTTE