Ray Purdin was born in Hillsboro, Ohio and played college football at Northwestern University.
[2][3] In 1960, his final college season, Purdin scored three touchdowns and was voted as the most valuable player in the Blue–Gray Football Classic.
In 1961, Purdin was the seventh-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) but joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League and played three seasons with them.
He holds the second longest run from scrimmage in Roughrider history, 93 yards, while playing against the Montreal Alouettes on September 12, 1962.
In 1964, he was replaced by Ed Buchanan and never played another down in the CFL.