Dexter Davis

During the past four seasons, it’s been a pretty safe bet that Dexter Davis would be penciled in the starting lineup.

Actually, it’s been a sure thing.

The senior defensive end has started all 49 games of his ASU career, which is the most by any Sun Devil football player in the history of the program.

And while Davis is known for his mild-mannered and soft-spoken personality, he’s been a terror for opposing quarterbacks during his tenure in Tempe.

Davis has racked up 30 sacks in his ASU career, which ranks third all-time in school history behind only Shante Carver (41) and current Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs (44).

“Dexter is not a real boisterous guy by any means,” ASU coach Dennis Erickson said. “He just plays by doing what he does on the field, but obviously he’s been critical in this program.”

Davis came to ASU out of Thunderbird High School in Phoenix and was immediately thrust into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman in 2006. He recorded 40 tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles during his debut campaign, which earned him Pac-10 All-Freshman and honorable mention Freshman All-American honors.

During his sophomore season, Davis upped his sack total to 10.5, which was the eighth-best mark in ASU history and gave him a spot on the All-Pac-10 Second Team. He then outdid himself again in 2008, racking up 11 sacks to catapult him into fifth place on ASU’s all-time sack list and earn him honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors.

While Davis has just 2.5 sacks and 20 tackles so far in his senior season, he has been the cornerstone of the Sun Devil defensive line throughout his career and has already cemented his place among the best sack masters in school history.

Danny Sullivan

As the 2008 ASU football season was winding down, former quarterback Rudy Carpenter reflected on what had been an up-and-down, and sometimes downright tumultuous, four-year career in Tempe.

Danny Sullivan has arguably experienced the same roller coaster of emotions in one season.

After sitting behind Carpenter for three years and never seeing any game action other than in garbage time, Sullivan finally got his chance to be the main man behind center at the beginning of his senior season.

But his first and only crack at being the Sun Devils’ starting quarterback has been full of peaks and valleys.

There was the time when he was booed by the home fans during ASU’s loss to Oregon State and then showed obvious frustration when he got up and left in the middle of his postgame press conference.

There was the time he was replaced by a true freshman halfway through a home showdown against USC, and the time he suffered a biceps injury that has kept him out of ASU’s last two games and may prevent him from ever taking a collegiate snap again.

But there was also a certain homerun toss to senior wide receiver Chris McGaha to beat Washington in the waning seconds, which is the last time the Sun Devils have tasted victory this season.

“That throw he made against Washington was a pretty good deal,” ASU coach Dennis Erickson said. “He can show that to his grandkids.”

On paper, Sullivan has completed 54.2 percent of his passes for 1,771 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions in his one shot to shoulder the quarterback load.

But Erickson said Sullivan’s character and loyalty have been his biggest contributions to the Sun Devil program.

“He’s a very stable young man that’s very dedicated to this program,” Erickson said. “[He] sat around here for a lot of years backing up Rudy, but he’s always been a team guy. He’s a Sun Devil, and that’s the biggest thing that I’ll remember about him.”

Travis Goethel

When Travis Goethel was signing autographs during his first fan photo day before the start of his freshman season in 2006, he had already garnered a special nickname.

“Pat Tillman, Jr.”

That was written on his name card in reference to the long hair he sported at the time and the fact that he shared the same position as arguably the most highly-regarded Sun Devil in the history of ASU athletics.

It’s unlikely that anyone will ever touch Tillman’s influence on and off the field, but Goethel has been a staple in the Sun Devils’ corps of linebackers during his career.

Goethel got immediate playing time during his freshman season, where he played in every game and recorded 29 tackles. For those efforts, he was named to the All-Pac-10 Freshman Team and was also a Freshman All-American Honorable Mention selection.

Goethel also ended his freshman campaign in the starting lineup — and he hasn’t relinquished that role since.

He finished second on the team with 71 tackles and tied for the team lead with three forced fumbles during his sophomore season in 2007. Then in 2008, he was the only linebacker to start every game and racked up 71 tackles and his first two career interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown in ASU’s record-tying performance where it scored four defensive touchdowns against UCLA.

This season, Goethel has started every game and ranks third on the team with 47 tackles, including seven for loss. He has also added an interception and a fumble recovery.

Reach the reporter at gina.mizell@asu.edu.