With NFL training camps now underway, here is a look at some former ASU football players that are currently in the pros and what will be expected out of them in the 2009 season.
Terrell Suggs (LB, Baltimore Ravens)
Suggs made big news last month when he signed a six-year, $63 million dollar contract that makes him the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history.
The seven-year pro had 68 tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions last season, where he made his third Pro Bowl appearance.
Similar numbers will be expected in 2009, as Suggs will once again team up with legendary linebacker Ray Lewis on a stout Baltimore defense that will attempt to propel the Ravens back into the playoffs for the second straight season.
Suggs, who made his mark at ASU when he set the NCAA single-season sack record (24), is without a doubt the most prominent Sun Devil in the NFL right now.
Zach Miller (TE, Oakland Raiders)
Many around the NFL think that this could be Miller’s breakout season.
The tight end that was nicknamed “The Truth” at ASU has become Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell’s favorite target. He caught 56 balls for 778 yards and a touchdown last season.
Miller had hernia surgery in the offseason, but that should not slow him down on Sundays this fall. Miller has outstanding hands and has a clear trust with his signal-caller, so expect him to find the end zone more in 2009 and have a Pro Bowl-type season.
Mike Pollak (OG, Indianapolis Colts)
Pollak was thrust into an ideal situation when the reigning Super Bowl Champion Colts drafted him in the second round in 2008.
He carried his immense college success into the pros during his rookie season, as he started all 13 games he played in while shifting over from center to guard.
Pollak should again be a staple on the offensive line this season and will be relied upon to protect quarterback Peyton Manning and open holes for incoming rookie running back Donald Brown.
Todd Heap (TE, Baltimore Ravens)
Before Zach Miller became “The Truth,” Heap was setting the ASU record for career catches by a tight end (115) that was eventually broken by Miller.
Since being selected with the last pick of the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, Heap has spent his entire career in Baltimore and has become the Ravens’ all-time leading receiver with 374 catches, 4,300 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Heap isn’t the Pro Bowl tight end he used to be, but he should still be a solid contributor for the Ravens this season.
Marvel Smith (OT, San Francisco 49ers)
After spending his entire career with the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith will move across the country and make his debut on the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive line this season.
Smith, who was a First-Team All-American for ASU in 1999, made 108 starts in nine seasons for the Steelers and made the Pro Bowl in 2004. But back injuries have slowed his career down the last two years, and the Steelers did not re-sign him following the 2008 season.
Kyle Kosier (OG, Dallas Cowboys)
Kosier lined up for the 49ers and Lions during the first four years of his career, but he really found a home in Dallas. He started every game for the Cowboys since 2006 before a strained foot forced him to sit out 13 games in 2008.
But Kosier has recovered from his injury and is in training camp, and his return to the line should help the entire Cowboys’ offense this season.
Andrew Walter (QB, Oakland Raiders)
Walter is the most prolific passer in ASU history, throwing for 10,617 yards and 85 touchdowns.
But that success hasn’t translated to the NFL level, as Walter has thrown 16 interceptions versus just three touchdown passes in five seasons with the Raiders.
Walter is currently sitting behind Russell and Jeff Garcia on the depth chart, and he likely will not see the field this season unless both of those players get injured.
Shaun McDonald (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers)
McDonald literally made the jump from worst to first in the offseason, signing with the Super Bowl Champion Steelers after spending the last two years with the lowly Lions.
The former ASU standout receiver saw a big drop-off in his stats from the 2007 season (943 yards, six touchdowns) to the 2008 campaign (332 yards, one touchdown), and he will be looking to bounce back this year for a Pittsburgh team that already features Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes at wideout.
Josh Barrett (S, Denver Broncos)
Barrett began his NFL career on the Broncos’ practice squad after being drafted in the seventh round in 2008, but he was then put on the active roster in November. He started the final three games of the regular season, where he recorded 14 tackles and an interception.
Barrett stepped in and performed well when he was called upon during his rookie season. And while he will not start in 2009, the Broncos signed veterans Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill in the offseason, he will still be on the active roster from the get-go this season.
Terrelle Smith (FB, Detroit Lions)
Smith spent his college career blocking for ASU backs like J.R. Redmond, and he has since been both a stout blocker and a journeyman during his NFL career.
He has tallied 185 career rushing yards, 354 receiving yards and three touchdowns during his nine-year career, and he spent his last two seasons with the Cardinals before signing with the Lions in the offseason.
Mike Karney (FB, St. Louis Rams)
Karney was known for his toughness while at ASU during the early part of the decade, and that has carried over to the NFL.
He has been a solid fullback as a pro, scoring seven total touchdowns, while also blocking for players like Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush in New Orleans. He was named a Second-Team All-Pro in 2006 and a Pro Bowl alternate in 2006 and 2007.
Karney was released by the Saints and then signed with the Rams in March, and now he will be relied upon to open holes for running back Steven Jackson.
Reach the reporter at
gina.mizell@asu.edu
