He’s known for his bubbly personality. But when Brandon Magee tore his Achilles during a scrimmage August 13, he kept his helmet on the whole time the trainers looked at him.
Too many emotions were going on underneath everything.
Now, almost two weeks later, the ASU senior linebacker is back at practice and sporting a new walking scooter after surgery took away his upcoming season.
But this time around Magee was back to his old, infectious self.
“I’m always gonna have a smile on my face,” he said.
Magee will redshirt in 2011 and hopes to be ready for spring practice next April.
“They say injury is six months, but I’m different than other people; so I’m hoping for four,” he said. “I’ll be in a boot next week, then I’ll start walking and then rehab.”
Although last year’s second leading tackler won’t be able to help the Sun Devils out on the field, Magee still plans to be a vocal member of the team.
And that’s extra support other ASU leaders welcome with open arms.
“For him to be out here supporting the team, it shows he has our back,” senior wide receiver Gerell Robinson said. “Now we have to go out and win some games for him.”
Magee knows his absence will hurt the Sun Devils, but he’s confident in the guys replacing him.
“I saw some of the stuff that said we aren’t going to win anymore but we have so much depth here,” he said. “I’m excited to watch them play, how can you not be? I believe in my team 100 percent.”
Gerell’s time
He was a touted prospect coming to ASU, expected to do big things in Tempe right away.
And although he hasn’t reached that potential yet, Gerell Robinson has shown flashes of what he could be.
This season, his senior campaign, the wide receiver expects to break out and perform at the level most anticipated him to as an underclassman.
Pinpointed during the spring and early portions of fall camp as one of the most impressive Sun Devils, the only thing holding Robinson back was a tweak to his MCL suffered August 13.
But he returned to practice Wednesday, running drills at full speed.
He didn’t participate in 11-on-11 action but Robinson expects to be all the way back in a few days.
“I tried to come back too soon last year [from a minor injury],” he said. “This time I’m waiting until I’m all the way back before I go out there so I can stay out there for the long season. “
And once he’s 100 percent, the rest of his team knows what they’ll see.
“He’s focused, he’s prepared and he’s ready to take that next step,” ASU junior quarterback Brock Osweiler said. “He’s made strides in every aspect of his game.”
Robinson’s coach feels the same way.
“He’s big in our plans,” head coach Dennis Erickson said. “We can move him outside if we have to. We have depth in all areas. He can fly so well inside too.”
Injury update
ASU sophomore running back Deantre Lewis isn’t practicing yet, but did run sprints at practice Wednesday.
Erickson doesn’t expect Lewis to be ready for the season opener against UC Davis, due to an offseason hamstring injury, but he’s getting closer.
Junior cornerback Deveron Carr, also suffering from a hamstring injury, is close to practicing as well.
“I’m pretty happy with Deveron’s progress; he’s almost at full speed,” Erickson said.
Reach the reporter at tyler.emerick@asu.edu
