To be seen and not heard is one thing.
But what if you’re neither? Meet the ASU football scout team.
From the promising freshman to the unknown walk-on, the unit is there for one reason.
Not for glory or fame, but to get better, and more importantly, to make the people who do get the glory and fame better.
“The better they can be, the better looks we get, the more prepared we are for game day,’’ said ASU quarterback Brock Osweiler.
The scout team’s job is to mimic the schemes the Sun Devils’ next opponent runs so the players who see regular field time get a chance to practice against the new formations.
“They’re really underrated to be honest with you,” ASU coach Dennis Erickson said. “They have to come in and spend time looking at film, so that they line up correctly and know the blocking schemes. We always need to get the best look we can get.”
Of the 22 projected ASU starters this season, half of them were once on the scout team.
“It’s tough because no one sees the work you put in,” said Trevor Kohl, a former walk-on and current starting tight end. “But you have to look at it like your helping the team in a different way.”
Several members of the 2011 scout team have already made sacrifices just to be on the unit.
Take freshman walk-on defensive tackle Shaquille Jenkins. The Chandler Hamilton product had scholarship offers from Montana, North Dakota and NAU, but decided to attend ASU instead.
“I felt like I could play at a Division I level,” he said. “I just right now have to make the offense better and wait for my time.”
And that time will come, but the practices in between are the hardest part.
“At first you definitely feel a little isolated and a little left out,” Kohl said. “But I think once you mature and realize you’re getting better, you’re really part of the team.” Jenkins’ isn’t alone either; his story is similar to a few of his teammates.
Freshman running backs Mike Ingrassia and Danny Clark also turned down offers from smaller schools to walk-on at ASU.
In the program’s history, eight former walk-ons made it to the NFL.
The most celebrated are Adam Archuleta and Levi Jones, both first-round draft picks.
“I don’t really look at that kind of stuff, I just try to come out and prove that I’m worthy to be on this team,” Jenkins said. “Hopefully I can be one of those guys that do make it but until then I’m taking it day by day.”
Highly touted recruits aren’t immune to the scout team either.
The squad’s quarterback this season is freshman Michael Eubank, who had offers from seven other Division I schools, including Pittsburgh and Utah.
“I take my job very seriously and I want to help my team,” he said. “It’s not just about me.”
Once Eubank spends the season preparing his teammates each week and getting better himself, he’ll compete next year for the backup job.
“I’ve already improved on my release; the ball comes out much higher now,” he said. “Also my footwork and my thinking ability has gotten faster. It’s been fun and it’s been going fast.”
Reach the reporter at tyler.emerick@asu.edu
