Senior running back Cameron Marshall rushes past defenders during last year’s Homecoming game against Colorado. Coach Todd Graham named Marshall as one of the team’s captains, along with redshirt senior linebacker Brandon Magee, redshirt senior offensive lineman Andrew Sampson and redshirt senior safety Keelan Johnson. (Photo by Aaron Lavinsky)Not everyone on a football team has what it takes to be a captain, but more ASU players than coach Todd Graham expected fit the mold.
“I went into this thing thinking there’d be two captains, but I could not separate those four guys,” Graham said.
Following Sunday’s practice Graham announced the team’s four captains for the 2012 season — redshirt senior linebacker Brandon Magee, redshirt senior offensive lineman Andrew Sampson, redshirt senior safety Keelan Johnson and senior running back Cameron Marshall.
While being named is an honor and something to be celebrated, Graham expects a lot of his captains. He believes it is their team and they need to rise to the challenge and lead it.
“They need to be the hardest working players on the field,” Graham said. “They need to be the most disciplined players on the field. That means they are going to get coached harder, strained harder (and) yelled at harder than anybody else out here.”
Magee and Marshall were certainly predictable options, but Johnson was a surprise to Graham. A year ago, Johnson likely wouldn’t have been put in a leadership role, but entering his senior season, the safety recognized the time to step up and changed his work ethic and approach.
“It started off the field, in the weight room and our conditioning,” Johnson said. “Going into my last year that’s something I want the focus on is being somebody these younger guys can look up to.”
Fans do not typically see what goes on off the field, but junior safety Alden Darby was one of many that saw Johnson’s improved work ethic and leadership.
Darby and Johnson worked together relentlessly throughout the summer, and Darby was not the least bit surprised when he learned Johnson was voted a captain.
“Sunday morning he’d text me and say, ‘Darby let’s go work out. I’m going to pick you up, let’s work out,’” Darby said. “If we had workouts at 4:30, he’d want to meet at the field at 3:00 … that’s the kind of stuff that people don’t see, that I have seen Keelan do. He’s a great leader.”
Notes
- ASU is one of just 13 FBS schools to enter 2012 without a quarterback that started a game last season.
- Junior wide receiver Kyle Middlebrooks was back in a green “no-contact” jersey during Sunday’s practice. Middlebrooks wore a green jersey for the majority of fall camp, but he had taken it off last week. Redshirt senior running back James Morrison was also in a green jersey.
- Freshman wide receiver Rick Smith is no longer practicing in a green jersey.
- Marshall participated in team drills and received the first reps.
- Freshman Easton Wahlstrom and redshirt junior Max Smith were working as long snappers, but neither of them had an impressive practice.
- Smith, redshirt junior Kevin Ozier and senior Rashad Wadood took the first reps at receiver as senior Jamal Miles was not with the first team on Sunday or Friday.
Reach the reporter at william.boor@asu.edu
