It’s been a long wait for senior safety Alden Darby.
After being the first player to earn the honorary camouflage Pat Tillman No. 42 practice jersey, Darby lost it because he had a “brain fart” and missed a mentoring appointment.
Normally, Darby would meet with his mentor on Mondays and Wednesdays but after receiving a new mentor, the scheduled meeting time changed to Tuesdays.
“I’m in the locker room, and I’m just sitting there watching TV, and I totally forgot that I had mentoring upstairs,” Darby said. “The academic coach texted me and said, ‘You missed mentoring today,’ and I just told him, 'Oh man. I’ve been in the locker room the whole time and totally forgot.’”
Darby said despite the hiccup, he knew he would get the jersey back and that he has been waiting patiently.
While Darby earned his Pat Tillman No. 42 jersey back, senior linebacker Chris Young also got to don the jersey for the first time Thursday morning.
“He’s a guy that’s been really stepping up in leadership," Darby said of Young. "He’s a guy that’s been stepping up in linebackers, really taking care of business and bringing it every single day ... being a leader. He understands his value to the team. He earned it, and it’s a great honor.”
Young marks the third player to be honored with the jersey, joining Darby and senior cornerback Osahon Irabor.
While three players having the Pat Tillman No. 42 jersey is good, coach Todd Graham said he wants there to be more players wearing it.
“Carl (Bradford)’s very close" Graham said "We got three guys (in the jersey). That’s a good sign. If at any point there’s five or six, we ought to have one heck of a defense, and we’re a ways from that.”
Reach the reporter at ejsmith7@asu.edu or follow him on twitter @EricSmith_SP
