Rudy Carpenter’s Legacy: More Plummer or More Kealy?
Rudy Carpenter will leave ASU as one of our best (statistically) quarterbacks ever. Will he be remembered more like Jake Plummer, or more like Ryan Kealy? We have our opinion, what’s yours?
No, you’re not experiencing deja vu. The comments have been so good, we’re bumping the post.
At this point in his career, Rudy Carpenter is the most divisive athlete in Arizona State history. And if you don’t believe us, tell us you don’t know anyone who was clamoring for Danny Sullivan to take over as starting quarterback after the Holiday Bowl.
The assertion is fairly ridiculous. Carpenter’s closing in on every one of ASU’s career passing records, he’s thrice beaten Arizona (and mocked them in the postgame press conference every time), and three times guided ASU in a bowl game. If ASU wins 10 games this season (we’re counting on it), Carpenter will have more wins than any quarterback in school history.
He’s also perceived by many as the cry baby who yells at teammates and taunts opponents on the field and drove off teammate Sam Keller when he didn’t get his way. Hell, at a basketball game last year, he passed on wearing gold and instead sported a (gasp!) pink t-shirt.
As Carpenter told the East Valley Tribune: “I’m an easy target since I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I get mad and fiery and do things quarterbacks don’t do. But I just want to win. I think it gets misconstrued that I’m a crybaby when I’m just competitive.”
The fact that he was at a basketball game – not to mention more than his share of four-hour baseball games – demonstrates his passion for ASU. And his passion for football is exemplified in the way he refuses to leave the huddle no matter how numb his hand is and no matter how much blood he’s spitting up. He’s started 31 straight games for god’s sake and it’s not like his uniform isn’t getting dirty.
This quote is telling: “I really do believe in maroon and gold. I love the university and I love playing football. It’s my life.”
We liked Keller, don’t get us wrong. It’s always fun to watch a risk-taking gunslinger at work. And with his party-boy reputation, Keller was sort of like our own Joe Namath (or at least our own Kyle Orton).
But Carpenter could be our own Joe Montana, or at least the second coming of Jake Plummer. All it’ll take is a little protection from our offensive line, a little luck against USC—and a little perspective from Sun Devil fans.
What do you think of Carpenter? Is he an all-time great Sun Devil, or is he as good and as forgettable as Ryan Kealy? Let us know in the comments.
And if you need more Carpenter 4-1-1 before you decide, we posted a whole truckload of Carpenter links in the Lunchbox yesterday afternoon.
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“Rudy Carpenter is the most divisive athlete in Arizona State history”
I’m not sure about that, but I did see the famous Pink Shirt in person at Wells Fargo Arena. It’s classic love/hate with Rudy, and I think he’s only divisive to fans who have no idea what they are talking about. Just check the stats and the team’s record with him at the helm.
As far as how he’ll be remembered, it won’t be all that fondly without a marquee win — and he hasn’t come close yet. He has two chances this year with Georgia and USC. Here’s to hoping he gets it, but at this point, very little makes me confident he will.
Being a fan of ASU football the past couple of years has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster. And its easy to blame that ride on Rudy.
But for the most part I think I will remember him favorably. Yeah his passion for the game was usually displayed like a 2-year-old’s tantrum, but at least he showed it! I don’t think you could ever tell what Andrew Walter was thinking/feeling.
I am too young to remember Plummer when he played, but I know he is practically a god, and I am guessing its for obvious reasons why I don’t know who Kealy is, but I don’t think Rudy will be remembered like either one of them. He is of a completely different generation of football players and whether he finishes in glory or just eh, I think he will have his own niche in ASU football.
“As far as how he’ll be remembered, it won’t be all that fondly without a marquee win…”
Fair point, AK47. I remember Andrew Walter fondly, and I think a lot of people do, but you can’t help but wonder what we’d think of him had he not beaten Oregon in Eugene in ‘02. I don’t think a QB should be held to that standard in the ultimate team sport—do people think less of Tom Brady than they did before last year’s Super Bowl? Maybe—but people always do hold QBs to it.
Rudy is certainly divisive, and yeah, he really could be the most divisive Sun Devil ever. But it’s easy to get caught up in the moment with that. I’m curious to see how divisive Rudy will be 10 years from now. On a technicality, I guess, Barry Bonds has to be the most divisive Sun Devil ever. Rudy will never be roundly booed when/if he plays in Arizona as a pro. But college baseball lives quietly in the margins of sports fans’ consciousnesses, and it’s a virtual certainty that the people booing Barry Bonds are entirely unaware he ever was a Sun Devil, or couldn’t care less because they never watched him play.
I’ll cheer Rudy when I’m sitting in my nose-bleed seat on Labor Day weekend. I’ll cheer when he comes out of the tunnel with the team, and I’ll cheer when he completes his first pass and TD. I think his crazy outward emotion is probably a good thing in a college sport, and I think the major factor in the quality of a QB isn’t marquee wins or beating UofA, it’s whether he completes his passes. And when he’s not getting brutally sacked, Rudy does.
I enjoy watching Rudy from a pure fan perspective becasue he elicits emotion. He’s like Big Z on the mound out there.
“I don’t think a QB should be held to that standard in the ultimate team sport” True, they shouldn’t be, but the QB always is. It’s just the nature of the game, for right or wrong. A first down is 10 yards, a field goal is 3 points, the QB is the head of the snake. The leader of the team.
I guess I shouldn’t say he “won’t be remembered fondly,” without a marquee win. He just won’t be remembered with much reverence because he will have put up all the record numbers without a big win. Sort of a Dan Marino uber-light.
Good thing for Rudy is that there’s still plenty of time. Even if ASU loses the Georgia and USC, he could win a big bowl game and they could still finish in the Top 5.
Can we get to the damn NAU game already?! I miss the House of Heat!
I grew up in Sun Devil Stadium and remember Plummer’s career. And in the end, Plummer would have been a joke had he not put together the season he did as a senior.
Rudy now has the chance to do the same. If he performs this season, he’s Plummer. If it’s more of the same from last year, he’s Steve Campbell.
Welcome, 05 Devil. Good to see a first-time commenter today!
Though I’m not sure I agree he’s as unremarkable as Steve Campbell (who’s turned into quite the high school football coach), Rudy clearly has some work left to do to overcome his critics.
I can’t wait to see what he comes up with against Georgia. Actually, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with against NAU. Could August 30 possibly feel any farther away than it already does?!?
Looks like Matt beat me to the “So Rudy’s going to be coaching McClintock High?” comment.
Oh, I take that back, Williams Field High….
I wonder how much of the divide is generational.
Younger people seem to not mind Rudy’s antics as much because like different strokes for different folks. He’s just being himself even though it rubs some people the wrong way. Kind of a Manny being Manny thing.
But then people a little older seem to definitely be rubbed wrong. Like why isn’t Rudy going about his business with a tad more professionalism.
I don’t know. What do ya’ll think?
I don’t know if I agree with the generational thing you suggest Matt. I’m definitely not of a more recent generation, being in my late forties. But I can tell you that I absolutely love Rudy.
Anyone who wears his love for THE Arizona State University as much as Rudy does is alright by me. As a paratrooper myself I hold in high esteem anyone who takes a lick like Rudy and gets back up to battle. He’s a warrior in the world of sports unlike most others that we’ve seen.
Is Rudy perfect? No. But damn, he’s one of the best in college football today.
Here’s hoping Rudy lights up NAU early and hard. Then we can see what our QB for next year is looking like.
GO DEVILS!!!
Thoughts on Rudy:
– I don’t care about the records. Sure, they’re nice. But I remember Jake because of the marquee games. I don’t remember all of Michael Jordan because of all his MVPs and scoring titles — I remember him hitting the title-clinching shot over Bryon Russell when he had the flu. If Rudy beats Georgia, that’s what we’ll all remember.
– I don’t buy the “Rudy bleeds maroon and gold” argument. I think he’d be just as “loyal” anywhere else. The varying reports I heard on his threat to transfer two years ago — who initiated it, whether it was legit, etc. — led me to believe that had he transferred to School X, he’d probably also be at School X’s baseball and basketball games. He’s a sports fan — an emotional sports fan, just like he’s an emotional player.
– I love his competitiveness, his fire, his ability to stay on the field even when hurt, and he is at least as good as anyone on the Chicago Bears’ roster right now.
– The most divisive ASU athletes, in order: 1. Barry Bonds. 2. Everyone Else.
Rudy Carpenter is a good – not great – quarterback. He has always had offensive weapons at his disposal, and although Dirk Koetter had a lot of faults, he was still a very, very good offensive coach.
With Sam Keller, the ceiling seemed higher. If not for boneheaded special teams play and a miracle pass from JaMarcus Russell to Early Doucet, the Sun Devils would have beaten LSU in 2005. Keller threw five interceptions against USC, but psyched his teammates up so much the week before that they held a 21-3 lead at halftime against Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, LenDale White and Co. That ASU team thought they could hang with USC. No team since has had that belief.
I don’t care about Keller’s numbers after that game and how ASU fared with him under center: the team quit. They thought they were BCS-caliber, and two losses early meant they weren’t going to the Rose Bowl. So they quit.
Carpenter came in and roasted some inferior defenses, but Keller was the better quarterback that season.
Is it fair to say Keller is better than Carpenter after what we’ve seen since? No. Is Rudy Carpenter one of the best quarterbacks in Arizona State history? No again.
[...] Fortunately, the Sun Devils have a few things going for them. One is quarterback Rudy Carpenter, a highly divisive figure who many blame for driving away Sam Keller and who many won’t forgive for sporting a pink T-shirt at a basketball game during the offseason. However, it’s hard to argue with his numbers. He’s closing in on every one of ASU’s career passing records, he’s thrice beaten rival Arizona, and three times guided ASU in a bowl game. If ASU wins 10 games this season, Carpenter will have more wins than any quarterback in school history. [...]
[...] first out of the Tillman Tunnel on senior night and his reception was surprisingly warm considering fans’ mixed feelings to him. (Just vote in the survey on the right to see what we mean.) Carpenter responded to the reception [...]
Rudy? A joke, reminds me a large tortis ambling in my back yard.
[...] Back in August we asked Sun Devil fans if Rudy Carpenter would be remembered more like Jake Plummer or Ryan Kealy. [...]