Salute to Three Sun Devil Seniors on Offense
As they prepare to run out of the Tillman Tunnel at Sun Devil Stadium for the final time on Friday, we take a look back at three seniors who’ve ridden the maroon and gold rollercoaster along with all of us over the last four or five years.
Three Seniors on Defense
Be sure to check out this morning’s look at three seniors who made an impact on the defense. And remember to vote for your favorite senior on the right side of the page!
Sun Devil fans have been on a rollercoaster ride over the last four or five years—and no one is more aware of that than the Sun Devil seniors who’ve spent their entire college careers in the program.
Three of those seniors – offensive lineman Paul Fanaika, running back Keegan Herring and wide receiver Mike Jones – have seen it all. They’ve played in three bowl games, survived a nasty quarterback controversy and the dismissal of the coach who recruited them, posted a 10-win season, and watched the program’s progress evaporate in a tough senior year.
Quoth fellow senior Rudy Carpenter: “We had to go through some up-and-down seasons when coach Dirk Koetter was here, and then obviously last year we had a 10-win season. We thought we were a part of what was getting everything turned around to being 10-game winners every year. Obviously that didn’t happen.”
- Paul Fanaika. A bruiser at 6 feet 6 and 336 pounds, Fanaika came to Tempe as a walk-on but earned the Levi Jones Scholarship in 2006. Like Jones, Fanaika has excelled on the line, earning All Pac-10 honors as a sophomore and as a junior and starting the last 33 games at right guard.
- Keegan Herring. A state champion sprinter at Peoria High, Herring entered this season within reach of ASU’s most untouchable rushing records. Injuries derailed his pursuit of Woody Green, but they didn’t cut the heart from the team’s emotional leader. With over 2,500 career yards, three more big games could move him into fifth on the career list.
- Mike Jones. Carpenter said Jones needed a track coach more than a baseball coach, but ASU’s two-sport star put up big numbers despite his perceived lack of speed. His 128 career catches for 1,768 yards and 17 touchdowns make him an attractive NFL prospect, and his athleticism in centerfield and on the base paths has drawn interest from MLB.
And what about Rudy Carpenter? Well, let’s just say we have plans for Rudy next week. (If you must have your fix, check out our preseason assessment of Carpenter’s legacy or watch Carpenter steal a soda from the Memorial Union.
In the meantime, we salute you Paul Fanaika, Keegan Herring, Mike Jones and the rest of the seniors on the Sun Devil offense.
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Sun Devils Seniors on Offense
- QB Rudy Carpenter
- TE Wes Evans
- OL Paul Fanaika
- RB Keegan Herring
- WR Mike Jones
- WR Nate Kimbrough
- TE Andrew Pettes
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[...] Seniors on Offense Be sure to check out our look at three seniors who made an impact on the offense. And remember to vote for your favorite senior on the right side of the [...]