When now senior Cade Cote got injured early in his Sun Devil career, he admitted there were some significant challenges that needed to be dealt with. But it was nothing homemade tacos and his family couldn’t fix.

With his family just 40 minutes from campus, the former Gilbert Williams Field player decided to stay in order to fulfill his dream of being the proverbial hometown hero.

“There were some dark times,” Cote confessed. “I got hurt early in my career, but this has always felt like home to me. I’m 40 minutes from my parent’s house so that’s a big factor in wanting to stay and be the hometown hero.”

Cote also admitted that his mom’s meals helped make the time easier to handle, especially his personal favorite, fried tacos.

“They’re going to be at every home game,” Cote said of his parents. “I can go home on a weekend if I have a day off, get a nice meal from mom.

“Corn Tortilla, shredded beef in the crockpot, cheese, folded, fried, some shredded lettuce and hot sauce, I haven’t had some in a while.”

A couple of years and tacos later Cote now has a chance to be that hometown hero as he looks to be a starter on the team’s offensive line.

The chance comes after the now senior saw sporadic action throughout his first three years as he adjusted to the collegiate level.

“As a freshman there’s anxiety,” Cote commented. “Everyone’s bigger, you don’t know the system that well, coaches yelling at you a lot, now it’s just comfortable. I’m more confident than I’ve ever been and I’m looking to excel instead of survive.”

The confidence is one that grew year by year and paid off in the form of playing time as Cote was rewarded with action in six games as a reserve offensive lineman.

Even with the increased snap count on Saturdays, the transition to a starting role is one that now comes with a new and extended role of responsibility for the senior.

“I got my feet wet last year,” Cote said. “Played a good amount of reps in some games but it feels great to be one of the guys, one of the five that we’re going to go and try to win a game.

“Last year I approached it as you’re one play away from going in, which happened a couple times, but it’s definitely different in the sense in that first unit is working together. We’re thinking of ways to run the offense better, make the run plays better, what calls we want, and it’s more of unit-based thing.”

Entering his final season of eligibility, the sense of urgency to find consistent time on the field is one that Cote full identifies and welcomes but is not one he had until earlier this year.

Heading into spring ball, his strong sentiment of resolve crept up onto Cote before he realized this could be his final year every playing football.

“I kind of had an epiphany,” Cote remarked. “Like this is my last year to go out and play and start. It’s now or never.

“During spring ball this year, I started off at the two-deep as a senior, that kind of fueled the fire that I need to get my ass in gear otherwise I might not see the field that much.”

Since then, Cote worked his way into a starting role as he was positioned to start at the guard position heading into the fall before the absence of left tackle Zach Robertson.

The fellow senior took a leave of absence from the team for personal matters causing a flurry of changes including the movement of then center Cohl Cabral to left tackle opening a position at center.

“I was expecting to go in at guard and work with Cohl and Steve [Miller],” Cote said, “my right tackle, but with Zach being gone and Cohl being out they were going to try a bunch of guys at center. Coach told me to try center out so I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”

The change has been one that has been easier for Cote than most given his experience at the position during his tenure at ASU.

Despite his previous experience at the center position, the transition has been one that comes with significant responsibility that includes helping freshman quarterback, Jayden Daniels, decipher opposing defenses.

“You’ve got to identify the Mike (linebacker),” Cote explained, “make sure you’re synced up with the quarterback on the snap count, the running back in protection, so there’s a little more going on at center.”

“Jayden’s doing great this camp, he’s picked up everything very quickly. You’ve just got to make sure you’re on the same page with calls and cadence but other than that there hasn’t been much of a drop-off.”

Even with the added responsibilities given his position at center, Cote will have the advantage of being just one of a possible all-senior starting offensive line.

The projected starting group, which includes Cabral, Miller, Alex Losoya, Roy Hemsley along with Cote all have lockers next to each other in the team’s locker room and share a bond developed over the last several years.

The group has known each other for at least four years with the exception of Hemsley who joined the team in 2018 after transferring from USC.

Miller and Cote go back the farthest of the group to their high school days where the two were rivals at Gilbert and Williams Field respectively.

“We used to kind of not like each other,” Cote stated. “We were competing for offers, playing against each other in basketball a little bit, but after going through the freshman workouts and the scout team together we’re pretty tight.

“It was petty. When you’re a recruit you have a big head, you think you’re all that but once we were both on the same team, we buried it.

Now as teammates the duo of Miller and Cote along with the rest of the Sun Devils’ front five will have their eyes set on paving the way for another record-setting season for running back Eno Benjamin.

After setting numerous school records a season ago, Benjamin will look to do much of the same, which will be a measure of success that the offensive line would be elated to hang their hat on.

“As an offensive lineman, you pride yourself on having a big-time rusher,” Cote said. “You love busting your ass on a run play and he goes 50 yards. It’s a great feeling. He’s helping us and we’re helping him so it’s great all around.”

With Cote at center, flanked left and right by seniors, the Sun Devils will look to continue to build on the high standard they set a season ago. One that will be fueled by his friends and family in the stands and of course, fried tacos.

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