Carr shows growth in senior season
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Bolting out onto their home football field for a final time from the Pat Tillman tunnel is what 16 seniors will be doing on Saturday, lead by Deveron Carr holding the Arizona State flag.
A 6-foot-0 190 pound senior corner, Carr is a local product of Arizona and has provided the Sun Devils with veteran leader for a relatively young defense this season.
"My senior leadership role on defense is basically coming out here and show them that I am bought in, all in, to Coach (Todd) Graham's plan," Carr said. "Make plans and practice hard every day even though I might be sore or we have lost a few games. Letting them know that the inspiration in me is still there."
Throughout his time here Carr has showed great promise and been a key player for the Sun Devils. He was even recognized by Graham at his weekly press conference to be the most improved player on the team.
"It has been long, it has been good, it has been a struggle," said Carr. "That's what makes it heartbreaking and that is what makes it a hard time to see me go. I've been through a lot here at Arizona State and it has changed me as a man. If you are at a place in your life where something is changing you for the better you don't ever want to let that go. But unfortunately this Saturday will be my last game here at Arizona State. And the Arizona game will be my last (regular season) game as an Arizona State football player, so it's kind of sad."
The Sun Devils are currently fourth in the nation in passing defense, allowing just 167.6 yards a game. Considering how poor they were in this area in the 2011 season, it's been a remarkable turnaround, one which Graham feels Carr has significantly contributed to.
"He's really applied himself," Graham said. "He's taken the technique that we're teaching him -- and coach (Joe) Lorig has done a great job with those corners -- and seen it worked. He's starting to master his craft. I think he's one of the better corners in this league. He went up against one of the best receivers in the country [last game] and got beat once. And he was in 1-on-1 a lot.
"He's one of those guys that just every day, you know what you're going to get from him. He's a guy that I really have a closeness to. He's a really special guy, a great father. That guy's going to win the rest of his life no matter what he does."
Carr and the rest of the secondary will be challenged this week against Washington State. The Cougars are sixth in the nation in passing offense, averaging 337 yards per game this season.
"We have grown tremendously and we have performed very well," Carr said. "I feel like nobody expected us to preform the way we have been preforming. We are better because we are playing as a team."
With the ASU football season almost at an end, Carr has had 19 tackles, four passes broken up, and an interception.
"I feel like at time I have come up short [of my goals], but at the same time I feel like I have achieved them as well and I still have time to achieve them," Carr said. "I have two games left so I can't just give up hope on goals that I have set for my senior season."
Carr doesn't see his last two scheduled games being his last. He hops to play in a bowl game for this final season as a Sun Devil.
"I think going to a bowl game will most definitely happen," Carr said. "We can do it because every day we come out here and work hard and strive for greatness."
Bowl benefits
With the Sun Devils needing one more win to become bowl eligible, Graham said he has his eye on its value to the program as they work to establish their identity.
"You can't put a price on it. That is not an option. We can't afford not to (go)," Graham said. "We've made great strides. We've lost some close games that we needed to win but at the same end we've got a lot to play for. We can't afford not to have that for the development of our program. It's paramount."