Former walk-on's patience is ultimately rewarded

Tramel Topps was sitting in a team meeting, deflated and dejected. ASU football coach Todd Graham had just told the team that there were no extra scholarships.

Topps, redshirt senior walk-on sunk in his chair disappointed that was until Graham flipped to the next slide on the slideshow.

On that slide, Topps saw a picture of his face as he discovered that he was, in fact, receiving a scholarship.

“Everybody just rushed me,” Tops said. “In my mind, it was like ‘I can’t wait to see my mom and dad, I can’t wait to see my mom and dad.’ I was just so thankful…it was like a dream come true. I pinched myself, it felt like it wasn’t real.”

But it was very much real and the culmination of a long journey for Topps that started in Milwaukee, Wis. Although he was named the defensive player of the year in his high school’s conference, he received virtually no recruiting attention.

Undeterred, Topps elected to head to a junior college in order to pursue his football dream.

“I was always focused,” He said. “In my heart, I knew what I wanted to do so I didn’t let anything deter me from that dream so I just continued to work.”

His path would lead him to Arizona Western College after following a friend of his to the school.

Topps said he learned a lot during his time at Arizona Western, but more than anything, he saw teammates struggle to get by and he felt fortunate for what he had.

“It humbled me to appreciate everything,” he said. “Seeing other guys there that had less than I had and guys that and guys that would have to save this or penny-pinch this because they didn’t know where their next dollar was coming from so it really helped me appreciate everything that I get, every opportunity, every blessing that comes my way it just helps me appreciate it.”

After playing for the Matadors for a year Topps received more recruiting attention than he did in high school, but still not as much as he liked.

Division II and FCS schools came calling but it wasn’t what he wanted. Topps wanted to prove that he could play at the highest level.

“It was always the dream,” Topps said of playing at a DI school. “I stayed focused and I prayed on it. I said ‘is this something that I should do? Should I go to the DII or go to the DI-AA or should I just follow my dream and follow god’s plan?’ I felt this was the right thing to do and now we’re seeing that it is.”

So Topps packed his bags and walked on at ASU, continuing to chase his passion of playing at the DI level.

The idea of quitting football, despite everything he’d been through – playing at a JUCO, not having a scholarship and having to pay for his schooling while playing football – he never considered quitting, not once.

“Being around guys like Tashon Smallwood, my D-Line family was big time for me,” Topps said. “The defense as a whole, always keeping me encouraged…if I was out there for one rep they were always cheering me on and made me feel a part of a family…

“I’m not a quitter. That never crossed my mind. I wasn’t raised that way.”

Not even when he wasn’t able to work out with the team over the summer. Since he wasn’t in class, Topps was forced to work out on his own.

“That really made me focus in,” he said. “That really made me focus in, that really made me focus in on the things I had to do to get where I wanted to be. I cut a lot of weight and I just took every play (of preseason camp) like it was my last.”

Defensive line coach Joe Seumalo noticed that drive and determination from Topps early on.

“It was just his body of work before I even showed up,” Seumalo said. “You ask the guys in the weight room, you ask the guys in the training room, you ask the players, those guys just love his body of work.

“It’s funny because he was a walk-on but his voice was important to the team and that was impressive when I came in. I love the kid.”

It was one thing Topps loved about the program. He said he was never treated differently from anyone else, scholarship or no.

“Everyone has always treated me like I was a scholarship guy, always treated me like I was a part of the family,” Topps said. “That’s one of the things I love about this program. They don’t treat anyone different. We show everyone love, no matter if you’re a walk-on, no matter if you’re a starter, no matter if you’re a backup, everyone is treated the same.”

Topps’ hard-hat mentality stood out all the way up to coach Todd Graham and he noticed how Topps elevated his game.

“He came into camp probably fourth team,” Graham said. “It wasn’t like one day, it was every day, working his tail end off. He’s a guy that has a chance to be in the rotation.”

For Topps, it’s been a long journey but finally, it paid off.