In my own words: Stanley Lambert
The term “athletic freak” may be one of the most overused in sports, but the incoming ASU freshman from San Antonio John Marshall High School undoubtedly has a lot of the traits to live up to that description. Stanley Lambert showed his exceptional athleticism at the Nike Football’s The Opening Dallas regional camp where out of 400 participants he posted the 23rd best score. In his last high school season, he recorded 83 tackles (7 for loss), scored three touchdowns on offense, as well as returning two kickoffs for touchdowns.
In some ways, Lambert, who is listed as an outside linebacker, arrives in Tempe, again thanks to his athletic prowess with no defined position. Will that make his adjustment to college a harder process? Lambert discusses that topic, as well as his early days of football and dealing with the coaching transition at Arizona State as a pledge to the former staff.
“I started playing football in seventh grade in middle school. I was really a basketball player. I started really getting into Football when I was in high school. I was really good at both sports. I’m a triple sport veteran for basketball, football, track, but football, I really liked the feeling of it. And I started getting scholarships for it, stuff like that.
“Playing all the other sports helped a lot in football. Because I played basketball, I’m more agile now and I can jump more explosively and track gave me speed. My best 200m time was a 22.7 (seconds) and my best 400m was a 49 (seconds).
“My first position in football was running back. I was also a cornerback and receiver. I’ve been a utility player and that’s what they’re planning on me to do at Arizona State. It all just came naturally to me because I’m an athlete. I only played different positions because you never know what your real position in until you go through different positions. I just wanted to help the team. If they need me at corner, I’ll be a corner. If they need me at safety, I’ll be a safety. If they need me at receiver, I’ll be a receiver. It doesn’t really matter, as long as I’m helping the team.
“I want to play different positions because at the NFL level, which I’m trying to be at, a lot of coaches look for that. They have a lot of players that are a one-man position but most of them are all-around utility players. That’s what I’m trying to be. I know at ASU I’ll be rushing the passer and also dropping into coverage, stuff like that. I could also play either strong safety or wide receiver.
“I developed a lot in high school mentally and physically. Now, mentally when I go through stuff, I can process stuff easier and I can handle adversity. Before, when I was faced with adversity I would shut down. But now I feel like I’ve got to the stage where I trained myself, in game situations, it came cooler to me. I know how to react if something doesn’t go my way.
“In my junior year, when I got really serious and went through the offseason, I felt I could play at a Power-5 program in college. I hadn’t really been through a football offseason before that because I was a three-sport athlete. I never really got into the offseason because I had been transitioning to the different sports every time.
“Being a high school football player in Texas there are a lot of expectations. Where I came from, we didn’t win too many games. I was the only hope of actually winning games. I had a lot on my plate because I was trying to do everyone’s position and trying to lead my team to a win which I did in some of our games. Every school we played was targeting me to shut me down. One time, I was a receiver and I was in triple coverage because they were trying to stop me. I’d get the ball on kick return so whatever they did, it was either going to be (they kick is short) on their yard line or I’d take it to the house. It was really hard for me but sometimes, it will be a good thing because I know the experience and what to expect at the college level. I want to be able to do things that I did before in high school but at a more experienced level.
“If you’re in triple coverage, you have to read every play, what they’re doing. … It’s easy to see things when I’m in triple coverage because everyone is all over the place and there are three guys on you but eventually someone is going to be open. So I would try to help my teammates get open by me being a decoy for them. I’m looking forward to getting to college and having other good players around me.
“Being in San Antonio, and not in Houston or Dallas, I don’t feel that I was an underrated player. I was pretty well known. I could have got more offers but I wasn’t out there like other players were, going to these different states, going to camps, stuff like that. I had to let schools come to me because I didn’t have the money to (go other places). I’d send out my film to everyone but I still feel like I was better than some of the four-star athletes that they have at these bigger schools but that’s just how other people think.
“I think people recruit because of the ratings; I don’t really believe in that. All of them have one position. They are limited already. I can play multiple positions and I still have unlimited heights to go through. I don’t know where I’m going to play yet (at ASU). I feel like I got overlooked as a player and not a lot of schools were looking at me because of the school I came from.
“Arizona State contacted started recruiting me hard before my senior year. Coach Phil Bennett came to my school because they wanted to offer me a scholarship. I didn’t really hear too much from them before but they came out of the blue and offered me out of the bag. I (wasn’t) really looking at them but they loved me so I went to their school.
“At ASU it’s more than football. They want to give you more if football doesn’t work out (after college) you’ll always have a good job from here. Everything they did was more than football. Your education and stuff like that, they really care about you as a person, as an athlete.
“I know college football is a business’ and sometimes coaches get fired. That really didn’t even matter to me. As long as the head coach wants to win as much as we can, then I’m fine with that. People would tell me about my scholarship at ASU, and that they weren’t taking it away so I wasn’t worried about that.
“Coach Herm. (Edwards) was the first ASU coach to contact me (after the Todd Graham firing). He (asked) if I was ready to play and said that I’m actually going to be a big key for them, for the whole team as an incoming freshman. I’m going to be on special teams and defense I don’t know where I’m on special teams but I know I’m going to be on the kickoff (team), kick return and punt return so wherever they can put me. Like I said, I’m going to be all-around on the field. I’m looking forward to some playing time this season. I like the 3-3-5 defense and it will help us a lot. You have linebackers drop in coverage and that will help our passing defense a lot more than how it was (under the old system).
“I feel a little bit of pressure but I know as an incoming freshman I won’t be as mature as I will be later on at the college level. But if I actually study my plays I can set myself to not get redshirted and I am going to play. I know what I have to do to get where I need to be. The pressure doesn’t bother me that much. Competing every day will be the biggest challenge.
A lot of players are going to be fighting for their position, and you can’t take one play off.”
Jack Harris contributed to this article
