Graduate transfer defensive tackle Nesta Jade Silvera had goals when he decided to transfer from the University of Miami to Arizona State this past spring. While he’s played well individually and has put together some good film for NFL scouts to chew on, obviously, the goals he had for his team have not come to fruition. Despite the ugly 3-7 record, Jade Silvera’s tune isn’t changing.
“I’m blessed to be a Sun Devil,” he exclaimed in no uncertain terms on Tuesday afternoon. “The mentality hasn’t changed. We’re following the example shown by the coaches who bring it every day. So if you ain’t with it, you gotta be.”
He has worked under the tutelage of defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez, who is developing a reputation as a coach who gets the most out of his pupils year in and year out. On Tuesday, Jade Silvera and his teammates attacked their sled drills with the intensity of a 10-0 team, abusing the tackle dummies with the same energy they did when practices began in late July. Coach Rod’s voice boomed across the Kajikawa practice fields as if he were screaming from the sideline of a tie game in the fourth quarter. Don’t tell him bowl contention is out the window.
“I feel like I’ve played some real good football with (Coach Rodriguez). He used to only point out things I was doing wrong, and it made me better. Maybe it was a mind trick he played on me,” Jade Silvera explained. “It’s been an interesting year, to say the least. All these things we’ve gone through, they build character, build morale. Honestly, it builds a stronger bond between the team.”
It’s senior night take two for the graduate transfer, as he was also honored in Miami last November as a senior with the Hurricanes. He discussed what the festivities mean to players who are on their way out and how the entire team should be able to rally around the finality of it all.
“This is my second senior night, so it hits the same as it hit last year,” he remarked. “You always want to go out with a win. Hopefully, these young dudes who get out and play know we’re not gonna lose our last one here.”
From the outside, it would be easy to assume that the state of Arizona State’s locker room chemistry probably isn’t the best. They’ve endured a coaching change, countless embarrassing losses, and have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Jade Silvera believes that all the adversity has allowed the team to gel and As the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
“It’s a bond in that locker room; everybody likes each other,” Jade Silvera reiterated. You know families fight sometimes, but at the end of the day, we love each other.”
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Case Hatch will also be taking his final stroll down the Tillman Tunnel ramp on Saturday afternoon. He’s been in maroon and gold since the beginning, developing a reputation as one of the nation’s most prominent fullbacks during his time in Tempe. He talked about the emotions of senior week following practice on Tuesday.
“Sunday is when it kind of sank in; I was like, man, this is going to be it. This is my last time walking out of that tunnel with the team playing football at ASU,” Hatch said. “Every day at practice, I do everything I can to just enjoy the moment, go hard every rep, and enjoy my teammates. I try to keep the energy as high as I can this week because I know it’s going to be emotional.”
A slow offensive start ultimately led to ASU’s demise on that side of the ball in Pullman this past weekend. ASU was shut out in the first half and never truly got into a rhythm. Hatch offered a blunt assessment of the performance and emphasized the importance of playing a full game during these last two weeks.
“I don’t know if it was the cold or us just getting things going; I’m not sure of why we had a slow start in the beginning,” Hatch explained. “I was glad we were able to kind of turn it up, although it wasn’t enough to get the outcome that we wanted.”
Hatch could utilize another year of eligibility if he so chose, but he announced Tuesday that he will forgo that opportunity in favor of declaring for the NFL draft. He is a phenomenal asset in the run game and could fit into multiple schemes at the next level with some development.
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Senior safety Khoury Bethley echoed a similar sentiment regarding the emotional aspect of the final home game. While at Hawaii, Bethley didn’t participate in senior day as he knew he would be pursuing the opportunity to play a graduate season at Arizona State. He’s looking forward to enjoying the day with his brothers.
“Shoot, it went by fast. I’m just enjoying the moment, enjoying senior week. I’ll have some family here,” Bethley reflected. “I think we have great camaraderie, and we can still finish strong. I’m looking forward to this weekend for many reasons.”
Bethley missed a chunk of Saturday’s loss at Washington State after taking a knee to the head late in the first half. He returned to the game after the break, continuing his iron man reputation that he earned while at Hawaii. Few players in all of college football have logged more career snaps than Bethley. While it’s an impressive reputation, it also shows how long he has been suiting it up at this level.
”It will be bittersweet, but the time has come. It’s going to be special for sure, and probably a little emotional too. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
Bethley was asked about his personal goals and whether he thinks he and the team fulfilled expectations this season. Like he and his teammates have done all year, he was accountable and selfless in his answer.
“Win wise, it obviously wasn’t the season we expected,” Bethley replied bluntly. “The main goal obviously was to win, and we fell short, but there are a lot of positives to look back on for sure. If we get knocked down, we’ll get back up and keep fighting. That’s what we showed this past weekend.”
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