Various ASU players addressed the media yesterday regarding the upcoming spring practice, their performance last in 2018 and their outlook for the season.

Sophomore Safety Aashari Crosswell

On being a ‘game-changer’

“I just feel like towards the end (of the season) I started changing game, not just me my teammates too. But, you know, certain picks I had I changed the game. So, this coming season I just want to start off early by doing that instead of starting off way too late. I just felt like certain games I could’ve changed the game and we could’ve won because you know most of the games we lost (were) by seven, so, just keep doing that, just being that game-changer.”

On last year’s freshmen feeding off each other’s success

“I just felt like all of us seeing each other like doing good, that’s what made us like ‘dang, we can really do what we can do.’ We can really do what we put our mind into, and so I just felt like each and every one of us seeing each other doing good- that’s when we just were like ‘man, we all about to just eat together.’ That’s what I feel like.”

On what players have taught him the most so far in his college career

“Demonte King, I feel like Jalen (Harvey) taught me a lot too. Kobe Williams taught me a lot too, just coming in they just always used to tell me like just the little things, and that’s just helped me a lot, just becoming more comfortable to the game, because I was a baby to them. But now it’s starting to slow down for me, I’m starting to pick up on it, and I just started to make plays.”

On stepping up as a leader

“I know coach Herm, coach G (Gonzales) and all my coaches expect me to be that leader- not just me but all of us, all of the (former) freshman. I just feel like a lot of leadership needs to be going on, they always talk about it every day that we need more leaders on the team. So, I just feel like I have to take that role- not just me but others on the team, you know, to take that leadership role on the defensive side.”

Sophomore LB Tyler Johnson-

On linebackers coach Antonio Pierce having him switch positions before last season from defensive line to linebacker:

“At first, I didn’t know who he was. I heard he played for the Giants, won a Super Bowl I’m like alright, cool. Because at this time I was with the defensive line, so I had coach Nua when he was here. The first day of Fall camp, (Pierce) comes over to me and was like ‘you’re with the linebackers now,’ I was like ‘what!?’ I was very confused, I was very lost, I didn’t know what I was about to get into, and so when I found that out that’s just when it all started. So, I adjusted to the speed of a skill position, I adjusted to the game-style- I had to learn very quick but it was awesome, I don’t take it for granted.”

“At the end of the day his knowledge of the game, and how he has perfected it and how he has done the things he’s done, you really can’t say much but just listen and perform. How he got into the process of getting me ready to finally start my first game against Stanford, or play a little bit in-and-out in the beginning of the season it was a roller coaster. But, when you find that steady pace it was awesome, it was a blessing to have somebody who has been all the way to the top, and have him coach me and put me in positions to be great on the field, that’s just something you really can’t ask for, it’s a once in a lifetime type thing.”

On his progression throughout last season

“When I look back, you can really see a difference. At the beginning of the season, I was thinking too much. So, towards around the time I started and playing and all the games toward the end of the season, it just came as second nature and it came very natural. So, it was awesome to see because not only if it were to be like that at the beginning of the season, if I was that comfortable, I just didn’t like how long it took.”

On his shoulder surgery that will keep him out for Spring practice

“I did it the first game of the season, first kickoff and then I finished the rest of the season with it…Rotator cuff/labrum type deal, yeah…If everything goes well I should be good for Fall, going into camp.”

Senior CB Kobe Williams

On trying different schemes with fellow starting CB Chase Lucas

“Just playing differently at corner, me and Chase are going to add a little different things coach Herm came up with, but we haven’t really seen it, we haven’t really worked on it yet, we talked about it. So, it’s like different little things to switch up and confuse the quarterbacks.”

On becoming more of a leader for his final season

“The main thing I’ve been working on is trying to be a leader, a vocal leader, and everything. Just trying to take over the defense and be that guy that always bring up stuff. (Sports performance) coach Joe (Connolly) be on me just to point out stuff when I see it and all that- I’m not used to being that leader. I’ve always been to myself and just worked out hard, and just try to outwork the next person. But now I’ve just got to focus on everybody around me and just bring them up with me.”

On the knocks regarding his stature restricting his potential on the field

“I always wanted something like nobody could say about me, and everybody always tells me I’m too small- I get that a lot. Everybody says ‘you could be one of the top picks at corner if you weren’t so small,’ so I’m just trying to get that out of the way man. Just get big, and show I have everything so they won’t have to say anything about me except for my play on the field.”

“I always see them guys at nickel, so I always say like if there’s a job for me at a nickel spot in the NFL or anything you can pick me up for that. But I looked at (the Rams) roster and that’s when I saw guys like Troy Hill and Nickel (Robey-Coleman) and Dante, Deion, they’re littler than me. So, I’m like man if I could do that it’d be big.”

On just finding out Tony Romo was the one announcing the AFC Championship game

“I did not know that was Tony Romo talking. I didn’t even know that was him because he was talking in the game, I told my dad like ‘this dude who’s calling out the plays, who is this dude?’ and he’s like ‘that’s Tony Romo.’ I was like man…Tony Romo needs to be a coach somewhere- he needs to be a DC somewhere the way he’s calling out these plays. Yeah, but he was calling out (plays) from the jump. He had me notice Brady’s ‘kill kill’ call when Brady was playing at his helmet, he was like ‘here we go, run to the right.’ So after a while I kept seeing Brady do it like ‘run to the right,’ we’re like damn, he’s really smart though. That’s crazy though how smart of a genius he is, he should be a coach one day.”

Sophomore LB Merlin Robertson

On defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales’ Spring practice regimen

“He’s just- oh my gosh- he just wants to run us. He just wants us to run, that’s it. Coach G, he just wants us to run. I’m already knowing like the first couple practices he’s going to be extra with the running.”

“He thinks he’s going to get me though, that’s what he thinks. He thinks he’s going to break me. Nah, not going to happen.”

On cornerbacks coach Tony White

“Coach White is one of the funniest coaches I’ve ever had. He got such a good personality. Everybody will be all tired, you know what I mean, be all grumpy and stuff but he’ll just say like a joke and everybody will start laughing.”

On the impact coach Pierce has had on his game

“He elevated my game a lot, I feel like he slowed the game down for me, not only for me but for the linebacker core. He was really big on watching film, and watching the little details that the offense would do, just to get ahead of them, just get a step ahead and know what the play is, predict what the play can be.”

On practicing against less experienced QB’s

“I read what coach G said about it, it’s like practicing against three different offenses, we’re going to see three different types of quarterbacks, and I feel like it’s going to help us get ready for a variety of offenses we’re going to be going against this year.”