Sterling Brothers Face an Uphill Battle

Through 15 ASU football spring practices, fraternal twins Santana and Levi Sterling spent most of their time standing off to the side, waiting for reps on show team. The brothers, who played an integral part in three Hamilton High School runs to the state championship from 2011-2013, aren't used to being away from the action, and they're hoping patience, mental toughness, and an underdog mentality can eventually lead to an opportunity to contribute.

Santana, a 6-2, 225-pound freshman linebacker, didn't receive much attention in the way of recruiting despite breaking the record for career tackles at Hamilton- a school that has produced one-time Sun Devil linebackers Anthony Jones, Colin Parker and Adam Vincent. Levi, a 5-9, 170-pound walk-on sophomore DB, watched in high school as taller teammates, and opposing receivers he had shut down in various situations, collected offer after offer. When their high school careers were all said and done, the Sterlings decided to attempt to prove they had been overlooked, and fight the uphill battle of becoming impact players on a PAC-12 roster. After sitting out the 2014 season (Levi attended classes, Santana didn't in anticipation of a greyshirt scholarship that the school says is no longer on the table, making Levi a sophomore for classification purposes), the boys are experiencing ASU football for the first time in an intense spring setting.

The difference in competition has been eye opening for the Sterlings, even after coming from starting for one of the nation's most dominant high school defenses. "I would say it's faster. Rapid even," said Levi.

"It's definitely a lot more competition," added Santana. "Everyone's out here to get theirs."

In high school, Levi and Santana helped anchor a defense that surrendered less than 14 points per game over the 42 contests between their sophomore and senior years. Santana had over 100 tackles as a sophomore, and had 11 tackles and an interception in a 2011 state championship loss to Desert Vista. Levi came on strong as a junior, starting every game at corner, and cementing his place in Hamilton football history by blocking a field goal attempt and returning an interception for a touchdown in a state championship win over Mountain Pointe. During the Sterlings' tenure, the Husky defense sent a litany of players on to division 1 programs, including Reggie Daniels (Oregon), Jaxxon Hood (ASU), Calvin Thomas (Tulane), Cole Luke (Notre Dame), Juwan Jones (New Mexico), AJ Greathouse (Cal), and Qualen Cunningham (Texas A&M). In the Sterlings' minds, if they could hold their own when flanked by three and four star talent, there's no reason they couldn't do the same at the next level, but watching reps from the sideline can take it's toll on once-confident minds.

"Preparing yourself mentally at this level- It's like a full time job," said Santana, who saw limited reps as a third team SAM linebacker this spring. "It's hard mentally, but that's part of the game and part of growing up. Life gets harder and so do the situations you're put in. You have to be your own motivator, because not a lot of colleges were in your corner in high school."

When it comes to how he plans to earn a spot on the field, Santana said it's all about giving the coaches what they're looking for. "They like guys that can hit, so when I'm out there I try to light somebody up and get a big hit on film"

Local reporter Jared Cohen, of Sports360AZ.com, recalls Santana's time at Hamilton as a reason he believes the linebacker has a shot at finding his way onto the field. "Santana is a flat football player," said Cohen. " There are few linebackers I have seen at the high school level over the last few seasons that worked harder and have better vision from that position. I recall so many times where Sterling would be in the backfield for a tackle for loss, and then back in pass coverage breaking up a pass over the middle the next play."

"It seemed like he had his hand in on every play," said Cohen.

Jason Skoda, a prep sports reporter for several Arizona and national outlets, got to see the brothers play in several big contests while covering Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe football for Ahwatukee Foothills News. "I had to physically look up to Santana," said Skoda. "But I looked up more, in a different sense, to Levi. He's a little guy, but you'd never know it. He made that interception in the championship against Hamilton, and came up big in a big situation. That's just what you came to expect from him."

"As far as getting on the field as a walk-on," added Skoda. "Jarek Hilgers from Desert Vista walked on at ASU, and won an award for top scout team player, but never saw the field. You can do all you want, can, and need to on scout team and never see the field because there are so many scholarship guys ahead of you."

Levi did break through and block a punt during one spring practice, and believes if he maximizes his opportunities, he'll give himself a chance. "There's kids that were on show team last year that are playing now that tell me 'try your hardest, do your best, coaches are always looking,' so when I'm in that situation I go 110% so hopefully I'll get noticed, earn their confidence, and they'll try me out in a situation that matters," said Sterling. But with those situations few and far between, Levi Sterling knows that it will be hard to stay focused. "I've never been in this position, and it's a difficult position to be in, but it's about mental toughness."

The brothers believe that taking the season after their senior year to get bigger and faster has worked to their advantage, but with Arizona State's recruits coming in bigger and stronger than ever, it's just a matter of keeping up at this point. "Getting in shape before the season helped a lot. The time off helped me put on 15 pounds, but I'm still one of the smallest out here," said Levi.

The brothers also added that their time at ASU has kept them from keeping up with Hamilton football, who appeared in a seventh consecutive state title game last season, losing to rival Chandler High. "It's hard to stay focused on two things. I try to text guys like defensive backs coach Anthony Parker and some old teammates and wish them luck, but other than that, it's all about what we're doing here," said Levi.

Chandler High coach Shaun Aguano doesn't seem to mind not having to game plan for the Sterling brothers anymore, stating, "They were both great competitors. May not have been the tallest or fastest, but played hard and competed on every play."

Santana and Levi hope that their journey to make an impact as Sun Devils is a successful one, but they also understand that on every team, someone has to play the scout team role, and find a seat on the bench when the lights come on. Ultimately, they want their story to send a message to those who feel like they've been under recruited, told they weren't big or fast enough, or told they peaked in high school. "The message is don't give up," said Levi. "Keep working, and keep trying. Push through and your time will come."