Y2K brought about significant change in Sun Devil football as after the 2000 season, Arizona State made a major coaching change after ninth-year head coach Bruce Snyder was replaced by Dirk Koetter, formerly of Boise State.
Koetter developed one of the nation’s most prominent pass offenses and in six seasons guided ASU to four bowl appearances and peaked with a nine-win output in 2004 that included a victory over Purdue in the Sun Bowl. After an average 2006 season, Koetter was relieved of his position and the Sun Devils brought in veteran head man Dennis Erickson, most recently having coached at Idaho. Erickson enjoyed a sensational debut season – ASU’s first 10-win campaign since 1996 – and recruited well, but an “inmates running the asylum” approach lead to his tenure’s ultimate demise.
The 21st century included sensational individual talent and a multitude of school record holders. This decade also featured a great deal of highly developed local talent as close to half the selections for this All-Decade Team are Arizona natives
Quarterback
Andrew Walter (2001-04)
In the limited appearances, Walter made as a redshirt freshman in 2001 it was clear he had a cannon for an arm and could be a high-tier quarterback if he could refine his accuracy and overall skillset. After he lost the competition to start at quarterback in 2002 to Chad Christensen it was unsure what his long-term outlook was with the Sun Devils, but in the fourth game of the season he replaced Christensen midgame against San Diego State and never looked back. As a starter for the remainder of the 2002 season, Walter, perhaps the strongest-armed quarterback ever to play for Arizona State, shattered the ASU single-season passing record and became the first 3,000-yard thrower in Sun Devil history with 3,877 yards – at the time the third-best single-season mark in league history.
The next season, he again surpassed the 3,000-yard plateau with 3,044 passing yards and 24 touchdowns and earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 accolades. As a senior in 2004, Walter took home Second-Team All-Pac-10 honors after he threw for 3,150 yards while breaking the school single-season record with 30 touchdown passes, surpassing the 29 thrown by Mike Pagel in 1981. When his ASU career came to a close, Walter claimed the Pac-10 Conference record for career touchdown passes (85), ranked third in total offense (10,142 yards) and fifth in passing yards (10,617), also setting school records in those and virtually all other major career passing categories. Walter was chosen in the third round (69th overall) by the Oakland Raiders and was in the NFL until prior to the 2009 season.
Honorable Mention: Sam Keller (2003-05), Rudy Carpenter (2005-08)
Running Back
Keegan Herring (2005-08)
Despite never truly being ASU’s featured running back, the lightning-quick Herring was a steady yet dynamic rusher and one of the top fan favorites during his time as a Sun Devil. As a true freshman in 2005 beside Rudy Burgess in the ASU backfield, Herring was the Devils’ leading rusher with a school freshman record 870 yards. The next three seasons the Peoria native joined the likes of Ryan Torain and Dimitri Nance in the Sun Devil rushing attack and Herring was again ASU’s leading rusher in 2007 with 815 yards. In all, Herring currently ranks ninth all-time at ASU with 2,635 career rushing yards.
Ryan Torain (2006-07)
One of the most all-around impressive running backs of the past few decades, Torain gave Sun Devil fans just a taste of his talents as he appeared in only 19 total games as a Sun Devil. His junior season of 2006, Torain was an absolute breakout performer as a Second-Team All-Pac-10 honoree with 1,229 rushing yards on 223 carries – the greatest single-season rushing total by a Sun Devil since 1975. The next year, Torain was the offensive standout on a Sun Devil team that started the season on a lengthy undefeated streak but suffered a foot injury in the sixth game of the year and was sidelined for the duration of the season. Torain was again on pace for a 1,000-yard season as he rushed for 553 yards on 110 carries with five touchdowns in just six games that year. A fifth round pick (139th overall) by the Denver Broncos in 2008, Torain was in the NFL through the 2013 season.
Honorable Mention: Delvon Flowers (1999; 2001), Mike Karney (FB) (2000-03), Dimitri Nance (2006-09)
Wide Receiver
Shaun McDonald (2000-02)
One of the most exciting skill hometown skill players ever to play for Arizona State, the Phoenix Shadow Mountain High School graduate is one of the top deep threat receivers in recent history for the Sun Devils. After a very solid redshirt freshman season, McDonald exploded in 2001 with 1,104 yards on just 47 receptions – an amazing 23.5-yard average for the year. The next season he added more superlatives and elite honors as he set Arizona State single-season records with 87 receptions for 1,405 yards with 13 touchdowns – one scoring reception away from tying the school’s single-season record. A Biletnikoff Award finalist in 2002, McDonald was also a Third-Team All-American that year and a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection.
An Honorable Mention All-American in 2001, McDonald was also a First-Team All-Pac-10 pick his sophomore year. After his star-studded junior season, McDonald opted to enter the NFL Draft and bypass his final year at ASU. Had he stayed for his senior season, McDonald likely would have shattered every school receiving record at the time as he finished second all-time at ASU in receiving yards (2,867), third in career receptions (156) and fourth in touchdown catches (24) despite playing just three years for the Sun Devils. A fourth round selection (106th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft by St. Louis, McDonald played seven total seasons with the Rams, Lions, and Steelers, catching 220 career passes for 2,490 yards with 11 touchdowns.
Derek Hagan (2002-05)
His debut season, Hagan broke Hall of Famer John Jefferson’s school freshman receiving record with 32 catches and from there, the Palmdale, Calif., native would go on to set every receiving standard for Sun Devil football over his career. After the proverbial torch was passed to him from McDonald, Hagan authored his first of three 1,000-yard seasons by catching 66 passes for 1,076 yards with nine touchdowns in 2003. The only player in Sun Devil history to register a trio of 1,000-yard receiving seasons, Hagan then caught 83 passes for 1,248 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2004 and finally posted 77 receptions for 1,210 yards with eight touchdowns as a senior in 2005. Altogether, in 50 career games with 36 starts Hagan caught 258 passes for 3,939 yards with 27 touchdowns, at the time of his graduation making him the Pac-10 Conference’s all-time receptions leader and also allowing him to rank second in league history in receiving yards and seventh in touchdown catches.
In terms of ASU history, Hagan exited as the school’s all-time leader in receptions, receptions-per-game (5.16), receiving yards, receiving yards-per-game (78.8) and touchdown receptions. A team captain in 2005, Rivals.com regarded Hagan as a Third-Team All-American that season and a Second-Team All-American the year before and he was also a Playboy Magazine All-American in 2004. Hagan also claimed First-Team All-Pac-10 honors as a senior, second-team accolades as a junior and honorable mention distinction as a sophomore. After his illustrious Sun Devil career, Hagan was chosen in the third round (82nd overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft by Miami. Over his nine-year NFL career, Hagan played with the Dolphins, Giants, Raiders, Bills, Buccaneers and Titans, catching 134 passes for 1,565 yards with seven touchdowns. Hagan was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
Honorable Mention: Skyler Fulton (2000-03), Michael Jones (2005-08), Chris McGaha (2006-09), Kyle Williams (2006-09)
Tight End
Zach Miller (2004-06)
One of the most heavily pursued Arizona recruits of the early 2000s, Miller was rated by Rivals.com as the top tight end prospect in the country and the nation’s No. 33 overall recruit for the 2004 cycle. After he signed with Arizona State in early 2004 primarily over offers from Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee and UCLA, it was impossible for Miller to escape the comparisons to Todd Heap, then a premier NFL tight end who like Miller came to ASU from the local high school ranks. Lofty as those expectations were, the Phoenix Desert Vista product held true to them, quickly earning “The Truth” as a nickname after an incredible true freshman season. As a rookie in 2004, Miller bested Derek Hagan’s freshman receiving mark with what proved to be career-highs of 56 catches for 552 yards with six touchdowns, helping him earn recognition as the Pac-10 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year and a Second-Team All-American.
As a sophomore, Miller hauled in 38 receptions for 476 yards with four touchdowns on his way to Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 accolades, then as a junior he caught 50 passes for 484 yards with four touchdowns, resulting in Consensus All-America recognition as well as First-Team All-Pac-10 honors and inclusion as a finalist for the John Mackey Award, given each year to the top tight end in college football. Despite bypassing his senior season to advance to the pro level, Miller finished his career as ASU’s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (144) and touchdown catches (14) and ranked second behind Heap in receiving yards by a tight end (1,512). Miller was chosen in the second round (38th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders and after four seasons in Oakland went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks from 2011-14. Miller earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Raiders in 2010 and won a Super Bowl ring with Seattle after the 2013 season and altogether he caught 328 passes for 3,804 yards with 20 touchdowns in the NFL.
Honorable Mention: Mike Pinkard (1999-2002), Jamaal Lewis (2003-06)
All-Purpose
Rudy Burgess (2004-07)
Perhaps the most unselfish player in recent Sun Devil history, Burgess began his career at wide receiver before moving to tailback his redshirt freshman season in 2004, where he stayed as a sophomore before returning to wide receiver but then shifting to cornerback in 2006 and then back to receiver as a senior in 2007. Oh, by the way, all the while he also contributed as a kick and punt returner and also threw a touchdown pass in 2005 – a big one, as it allowed wide receiver Derek Hagan to claim ASU’s career touchdown receptions mark. At the time of his graduation, Burgess was one of only 14 players in FBS history to accumulate 1,000 yards rushing (1,093), receiving (1,536) and special teams returns (1,750 combined punt and kick return yards). All things considered, Burgess accumulated 4,379 all-purpose yards and is remembered fondly as one of the most versatile all-purpose athletes ASU has ever seen.
Offensive Line
Scott Peters (1998-01)
A dominant interior lineman in late Bruce Snyder and early Dirk Koetter days, Peters is one of the absolute most accomplished offensive linemen of the 21st century for Arizona State. Peters started all four years at ASU, the first two at guard before playing center the last two. A Freshman All-American in 1998, Peters went on to become a team captain in both 2000 and ’01, also earning First-Team All-Pac-10 recognition those two years after being an Honorable Mention selection in 1999. A fourth round selection (124th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002, Peters remained in the NFL until 2009.
Levi Jones (1998-01)
One of the most memorable rags-to-riches stories in recent Sun Devil history, Jones began as a walk-on defensive lineman from Eloy, Ariz., and after his Sun Devil career went on to become a top-10 NFL Draft selection. After redshirting in 1997, Jones played in 10 games at defensive line in ’98 before switching to offensive guard in 1999. Jones’ momentum continued the next year when he was a Second-Team All-Pac-10 pick as a starter in all 12 games at left tackle, then his progress hit its peak in 2001 as Jones was Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Pac-10 choice and the Morris Trophy winner as the conference’s top offensive lineman of the year. Jones’ ascension didn’t stop at the conclusion of his college career, as he was picked 10th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft by Cincinnati and he played 103 games with 97 starts from 2002-09 with the Bengals and Redskins.
Grayling Love (2002-05)
A highly versatile and greatly decorated lineman for ASU, Love started at both tackle positions as well as center and was a two-time Second-Team All-Pac-10 pick and a First-Team All-Pac-10 member in 2004. A team captain in 2005, Love was an exemplary student-athlete off the field as in 2004 he was the inaugural winner of the Pac-10 Sportsmanship Award and the next year was named the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII selection, Love was a two-time First-Team Pac-10 Academic all-conference pick and twice was an honorable mention choice.
Mike Pollak (2004-07)
A standout local product form Tempe’s Corona del Sol High School, Pollak started the better part of three seasons at center for ASU. A Second-Team All-Pac-10 pick in 2006, Pollak was a team captain for ASU’s 10-win season and was the Sun Devils’ lone offensive representative on the All-Pac-10 First-Team that year. After his stellar ASU career, Pollak was chosen in the second round (59th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Pollak seven seasons with the Colts, Panthers, and Bengals before retiring prior to the 2015 season.
Shawn Lauvao (2006-09)
An Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 pick in 2008, Lauvao was a second-team selection as a senior in 2009, Lauvao began his career at his natural position of offensive guard before moving to tackle out of necessity late in his Sun Devil tenure. Named a team captain for his senior season, Lauvao was a three-year starter and totaled 33 starts among his 42 games played from 2006-09. A third-round selection (92nd overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2010 NFL Draft, Lauvao spent four seasons in Cleveland and has been on the Washington Redskins roster since 2014. Altogether, Lauvao has started 62 of 71 games played at the pro level.
Honorable Mention: Kyle Kosier (1998-2001), Regis Crawford (2000-03), Drew Hodgdon (2001-04), Andrew Carnahan (2003-06), Brandon Rodd (2004-07), Paul Fanaika (2005-08)
Defensive Line
Terrell Suggs (2000-02)
Likely the most dominant player at any position in the history of Sun Devil football, Suggs came to ASU from nearby Chandler Hamilton High School with massive expectations and managed to greatly exceed even the loftiest predictions for his collegiate career. Primarily a running back in high school, ASU head coach Bruce Snyder plotted Suggs at defensive end to use his other-worldly combination of size, power, speed and overall elite athleticism and the returns were substantial and immediate. As a true freshman in 2000, Suggs was named the Pac-10 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year after totaling 48 tackles including 16.0 for loss with 10.0 sacks.
The next season, Suggs was named a Third-Team All-American and First-Team All-Pac-10 pick after posting 42 tackles including 18.0 for loss with 10.0 sacks, setting the table for an eagerly anticipated junior season in 2002. Already an All-America caliber player, Suggs catapulted into college football history with his legendary third season as a Sun Devil as he broke the NCAA sacks record with his 24.0 sacks, while also notching a school record 31.5 tackles-for-loss in what was one of the most dominant individual seasons by a defensive player in the history of major college football.
One of the most highly decorated football players of the 2002 season, Suggs brought a bounty of hardware home to Tempe as he was a Unanimous All-American, the Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection and the winner of the Morris Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi, Bronko Nagurski and Ted Hendricks Awards. To the surprise of none, after becoming the NCAA’s all-time sacks leader with 44.0 in just three seasons, Suggs skipped his senior season to enter the 2003 NFL Draft, where he was selected 10th overall by the Baltimore Ravens.
This season will mark Suggs’ 14th year with the Ravens, and during his pro tenure he began as the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and has since been a six-time Pro Bowl selection, the 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the Ravens’ all-time leader in sacks and a key contributor on Baltimore’s Super Bowl XLVII championship team. It is a logical conclusion that after he retires Suggs will join Mike Haynes and Randall McDaniel as the only Sun Devils selected to both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Jimmy Verdon (2001-04)
Though slightly overshadowed by the all-world play of Suggs, Verdon was a highly capable defensive end for Arizona State and a postseason honors recipient in his own right. An Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 pick starting opposite Suggs in 2002 and a Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection as a senior in 2004, the three-year starter appeared in 49 career games with 38 starts totaling 155 tackles including 24.0 for loss with 10.0 sacks. A seventh round pick (232nd overall) by the New Orleans Saints in the 2005 NFL Draft, Verdon stayed in the NFL through the 2007 season.
Dexter Davis (2006-09)
A lightly recruited defender out of Phoenix’s Thunderbird High School, the two-star prospect listed no other scholarship offers beside the one from his home town Sun Devils. Despite arriving at ASU under the proverbial radar, Davis went on to be a four-year starter at defensive end and graduated third on ASU’s all-time sacks list with 31 and eighth all-time in tackles-for-loss (45). One of only three players in ASU history to record multiple double-digit sack seasons, Davis posted 10.5 sacks in 2007 and 11.0 in ’08. An Honorable Mention Freshman All-American in 2006, Davis was a Second-Team All-Pac-10 pick in 2007, an Honorable Mention selection in ’08 and a First-Team All-Pac-10 honoree as a senior in 2009. A starter in a school record 50 games – every game played from the 2006-09 seasons – Davis was chosen in the seventh round (236th overall) by Seattle in the 2010 NFL Draft and spent three seasons with the Seahawks.
Lawrence Guy (2008-10)
An elite recruit out of Las Vegas, the four-star prospect rated the No. 13 defensive tackle in the country and the nation’s No. 161 overall player in the 2008 class played three solid seasons at ASU before entering the NFL Draft after his junior season. A Freshman All-American in 2008, Guy also earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 recognition that season as well as the next year. In total, Guy appeared in 35 games with 31 starts with 122 tackles, including 23.0 for loss with 8.0 sacks. After bypassing his senior season at ASU, Guy was chosen in the seventh round (233rd overall) by the Green Bay Packers in the 2011 NFL Draft. Guy spent time with the Packers, Colts and Chargers before signing with his current team, Baltimore, in 2014. He enjoyed his best pro season in 2015 with career-highs of 46 tackles including 4.5 sacks in all 16 games with six starts.
Honorable Mention: Ishmael Thrower (2003-04), Jordan Hill (2003-06), Kyle Caldwell (2003-06), Michael Marquardt (2006-07), Luis Vasquez (2007-08)
Linebacker
Adam Archuleta (1997-2000)
Similar to Levi Jones, Archuleta is a heralded former walk-on to emerge into an All-American collegiate performer and an ultimate first-round NFL Draft selection. Archuleta came to ASU by way of Chandler High school and after redshirting during the Devils’ Rose Bowl season in 1996, he played in a reserve role in 1997 before emerging as one of the top defenders on the team – and then as one of the premier linebackers in the nation – over the course of the next three seasons. After totaling 75 tackles including 18.0 for loss with 5.0 sacks as a sophomore in 1998, Archuleta was a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection as a junior in ’99 when he collected 111 tackles including 21.0 for loss with 5.0 sacks. A team captain in 1999 and 2000, Archuleta finished his Sun Devil career with one of the top individual seasons by an ASU defender in school history as in 2000 he was the Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, a First-Team All-American, a finalist for the Football News National Defensive Player of the Year Award, a Butkus Award semifinalist and a First-Team All-Pac-10 selection. As a senior, Archuleta posted a career-high 127 tackles – including 93 solo stops, the second-highest single-season total in ASU history – as well as 14.0 tackles-for-loss. After his ASU career ended, Archuleta used an incredible NFL Combine and pre-draft workout performances to vault into the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft as a safety as he was selected 20th overall by the St. Louis Rams. Archuleta spent time with the Rams, Redskins, Bears and Raiders and ended his pro career prior to the 2008 season with NFL totals of 530 tackles including 18.0 sacks and four interceptions. In 2011, Archuleta was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame.
Dale Robinson (2004-05)
Robinson came to ASU as a two-star JUCO recruit with competing scholarship offers from Colorado State, Temple and Washington State, but after two quick years, he departed as one of the most intimidating defenders in the Pac-10 Conference. The New York native made an immediate smash hit upon his arrival to ASU, starting all 12 games in 2004 and earning Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 accolades with 93 tackles including 13.0 for loss with 4.5 sacks, earning his “Manimal” nickname for his habit of jarring hits and altogether physical play. Robinson continued to evolve as a senior, ultimately sharing the Pac-10 Conference Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Award with Oregon’s Haloti Ngata. As a senior, Robinson collected 115 tackles including 15.0 for loss with 4.0 sacks and was a natural selection for a First-Team All-Pac-10 honors slot. Robinson later continued his playing career in the Arena Football League with the Arizona Rattlers.
Mike Nixon (2006-09)
One of the more unique back stories in recent Sun Devil history, the four-star prospect ranked the No. 20 athlete in the 2002 class signed with UCLA but was chosen in the third round of the Major League Baseball draft a few months later by the Los Angeles Dodgers and chose to pursue a baseball career instead of playing college football. After four seasons and promoting as high as the AAA level, Nixon reversed course and came to Arizona State as a 23-year-old true freshman for the 2006 season. Over his four years playing linebacker for the Sun Devils, Nixon provided a heady, reliable yet dynamic presence and collected 253 tackles including 25.0 for loss with 5.5 sacks in 50 career games with 31 starts. ASU’s leading tackler in 2008 and ’09 and a team captain as a senior, Nixon was an Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 selection after both his junior and senior seasons. A standout in the classroom as well, Nixon was the 2010 National Football Foundation Hall Scholar-Athlete of the Year, a three-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII pick and a three-time First-Team Pac-10 All-Academic selection as well as the 2009 Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Honorable Mention: Solomon Bates (1999-2002), Mason Unck (1999-2002), Justin Burks (2003-04), Jamar Williams (2002-05), Robert James (2004-07), Travis Goethel (2006-09)
Defensive Back
Jason Shivers (2001-03)
A tackling machine in the secondary for ASU, Shivers was the team leader in total tackles all three years he played, managing 314 tackles from 2001-03. A freshman All-American in 2001 after becoming the first freshman in school history to lead the team in tackles (89), Shivers was an Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 pick in 2002 after posting 121 tackles as a starter at free safety in all 14 games. Had he stayed for his senior season he realistically could have become only the second player in school history with 400 career tackles, but the Phoenix South Mountain product opted to enter the NFL Draft after his junior season. Drafted in the fifth round (158th overall) by the St. Louis Rams in the 2004 NFL Draft, Shivers spent the vast majority of his pro career in the Canadian Football League. After ending his playing career, in 2013 Shivers started coaching in Canada and most recently was the Defensive Backs Coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Riccardo Stewart (2001-04)
Similar to the likes of Grayling Love and Mike Nixon, perhaps because he never played at the pro level Stewart might get lost in the shuffle of Sun Devil history – except to those who saw his four years on the gridiron for Arizona State. A hard-nosed defender and the consummate team leader, Stewart appeared in 41 games with 30 starts and totaled 282 tackles including 22.0 for loss with 5.5 sacks. Stewart was an underrated force in the Pac-10 during his days in Tempe, earning Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 accolades as a sophomore, Second-Team All-Pac-10 honors as a junior and First-Team All-Pac-10 distinction as a senior in 2004.
Justin Tryon (2006-07)
A junior college transfer to ASU, Tryon helped end a turnstile of inconsistent play at the cornerback position that the Devils endured for a handful of years prior to his arrival. A starter in all 26 games of the 2006-07 seasons, Tryon totaled 103 tackles, 27 pass deflections, and five interceptions. An Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 pick as a junior and second-team selection as a senior, Tryon was chosen in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft by Washington and played five total seasons with the Redskins, Colts, and Giants.
Troy Nolan (2007-08)
A junior college teammate of Tryon, after redshirting in 2006, Nolan quickly emerged as one of the most outstanding defensive playmakers ever to appear in the Sun Devil secondary. Despite playing just two seasons in Tempe, Nolan set a school record for interceptions returned for a touchdown (four), while picking off 10 total passes and collecting 128 tackles as a starter in all 25 games played in the 2007-08 seasons. A Second-Team All-Pac-10 selection both years he played and a team captain as a senior, Nolan shined off the field as well as he was the 2009 National Football Foundation Hall Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A seventh-round selection (223rd overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2009 NFL Draft, Nolan was at the pro level until 2013 and spent time with the Texans, Dolphins, Bears, and Buccaneers.
Honorable Mention: Nijrell Eason (1999-2000), Alfred Williams (1999-2002), R.J. Oliver (2001-03; ’05), Zach Catanese (2005-06), Josh Barrett (2004-07)
Kicker
Thomas Weber (2007-10)
After narrowly earning the kicking job prior to the 2007 season, nobody could have expected the laundry list of accolades Weber corralled as a redshirt freshman. As a key figure of ASU’s 10-win team in 2007, Weber was virtually automatic as he connected on 24-of-25 field goals on his way to becoming the first freshman to win the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker while also claiming Consensus All-America and First-Team All-Pac-10 honors. Though his final three years at ASU did not match the caliber of his freshman season, Weber graduated second on ASU’s all-time scoring list (340) and field goals made (68)
Honorable Mention: Mike Barth (1999-2002), Jesse Ainsworth (2003-06)
Punter
Nick Murphy (1999-01)
A Ray Guy Award semifinalist in both 2000 and ’01, after one year spent at nearby Scottsdale Community College, the Scottsdale Desert Mountain High School graduate was ASU’s primary punter all three seasons he played for ASU. Murphy earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 accolades as a junior and Second-Team All-Pac-10 honors as a senior and was also a Pac-10 All-Academic selection and the 2002 National Football Foundation Hall Scholar-Athlete of the Year. As a junior in 2000, Murphy set a school record with 3,551 punting yards and punted the second-most times in school history (86) and had a career average of 40.3 yards on 206 total punts. Murphy appeared in six total games with the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles over the 2004-05 seasons, averaging 42.8 yards on 29 punts, making him the most recent punter or kicker to play in the NFL.
Honorable Mention: Tim Parker (2002-03)
Returns Specialist
Terry Richardson (2003-06)
A talented wide receiver to complement record-setter Derek Hagan, Richardson claimed his greatest accolades as one of the most threatening returns threats in college football. Richardson exploded in the return game as a junior in 2005, averaging 15.2 yards on 22 punt returns including a pair of incredible touchdown returns against top-ranked USC and to spearhead a comeback rivalry victory over Arizona. Also that season, Richardson averaged 27.3 yards on 23 kickoff returns, at the time the third-best single-season average in ASU history. A Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Pac-10 selection as a junior, Richardson was a Second-Team All-Pac-10 pick as a senior as a returns specialist when he averaged 11.1 yards on punt returns and added a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Oregon. Richardson graduated as the school’s all-time leader in kickoff return average (28.7) while also having a 13.2-yard career punt return average.
Honorable Mention: Tom Pace (2000-01), Shaun McDonald (2000-02), Rudy Burgess (2004-07), Kyle Williams (2006-09)
