Imagine being a true freshman on a football team where not only are you challenged by a plethora of adjustments needed in order to acclimate to a power five program, but you also have to endure a struggling 3-9 campaign as a newcomer. Nonetheless, the lessons learned for Tevin White should be valuable building blocks for the redshirt freshman running back, who is expected to be an integral part of the Sun Devils’ ground attack in 2023.
“It was very hard,” White said of the 2022 season, “especially because coming from the other side of the country (Stafford, Va.), coming from high school where I was playing all the time…and then coming to Arizona State, and even though you’re good, everyone is good too. And you got through that experience where I wasn’t seeing the field as much and most being on the sideline. It was definitely tough. That season taught me that not just in football but just in life in general. You can never over prepare. Whether that be with school, getting ready for a job, or you’re getting ready for football practice, preparation is key. You will improve as a person by just being prepared.
“I knew that if I just played my part on that team as a freshman, turned to my teammates, do what I can, and practice to help the team that my time will come eventually, which it did towards the end of the season. I got some playing time and got some experience under my belt.”
Aside from the season opener versus NAU, the Territorial Cup contest in Tucson marked the only other game out of the total four contests the running back played where White saw an extensive number of game days reps. Even in limited action, he rushed four times for 30 yards averaging 7.5 yards, but also laments his mishap that day. Overall, White didn’t feel that this performance was needed to validate his confidence in his abilities to play well at the Pac-12 level.
“There was no pressure going into that game,” White recalled. It was just like, ‘let’s do what I do in practice and translate it to the field.’ I feel that practice was harder than the game. I know that as long as I got confidence, then I’m straight. It turned out well, and I did what I did. Unfortunately, the fumble happened, but other than that, I was doing pretty good.”
White credits his practice habits and overall approach to the college game to ASU’s star running back Xazavian Valladay, who not only starred on the field for the team (his 16 rushing touchdowns were the most in the Pac-12 last year) but made just as significant of an impact in the position room.
“Everything he taught me and watching him play was a lot about mentality and preparation, White noted. “When I came here, I felt that I was weak with inside my game, even though I was there physically and had the talent. But he showed me that it takes more than just physicality to be good at football. You need the right preparation for games, for practice, and for film study. You need to be mentally prepared for all of that as well, and that’s what he taught me the most last year.”
Preparing for the routine and typical tasks that come with being a student-athlete is one thing, but suffice it to say that nothing can prime a player, especially an underclassman amid his first year with the program to a head coaching change taking place after just three games into the season. And to complicate matters personally for White, it was running backs coach Shaun Aguano, someone White was naturally very close to, that was named as the interim head coach and consequently spending considerably less time with his position group. Nonetheless, the running back took it all in stride.
“The adjustment was not a tough one,” White noted, “because the GA at the time, coach (Kyle) Jacobo, was a really good coach. All the running backs loved him, and he had the same philosophy as coach Aguano and the same type of coaching style. So, it wasn’t really so much of a change that we had to endure.
“And keeping Aguano on the new staff was huge. That was a huge reason why I still stayed at Arizona State. Obviously, I was gonna give the new coaching staff a chance, but the fact that he’s here, that solidified my decision. He’s here; we don’t have to transition to anything. We have the same coaching style, same philosophy, and it all does make it a lot easier.”
Many returning players have been impressed with the infusion of energy ASU’s new head coach, Kenny Dillingham, has brought to the program since his hire in late November, and White is undoubtedly in that group. It’s not just Dillingham’s personality that resonates with the running back, but also knowing the potent offensive scheme he’s about to implement in Tempe.
“Once I saw coach Dillingham in person, and how he carries himself, I really love the atmosphere and the energy he brings,” White explained, “and I like that he’s a young coach. Him being our head coach is a plus, and still having coach Aguano is another plus. It’s hard to explain, but when I first talked to him, it was energetic, it was enthusiastic, and you could tell that he loved what he was doing. There wasn’t a face he was just trying to put on.
“We haven’t practiced yet, but one thing that I will say that I do like with (offensive coordinator) coach (Beau) Baldwin and his offense is the utility with the running backs. We have even more of that than last year, with passing plays and not just running the ball. They’re really going to utilize us as third-down backs, and I do appreciate that. We’ve been watching a lot of Oregon’s offense from last year (when Dillingham was the Ducks’ offensive coordinator) to see how they utilized the running backs.”
Our conversation with White took place during Arizona State’s spring break, but White stayed back on campus and didn’t go home to Virginia. This goes back to the lessons he has learned as a freshman regarding the importance of constantly preparing physically and mentally to perform at the highest level and addressing any shortcomings in his game.
“I’m getting some work and studying the playbook,” White stated. “I’m getting my body prepared and rested for spring ball. My two focal points that I was trying to hit on this offseason were one my contact balance. So anytime I would get tackled, I would stay on my feet and not fall. Second, is working on my hands. My hands were good during the season, but I want to be 100 percent in practice because practice translates to the field.”
Even though ASU has a power five nation-leading 25 transfers along with 20 players from the high school and junior college ranks, White feels as if the abundance of new faces isn’t a whole lot different than how he thought about the team’s makeup last year. Furthermore, he feels that all the newcomers bring a lot of enthusiasm to the table, which naturally helps their assimilation into the team.
That sentiment embodies the Dillingham mantra: “nobody will work harder than us and have more fun than us.” And before this adage manifests itself in spring practice, it has been plenty proven in the winter workouts facilitated by football sports performance coach Joe Connolly.
“It’s not so much seeing a different vibe, but really feeling it (the workouts),” White said, laughing. “Obviously, after last year, we needed to improve, but I wouldn’t say so much in terms of the weights, but I feel like the intensity is harder and more demanding, which changes our mentality and our mindset while we lift weights. That’s what coach Joe has put in place.
“There’s a lot of competition in our workouts. This is, for real, the most fun I’ve ever had in football. With all these new coaches and a lot of new players, even though they all know what they need to do on the field, everyone wants to prove themselves. Everyone wants to perform at a top level, and no one’s gonna take a rep off. No one’s gonna slack off. Everyone is gonna give their 100 percent.
Even with scarce opportunities given to him last year, Tevin White will still be counted on in only his second year to be one of ASU’s top offensive weapons. The running back may have a more modest view of this topic and yet is sure of the self-belief of his abilities.
“For sure, they (the ASU coaches) do have high hopes for me,” White remarked. “We do have great running backs, like George Hart, DeCarlos Brooks, Cameron Skattebo…any of us could be starting. There’s nothing set right now. Everything’s up for competition, and I’m confident in my abilities, but anything can happen. I don’t think me or any of the running backs feel pressure. If you’re confident and do what you do to play your game, everything’s gonna play out the way it plays out.
“The only real nonmeasurable goal that I have for spring practice is just to become a leader, and not so much, just vocally. I want to lead by example and actions. For example, if I catch a swing route, I want to finish 30 or 40 yards down the field. So I know my teammates are gonna see that, and they’re gonna want to finish down the field just like that, which will translate to the game.”
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