Former Arizona State cornerback and team captain Chase Lucas had a saying when outside noise threatened to derail the direction of the team last summer.
“Keep the main thing, the main thing.”
The Sun Devils look quite different since Lucas was first asked about the NCAA investigation into recruiting allegations attributed to ASU. That investigation led to five major staff replacements and several transfers, including key veteran figures in quarterback Jayden Daniels, defensive lineman Jermayne Lole, and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. NIL also played a role in luring away promising talent, such as linebacker Eric Gentry, a freshman All-American.
Even Lucas, too, is now gone, currently at training camp with the Detroit Lions after he was drafted by the franchise last April.
Since ASU concluded its 2021 campaign with a loss to Wisconsin in the Las Vegas Bowl, it has been hard to keep the main the main thing.
And with the Sun Devils reeling from an offseason spent conducting damage control, the necessity for leadership to glue the areas of the program left intact is more vital than ever.
The bedrock begins with LaDarius Henderson. It is not the first time ASU has called on him to step up. Henderson started nine games as a 17-year-old freshman at left tackle in 2019. He switched to the other side and competed at the right tackle spot the next season, appearing in all four games. Most recently, he started every game of his junior season at left guard as he established himself in the lineup.
Henderson had to adapt and persevere at every bend of his college football journey. Although ASU’s adventure into this year’s college roster turnover cyclone has been rough, Henderson continues to see the positives.
For starters, this offseason is “light-years” better than the one hampered by COVID-19 health and safety restrictions. Henderson and his teammates have restored freedom to maximize their strength and conditioning potential. He also organized weekend sessions with the rest of the offensive line to practice footwork.
“The mentality of this offensive line is the best yet,” Henderson stated.
Henderson prefers to focus on the players ASU has gained, not the talent that was lost. In Henderson’s eyes, every team loses talent. ASU has had to replace difference makers every single year Henderson has spent with the team, from Brandon Aiyuk to Frank Darby, Eno Benjamin to Rachaad White, and Cohl Cabral to Dohnovan West.
“I just feel like the thing that has remained, like on the incline, since I’ve got here is the mesh of the team,” Henderson said. “How we come together, how we love each other, fit together. Our culture has always been on the climb no matter what outside noise we’ve ever had.”
One of those additions is Northern State offensive lineman Emmit Bohle. “Before he got here, I feel like I was the fastest on the o-line,” Henderson said. “And now that he’s here, I’m not gonna lie; I haven’t won many races.” Bohle and Henderson have become fast friends, their physical competitiveness tempered by jokes and need for speed.
Lucas might fit the “alpha Pat Tillman guy barking at everybody” description Henderson offered up as the stereotypical view of a leader. That’s not to say Lucas’ style was incorrect; if a player made a mistake, the chirping from the vocal cornerback could be heard from every corner of the practice field. Lucas wore his heart on his shoulder pad, and he was beloved for it.
But Henderson is not Lucas, and this is not Lucas’ team anymore. Henderson wants to make sure his approach is one that will be embraced and facilitate change.
“A lot of people feel like, ‘Oh, if you’re the leader, you’ve gotta bark, bark bark.’ But if that’s what you’re doing, eventually, people are going to turn it off.
“I feel like to really be a good leader; it involves loving guys, so when you have to get on their butt, they are really receptive, they really listen, they really change. That’s what my experience has been.”
Along with overseeing the improvement of his teammates, Henderson also took time in the offseason to review last year’s games on tape with West and identify points to strengthen. Henderson played at 310 pounds with around 25 percent body fat. Henderson asked himself if he could get faster by slashing the latter category down.
“What would it look like to be 310 this year and possibly 22 percent body fat?” Henderson said. “Or what does it look like if I can bend better? Or what does it look like if, like, do I block 3-techs better than I block 1-techs (defensive tackles)?
“I kind of figured those things out and jotted those things down. And I’ve tried to attack my weaknesses this past offseason, which I’m still doing. And Coach [Mike Cavanaugh] has been encouraging me to learn like I feel like I know about two or three positions on the offensive line, so I’m trying to learn all of them.”
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More insights from Henderson’s press conference:
– Florida quarterback transfer Emory Jones is acclimating well with the team according to the ASU offensive lineman and already has a “leader spirit” despite arriving on campus only a few weeks ago. “I personally feel like if he stepped into a leadership role right now, there wouldn’t be a bat of an eye from many people on the team.” Henderson also said he throws a nice ball and looks the part (of a starting quarterback).
– Henderson only picked up the game of football late in high school. Originally from Waxahachie, Tex., Henderson was motivated to outwork those around him in order to catch up to “the Evan Neals and Kenyon Greens of the world” (a pair of 2022 first-round NFL draft picks). It created a work ethic that persists with him to this day, and he said he’s pleased but not satisfied with his progress. “Once I get there, I’ve got to try and catch the next.”
– This quote sums up best Henderson’s philosophy: “At the end of the day, no matter who USC gets, no matter how disciplined Utah is, no matter how good U of A thinks they are, no matter who anybody is; if your players buy in and do their job, that’s how you win football games. That’s what it is. That’s all it is. No matter how many stars you have.”
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