Blogging with the Devils

What is it like to be known as the “Voice of the Sun Devils?” Tim Healey has had that moniker — and responsibility, he would say — since becoming the primary play-by-play radio announcer for Arizona State athletics in 1998.

In the following “Too On One” interview that will appear on page 2 of the sports section in Sunday’s Tribune, Healey, a Penn State alumnus, talks about breaking in as an ASU broadcaster, his most memorable Sun Devil games and people, and having a second-generation sports journalist in his family.

PageToo: How did you get started calling ASU games?

Tim Healey: In 1988, was at Channel 3, who had the local ASU football television rights at the time. I got to work with one of my play-by-play idols, Ray Scott, who was the lead announcer for the NFL on CBS for many years and was the voice of the Vince Lombardi-era Green Bay Packers. I thought the world of him. He could make any game sound dramatic and was a joy to listen to. I spent the 1988 season as Ray’s color man. After one year, he retired and moved back to Minnesota, and I took over the TV play-by-play for 10 years. In 1998, after Tom Dillon left the ASU booth to work for the Cardinals, I was hired to do football and men’s basketball for KTAR radio.

PT: You are called the “Voice of the Sun Devils.” Is that a neat distinction to have?

TH: It is. I take a lot of pride in it. It’s a job I enjoy having. When Nebraska was here playing in the Fiesta Bowl, I had dinner with the Nebraska play-by-play man, whose name, unfortunately, escapes me. But I’ve never forgotten a story he told me: He was at a speaking engagement, and a little old lady came up to him afterward and told him, “It’s quite a responsibility you have, because you are the voice of our Cornhuskers. We rely on you.” That story hit home for me. As the announcer, you kind of are the conduit between the team and the fan. It’s an obligation and honor.

PT: What are the most memorable ASU games you’ve called?

TH: Oh, wow. If I had to pick one, it would be Eddie House’s 61-point game at California in 2000. Not only was it an amazing performance by Eddie, but the Sun Devils won in double-overtime. He made 18 baskets, and all but one were from 10 feet or further out. And every basket, they needed to win. The 2005 College World Series was the highlight of my baseball broadcasting. That was a great run, especially the game against Nebraska when Jeff Larish hit three home runs, and ASU won an elimination game in extra innings. As far as football, unfortunately, the most memorable ones are a couple of heartbreaking losses. ASU lost a game against Oregon, 56-55, in 2000 in one of the most gut-wrenching games I’ve ever seen, and the very first football game I did on radio in 1998, the season-opener against Washington, where the Huskies hit a fourth-and-17 for a 63-yard touchdown to win in the last minute. It was a hard loss, but what a way to break in. I’m kind of hoping that in football, the best is yet to come.

PT: You’ve interviewed a lot of ASU coaches over the years. Who are your favorites?

TH: I like to think I’ve gotten along well with all of them. Bruce Snyder was fun to interview after games. I always felt that, after a loss, Bruce considered talking to us on the radio as part of the healing process. He was always classy. Dennis (Erickson) has been great to work with. But I had to pick a guy I had a special connection with, it would be Larry Marmie. He became the coach the year I started doing games on TV, in 1988. He is one of the nicest men I’ve ever met in sports — just a good, decent man. Very low-key and down-to-earth. To this day, I consider him a friend, even though we haven’t talked in a while. A lot of the media back then wished that Larry could have had more success because he was so great to deal with.

PT: As a baseball announcer, you spent a lot of time with (analyst and ASU sports historian) Bob Eger, who passed away in June. What are your memories of him?

TH: I admired his love of the game of baseball, and his love of ASU athletics in general. He helped re-invigorate my love of baseball. It was the first sport I followed, growing up in the Washington, D.C., area in the 1960s. I’m one of the few people on Earth that can say he was a fan of the late, lamented Washington Senators. After the Senators moved, I felt like a disenfranchised baseball fan until I started working with Bob on ASU games in 2000. Another thing I loved about Bob is that, whether as a newspaper writer or broadcaster, he was ethical and objective, and he could critique poor performances without being demeaning. I’m still in shock and can’t believe he’s gone, I don’t know what it will be like to work without him on baseball games next year.

PT: Your son, Joe, is starting to dabble in sports writing.

TH: That’s right.

PT: Heavens, why didn’t you stop him?

TH: (Laughs) Maybe I should have. He never showed an interest in the broadcast side, but he’s a good writer. Even in first grade, he had a gift for composition. He’s getting a chance to parlay his love of writing and love of Arizona State into a forum where people can read his words. He writes freelance articles for Maroon & Gold Illustrated and DevilsDigest.com. It’s cool to be at ASU practices and have my son there, and not only are we together, we’re there for the same purpose, to do interviews professionally. How neat is that? It must be like it is for coach Erickson to have his son, Bryce, on the football staff as a graduate assistant coach. I’m proud of him, and hopefully, he can take writing as far as he wants.

Northern Arizona at Arizona State

Kickoff: 7:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Sun Devil Stadium
TV/announcers: FSN Arizona/Trey Bender, Juan Roque and Jody Jackson (sidelines)
Radio: KTAR (92.3 FM)
2007 records: NAU 6-5, ASU 10-3
Rankings: NAU unranked (championship subdivision school); ASU No. 15 Associated Press/No. 16 USA Today (coaches)
Series: ASU leads 18-14-4 and has won the last six meetings
Last meeting: Aug. 31, 2006 — ASU 35, NAU 14
Line: Off
Tickets: Available at the Sun Devil Stadium ticket office, by calling (480) 727-0000 or online at thesundevils.com.

SUN DEVILS’ KEYS TO VICTORY

1. Stay focused: With a championship subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team visiting, ASU needs no reminders of Appalachian State’s slaying of Michigan in 2007. The last two times NAU has visited Tempe, the Sun Devils won, but the Lumberjacks hung around far longer than they had any right to.

2. Pass the test: This is the Sun Devils’ coming out party for the tweaked offense with quick drops and passes designed to help take the pass-rush heat off of Rudy Carpenter. The offensive line, particularly tackles Jon Hargis and Adam Tello, will be watched closely.

3. Just dominate: In 2003 and ’06, a lackluster season-opening performance against NAU set the tone for disappointing years. Another closer-than-expected game would not engender confidence for the much tougher opposition that lies ahead.

INJURY REPORT

Northern Arizona
No injuries disclosed

Arizona State
OUT: RB Shaun DeWitty (hamstring), OL Matt Hustad (knee); DOUBTFUL: RB Keegan Herring (hamstring); WR Brandon Smith (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: OL Garth Gerhart (ankle); PROBABLE: DE James Brooks (ankle), WR Chris McGaha (toe)

A threat to pass or run, Lance Kriesien is Northern Arizona’s most experienced quarterback. But there is no guarantee that he will start on Saturday.

SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS

As of Friday morning, coach Jerome Souers had not named a starting quarterback among the three — incumbent Lance Kriesien, Mississippi transfer Michael Herrick and Corey Slater — competing for the job. NAU’s passing game, once one of the most dangerous around, slipped to seventh in the Big Sky Conference last season, but running back Alex Henderson helped pick up some of the yardage void. An unusual 3-3-5 base defensive formation can confuse an opposing offense, as ASU learned when the teams played in 2006. The secondary, with All-Americans K.J. Gerard at cornerback and Cyrus Igono at safety, is superb.

SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS

ASU will show some of the new offensive trinkets but would prefer to save some of them for next week, when Pac-10 opponent Stanford visits. But if the Lumberjacks keep it close again, the Sun Devils will not have that luxury. Coach Dennis Erickson said the starting cornerback opposite Omar Bolden will not be revealed until game time, but in practice this week, Pierre Singfield received most of the snaps with the first team. Erickson would love to utilize the game to empty the bench and give plenty of playing time to at least nine true freshmen that should contribute this season.

THE INTRIGUE

While it is challenging to find something sexy about a matchup against an FCS school that the Sun Devils should beat easily, this game does open the door to a season in which both teams have high expectations. ASU had 10 wins last season, but as Erickson’s stints at Washington State and Oregon indicate, the second year is when his teams really take off. For NAU, a solid effort should build confidence for an anticipated push for an FCS playoff spot. Besides, the college football season has finally started — for now, who needs intrigue?

TEAM REPORTS

NAU OFFENSE

WR 5 Skyler Moore; LT 69 Trevor Heekin; LG 53 Vinnie Paciulli; C 68 Jeff Hines; RG 61 Kris Poindexter; RT 62 Ryan Holstrom; TE 11 Shaun Fitzpatrick; WR 81 Ed Berry; WR 13 Conrad Meadows; QB 12 Lance Kriesien; RB 30 Alex Henderson

NAU DEFENSE

DE 89 Kyle Rath; DT 91 Stephen Nwogbe; DE 49 Mike Battisti; LB 34 Stevon Thomas; LB 44 Cody Dowd; LB 45 Zac McNally; CB 17 K.J. Gerard; CB 27 Conrad White; S 21 Cyrus Igono; S 43 Adam Wright; S 36 Matt Estrada

NAU 2008 schedule

NAU 2007 statistics (PDF)

NAU 2007 NCAA ranking summary

ASU OFFENSE

SE 1 Michael Jones; LT; 59 Jon Hargis; LG 67 Shaun Lauvao; C 56 Thomas Altieri; RG 63 Paul Fanaika; RT 77 Adam Tello; TE 88 Andrew Pettes; SLOT 5 Kerry Taylor; FL 13 Chris McGaha; QB 12 Rudy Carpenter; RB 31 Dimitri Nance

ASU DEFENSE

LE 49 Luis Vasquez; DT 77 Saia Falahola; DT 90 David Smith; RE 58 Dexter Davis; SLB 44 Travis Goethel; MLB 47 Gerald Munns; WLB 2 Ryan McFoy; CB 3 Omar Bolden; CB 31 Pierre Singfield; FS 14 Troy Nolan; SS 22 Rodney Cox

ASU 2008 schedule

ASU 2007 statistics

ASU 2007 NCAA ranking summary

… At least for now.

Gilbert Highland sophomore-to-be Matt Carlino chose Indiana and coach Tom Crean last weekend, which, for the moment, is a punch in the gut to Arizona.

The state, yes, but especially the University.

(Remember, Carlino is about to be a high school sophomore. Sixteen-year-olds have been known to change their minds once or twice within three years, and that waffling is not necessarily limited to college of choice).

As the Arizona Daily Star’s Greg Hansen writes, it’s one of a precious few coveted point guards Lute Olson couldn’t convince.

Hansen also references grumbling in Tempe because Arizona State’s Herb Sendek also couldn’t keep a “prized recruit” (and I hate writing that about 16-year-olds, even if Carlino is good), and that’s where I paused.

There’s no doubt the Sun Devils would have loved to have Carlino. They had his father, Mark, back in the day (though that relationship ultimately went sour), and Sendek loves smart point guards.

But ASU was already behind the 8-ball since Olson had followed Carlino since junior high school (that concept makes me shudder), a few years before Sendek came to ASU. Carlino ran with Russ Pennell, a Sun Devil assistant coach under Rob Evans. Pennell became ASU’s radio analyst before Arizona hired him to be an assistant this spring.

And, as Hansen notes, if the Indiana commitment holds up, UCLA will also have missed out on a top recruit, and how many “no thanks” replies has Ben Howland received in the past five years?

Whether Carlino sticks with the Hoosiers or backtracks and goes elsewhere, the Sun Devils will be fine with or without him, but given the time and effort involved, it would give the Wildcats a bigger black eye.

For starters, my apologies for the inactivity here over the last week or so. The Tribune’s blog system is receiving some maintenance/upgrade work that is taking a little longer than anticipated, but I have been told I can post for the time being.

The ball gets rolling again with something I plan to do on a regular basis during football season, an early-week examination of Arizona State’s upcoming opponent.

Northern Arizona at Arizona State
7 p.m. Saturday; Sun Devil Stadium

Jerome Souers

The last two times that NAU played at ASU, it achieved the three main goals that a championship subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team has when it faces one of the big boys: Don’t get humiliated, don’t suffer too many injuries, and by gosh, don’t forget to collect the fat guarantee check.

And while coach Jerome Souers believes his Lumberjacks are capable of giving the Sun Devils another good game — the teams were tied, 14-14, at the end of three quarters in their 2006 meeting — his primary designs are on NAU’s Big Sky Conference foes. And for good reason, as Souers’ team possesses the talent and depth to push for its first FCS playoff appearance since 2003.

“The last couple of years, we got into some trouble because of the schedule we played,” Souers said. “This year, we open with a tough one, but the other games are against teams that are more comparable to us. We have some quality experience returning, and we have a chance to be a quality team.”

Two years ago, NAU visited Utah the week after facing ASU. In 2007, it played games at Arizona and Appalachian State, slayer of Michigan and winner of three straight FCS national titles. This year’s overall slate is more forgiving, but November games against Big Sky powers Montana and Eastern Washington are on the road.

BURNING ISSUE: Who will play quarterback? Returning starter Lance Kriesen, who threw for 1,897 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season, has battled Corey Slater and Mississippi transfer Michael Herrick since the start of camp. Souers — who as of Tuesday morning had not announced a starter — said that all three have improved. However, he added that it “would be premature” to say that more than one QB would play on Saturday.

Skyler Moore

OFFENSIVE SNAPSHOT: Whoever the quarterback is will be surrounded by playmakers at the skill positions. Running back Alex Henderson has rushed for 1,913 yards in two seasons. Shaun Fitzpatrick is one of the top tight ends in the FCS, and receiver Skyler Moore, who missed much of last season with a broken ankle, is a big-play threat.

DEFENSIVE SNAPSHOT: NAU’s unorthodox base formation consisting of three down linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs gave the Sun Devil offense some problems two years ago. The unit’s engine is in the secondary, headed by All-Americans K.J. Gerard at cornerback and Cyrus Igono at safety. The Lumberjacks are excited about their depth at linebacker, where Stevon Thomas and Cody Dowd head what Souers called a “committee” whose ability to rotate frequently could be vital against ASU.

UNSUNG HERO: Robby Dehaze is a valuable two-way kicker, making 40-of-54 field-goal attempts the last three seasons. He took over the punting chores in 2007 and averaged 43.3 yards on 55 attempts, planting 23 inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

FURTHER READING:

NAU football official site

Arizona Daily Sun

FCS Launch Pad

SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The following links do not diminish the fact that, as coach Dennis Erickson said, Arizona State “has a lot of work to do” on offense. However, before Sun Devil fans hit the panic button, here are the headlines from a couple of stories I wrote at this time last year:

ASU gets defensive in scrimmage

ASU offense lacking in scrimmage

Walk-on running back James Morrison breaks into the secondary en route to a 45-yard gain during ASU’s scrimmage at Camp Tontozona on Saturday. (Darryl Webb/Tribune)

The Arizona State football team made a day trip to Camp Tontozona on Saturday for a scrimmage, and many in the estimated crowd of 3,200 seemed resigned to the fact that this was likely the last they will see of the venerable forest facility located near Payson.

John Caldwell has been a regular visitor to Tontozona since 1978, when his son, Bryan, was a freshman defensive lineman during coach Frank Kush’s final full season. Caldwell’s grandson, Kyle, was a defensive end for the Sun Devils from 2003-06.

“There are some things I’ll miss about this place,” Caldwell said on Saturday. “One of the things I won’t was hearing Bryan tell me about having to run up Mount Kush twice a day. One time, he sprained his ankle coming down, and Kush told him, ‘If you think this is going to keep you off the field, you’re mistaken.’

“Ah, times have changed.”

Indeed, they have. There was no time for nostalgia on the field, where ASU’s defense set the tone and receiver T.J. Simpson showed potential during the scrimmage.

The official statistics, as compiled by ASU’s sports information office:

SCORING PLAYS: FG Weber 37, FG Richards 37, FG Weber 42, Herring 4 run, FG Weber 47, Keelan Johnson 27 pass from Elway

RUSHING: Morrison 10 for 67; Bass 6 for 38; Woods 4 for 11; Nance 5 for 8; Szakacsy 2 for 5; Dixon 1 for 0; Herring 4 for minus-5, TD

PASSING: Carpenter 10-of-16 for 113; Sulllivan 8-of-19 for 72, INT; Elway 3-of-7 for 40, TD; Szakacsy 2-of-4 for 37; Stangel 2-of-11 for 5

RECEIVING: K. Williams 6 for 66; Simpson 4 for 49; Keelan Johnson 2 for 31, TD; Taylor 2 for 21; Evans 2 for 17; Knapp 2 for 14; Nance 2 for 12; J. Williams 1 for 22; Pettes 1 for 15; Pickens 1 for 15; Driscoll 1 for 8; Morrison 1 for minus-3

MISSED FIELD GOALS: Richards 47; Weber 52; Weber 37

DEFENSIVE SUPERLATIVES: T. Carr (pass deflection); Davis (interception); Goethel (pass deflection); Guy (sack); Lyons (sack); Magee (sack); Munns (pass deflection); Nolan (pass deflection); Reyes (pass deflection); J. Robinson (sack); Singfield (fumble recovery); Tuitea (pass deflection)

Outfielder Jason Kipnis will be back for another year at Arizona State if he cannot reach an agreement with the San Diego Padres before Friday’s draft signing deadline. (Ralph Freso/Tribune)

With his current Arizona State baseball roster and list of top recruits still under assault by major-league teams, coach Pat Murphy will finally have an idea who will be suiting up for the Sun Devils next season after 9 p.m. (Arizona time) on Friday.

That is the signing deadline for players selected in the June draft. Fourteen players from the 2008 team have signed pro contracts, and six ASU recruits — including four of the first 52 draft picks — opted to play for pay.

“You could describe it best as a two-sided fuse,” Murphy said on Thursday. “We lose guys on our current roster, and we lose incoming guys. This time, it’s a major hit. Yes, it turns out we might have a great player back, but we lost a bunch of others. We lost more from this team than an Arizona State team has ever lost.”

The current-player bleeding might stop with outfielder Jason Kipnis, who appears set to return for his junior season.

Kipnis and the San Diego Padres, who selected him in the fourth round, are reportedly more than $600,000 apart in negotiations. Kipnis, who batted .371 with 14 home runs and 73 RBIs, believes he would be a first-rounder in the 2009 draft and is evidently trying to get that kind of money now.

Murphy, however, said he is not yet ready to classify a Kipnis return as a sure thing, and he is monitoring the status of at least four incoming players. That does not include infielder Eric Hosmer, the third overall pick, who Murphy expects to reach an agreement with the Kansas City Royals.

Infielders Zack MacPhee (Detroit, 22nd round) and Zach Wilson (Pittsburgh, 26th round) and outfielder Johnny Ruettiger (Texas, 35th round) are getting last-minute pushes from their pro teams, Murphy said. MacPhee could be the Sun Devils’ leadoff hitter, Wilson is the projected third baseman, and Ruettiger is in the mix to start.

Also, Murphy would love to have Johnny Coy, a basketball recruit who was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh round.

Coy is expected to join the hoops team, and coach Herb Sendek has given him the OK to play baseball at ASU. However, the Phillies are reportedly trying to convince the infielder/outfielder to work for them during the summer.

Even if Kipnis and all four signees return, Murphy has quite a rebuilding task ahead. His team returns just three regular players: pitcher Mike Leake, second baseman Raoul Torrez and right fielder Matt Newman.

Pat Murphy

“If we’re going to finish in the top 10 again, we’ll have some work to do,” Murphy said. “We could be using seven or eight freshmen in the lineup, and we’ll have another brand-new pitching staff.”

If he returns, Kipnis will play in left or center field, with returnee Andy Workman, Ruettiger and Jeff Lusardi likely competing for the other spot.

In the infield, the Torrez brothers — Raoul and Riccio, a freshman — along with MacPhee and Austin Barnes and will get first crack at the middle positions. Abe Ruiz (San Francisco, 47th round), a newcomer with a slight chance of signing, could play first base.

Drew Maggi and returnee Mike Murphy will compete at multiple spots, and more infield help could arrive via a junior-college transfer.

Jordan Swagerty, Jake Saylor, Carlos Ramirez and returnee Andrew Pollak are the main contestants at catcher.

“Right now, before we have something definitive on Kipnis, the only position not up for grabs on this team is right field,” Murphy said. “Newman has established himself.”

Leake (11-3, 3.49 ERA last year) is the unquestioned pitching ace. Seth Blair has been solid in the Cape Cod League and will audition for the other rotation spots with Devin Fuller, R.J. Preach and Josh Spence, a left-hander. Fuller, who failed to qualify academically for the 2008 season, is eligible for the fall semester.

The Sun Devils begin fall practice on Sept. 1.

“It’s going to be an extensive practice and teaching period, but it will be fun,” Murphy said. “It’s all puppies out there. I think we’ll be picked close to the cellar in the Pac-10 because we lost everybody, and I don’t think there will be a top-20 (preseason) ranking for the first time in a while.

“But I like the team. I like who we recruited, and I like the character of the guys. They are the right guys.”

Lee Cummard was the co-Mountain West Player of the Year with 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last season. He was the only player in the MWC to rank in the top 10 in eight different categories, but the Cougars’ season to remember was halted during March Madness by Texas A&M. 

It’s hard to get into a lather about college basketball when college football season has arrived, but I just had a good conversation with Lee Cummard, the former Mesa High hoops star who’s entering his senior season at Brigham Young.

Cummard is back in town, as he is for a chunk of every summer, and taped some media spots on Wednesday for the Stadium Shootout tournament in December, featuring Arizona State vs. BYU and Louisville vs. Minnesota at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The 2004 high school player of the year in Arizona eclipsed 1,000 points for his college career last season. He declared for the NBA draft and worked out for a few NBA teams, but wisely pulled out of the draft and will return for his senior season.

A few weeks after the draft, he and his wife, Sarah, had their first child: Lee Casey Cummard Jr., or Casey, to keep everyone straight.

He’s done his own workouts this summer, and will return to BYU this weekend for school and team workouts. The Cougars went 27-8 and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament, feats he says can be topped this season.

He grew up with dreams of playing at ASU (and former coach Rob Evans recruited him) but chose BYU over four Pac-10 schools – ASU, UCLA, Oregon and Oregon State — and sounded like a man with no reason to look back and wonder.

Now if he could just get enough tickets for Glendale …

“I’m going to need much more than a few dozen,” he said. “My first game in Provo, there were 85 people, mostly family. I don’t know who’s going to come out of the woodwork.”

More than 100?

“I’d say so,” he said. “The phone will be turned off that week.”

James Morrison

Arizona State held a scrimmage during Tuesday’s practice, and here are the statistics, as best compiled by me and two other reporters. These are very unofficial:

SCORING PLAYS: FG Weber 37; Simpson 70 pass from Sullivan; G. Robinson 14 pass from Carpenter

RUSHING: Morrison 12 for 85; Nance 5 for 78; Bass 11 for 42; Woods 10 for 22; Dixon 3 for 4; Elway 1 for 3; Szakacsy 1 for minus-1; Stangel 1 for minus-8; Sullivan 4 for minus-9

PASSING: Sullivan 5-of-11 for 120, TD; Carpenter 6-of-13 for 43, TD, INT; Szakacsy 5-of-10 for 39; Stangel 2-of-6 for 12; Elway 1-of-8 for 6

RECEIVING: Simpson 3 for 82, TD; Driscoll 3 for 21; Bass 3 for 12; G. Robinson 2 for 27, TD; Johnson 2 for 16; Matsumoto 1 for 16; Knapp 1 for 16; Malamala 1 for 9; Jones 1 for 7; Battle 1 for 7; Piva 1 for 6; Nance 1 for 5; Pettes 1 for 5; Morrison 1 for 0

MISSED FIELD GOALS: Weber 42; Richards 42

DEFENSIVE SUPERLATIVES: Bertrand (half-sack); Brooks (sack, forced fumble); Gasu (sack); Jarrett (half-sack); Magee (forced fumble); Moos (half-sack); Nixon (fumble recovery); Nolan (interception); Togiai (half-sack)

Only five of Arizona State’s first 22 football practices are scheduled to take place inside the team’s new indoor facility. (Laura Segall/For the Tribune)

As the Arizona State football team sweated through practice on Monday — the heat and humidity made for steamy conditions, even in the morning — a player on the sideline looked longingly at the team’s indoor practice facility, which was unoccupied.

“Look at that thing, an oasis just 50 yards away,” the player said. “Right now, it’s an $8-million umbrella.”

Going indoors would have been a welcome opportunity for an ASU team that practiced four times in a 40-hour span, with three of the workouts outside, during the weekend. However, it is obvious that coach Dennis Erickson is not going to use the $8.4-million, 103,000-square-foot facility to baby his players.

Monday afternoon’s practice was ASU’s 10th of camp. Only two have been scheduled indoors, and Erickson said that the team “will practice outside as much as possible” even after school starts.

“Everybody has brought it up with coach Erickson,” quarterback Rudy Carpenter said. “We all want to get out of the heat. But I think he wants us to stay out in the hot weather and get us all used to playing in it.”

Travis Smith

During the morning practice, good karma caught up with reserve cornerback Travis Smith, whose several sets of pushups during camp have signified missed interception opportunities. His goose egg was an embarrassing distinction among the cornerback unit that is keeping track of each other’s pick total.

On Monday, Smith’s redemption came on back-to-back-to-back plays during 11-on-11 work. The sequence began when the junior stepped in front of a pass from backup quarterback Danny Sullivan, ending his shutout and eliciting yells and laughs among the cornerbacks watching from the sideline.

“He got one. He’s on the board,” Omar Bolden said. “That’s a confidence booster.”

But it was just the start for Smith. On the next play, he had a shot at another interception, but dropped the ball. More pushups. More hollering from his fellow cornerbacks.

Smith lined up again, and when a short screen pass went through the hands of receiver T.J. Simpson, he plucked the ball out of the air. There would be no opportunity for Smith to press his luck, as he was taken out of the drill after the play.

“I’ve had to do 10 pushups every time I dropped a pick,” Smith said. “Not anymore.

“(On Sunday), we started keeping track of the interceptions, to see who will have the most by the end of camp. I think Omar is up on me by one.”

Shameless plug department: I and my made-for-radio face will be appearing on ESPNNews’ “The Hot List” at about 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday to discuss Arizona State’s football fortunes.

Lastly, former ASU coach Bruce Snyder, who is battling cancer, got a pleasant surprise in the mail from his most celebrated Sun Devil player.

One of the most famous Snyder stories is of his 1992 trip to recruit quarterback Jake Plummer. Snyder arrived in Boise, Idaho, to a winter wonderland, and the snow ruined his dress shoes.

Recently, Snyder received a package in the mail, with two pairs of nice shoes inside. The enclosed card read:

Coach,

I think I owe you these.

Jake

At practice on Friday night, Arizona State reserve cornerback Travis Smith made a sharp read and break on an out-pattern pass by quarterback Rudy Carpenter and had an interception in his sights — but could not hold on to the ball. It was his second drop of the workout.

The next voice heard was Omar Bolden’s.

“Come on, Travis!,” the sophomore cornerback yelled from the sidelines, where the first-team defense was taking a break. “You ain’t hungry enough out here right now!”

The scene is indicative of the leadership taken on by Bolden, who came to ASU in 2007 as a highly-touted freshman and won a starting job five games into the season.

In the following “Too On One” interview that will appear on page 2 of the sports section in Sunday’s Tribune, Bolden talks about being more vocal, tells the story behind his jersey number choice and evaluates the camp competition at cornerback.

PageToo: You weren’t exactly an introvert last season, but you seem to have more of a vocal leadership role during practices. Is that something you focused on providing?

Omar Bolden: I’ve got to. I see myself as a leader on the defense. I’m only a sophomore, but I’m not a rookie anymore. I have to step up and bring energy. There are not many people that can do that, have the energy to hype up a whole defense. So, I have to bring it every day.

PT: It seems like you’re having fun while you’re chattering out there.

OB: Oh, I have to. Honestly, that’s what keeps me going at practice every day. If I come out here and be quiet, the practices drag on for me. When that happens, it’s not a productive day. I’ve got to progress every day I’m out here. If talking helps get me through practice, I’m going to do it.

PT: (Running back) Keegan (Herring) typically likes to go back and forth with guys during practice. Do you find yourself yapping with him a lot?

OB: All the time, man. I enjoy it. It’s all fun and games, but at the end of the day, we’re teammates who love each other.

PT: You wore No. 3 in high school, right?

OB: Making a long story short, I wore No. 32 my first three years as a running back and never rushed for more than 700 yards. I changed to No. 3 for my senior year and ran for more than 2,000. I always felt that No. 3 was for me. It’s a confidence thing, I guess.

PT: Did you want to wear No. 3 last year? (Since-graduated) Rudy Burgess had that number, so you went back to 32.

OB: I came in and didn’t want 32. The equipment folks told me to talk to the coaches about changing my number. But then I found out who wore No. 3. I didn’t know much about Rudy. A couple other guys wanted 3, but we were asked, ‘Do you know who wears No. 3?’ When they told me everything that Rudy had done, I decided that out of respect, I wasn’t even going to ask for his number. He was a senior. I would have been upset if I was him, and a freshman came in and wanted to wear it on defense. I decided not to do that. As the year went on and I got to know Rudy as a person and player, I knew that was the right thing to do.

PT: There’s a competition at the cornerback spot opposite you. What’s your take on it?

OB: Every cornerback out here is hungry. When one of us slips, the rest of the guys see that as an opportunity to (move up the depth chart). In the meeting rooms and on the field, we’re focused and locked in. It’s going to come down to the last week, I think, before the starters are announced. And that goes for me, too. It might look like I’m not rotating (during practice), but my spot is not safe, just like everybody else’s.

PT: Who are the guys on the team you hang out with?

OB: My roommate in the dorms last year was (receiver) T.J. (Simpson), so I’m really close to him. But I’m close with all of the guys. My roommate now is (cornerback Terell) Carr. I’m good with everybody.