For a second, ASU football sophomore running back Jacom Brimhall thought he would have to wait another year.
After all, he had been through this before. Last season, he was the walk-on watching as his teammates Jordan Simone, Fred Gammage and others were placed on scholarship. Now, he watched as sophomore long snapper Mitchell Fraboni was awarded the team's last scholarship.
Then, head coach Todd Graham called his name.
Video by Fabian Ardaya | Sports Reporter
"(Fraboni) deserved it," Brimhall said. "I was like, 'Maybe next year.' Then they had to pull something on me. I just got real emotional. This whole thing has just been a dream come true and this just means so much to me.
"It was everything you could feel put into one. Everything last year, being on the scout team and just wanting to get the scout team as best as we could and giving it everything I had. As soon as (Graham) said my name, I just started crying. I couldn't hold it. It was special."
Brimhall calling his dad to tell him he's been put on scholarship. pic.twitter.com/ml3P9Lx48d
— Fabian Ardaya (@fardaya15) August 21, 2015
Graham had just one scholarship remaining from his 2015 signing class, but could not just honor one walk-on.
"We really only had one (scholarship) to give," Graham said. "We actually have to use an initial (2016) scholarship to do that, so that's a big deal. We're obviously proud of (Fraboni and Brimhall) and it's easy to talk about something being a priority to you and giving it lip service, but you look at what we've done in the last four years and how many walk-ons we've rewarded with scholarships. A lot of the public out there don't know what these guys sacrificed.
"Guys like Kevin Ozier, Gannon Conway and guys like that. You look at the guys you put on last year in Jordan Simone. You look at Brimhall, and he and Fraboni, their families made a big sacrifice and commitment, and it didn't happen overnight."
Additional Notes
- The media were only permitted to watch one session of 11-on-11 during Friday's session. Here is how the Sun Devils lined up:
First-Team Offense
Redshirt senior Mike Bercovici, sophomore Demario Richard, redshirt senior Devin Lucien, senior D.J. Foster, redshirt sophomore Ellis Jefferson, redshirt junior Kody Kohl, redshirt junior Evan Goodman, redshirt senior Christian Westerman, senior Nick Kelly, redshirt senior Vi Teofilo and redshirt senior Billy McGehee
First-Team Defense
Sophomore Tashon Smallwood, redshirt senior Demetrius Cherry, freshman JoJo Wicker, redshirt junior Salamo Fiso, redshirt sophomore Marcus Ball, redshirt senior Antonio Longino, sophomore Christian Sam, redshirt senior Lloyd Carrington, senior Kweishi Brown, sophomore Armand Perry and redshirt senior Jordan Simone
Second-Team Offense
Redshirt freshman Manny Wilkins, sophomore Jacom Brimhall, redshirt junior De'Chavon "Gump" Hayes, redshirt freshman Tyler Whiley, freshman Terrell Chatman, redshirt sophomore Raymond Epps, redshirt freshman Connor Humphreys, freshman Zach Robertson, freshman Quinn Bailey, scout team left guard, scout team center.
- Three players were wearing "PT42" jerseys: redshirt senior safety Jordan Simone, redshirt senior cornerback Lloyd Carrington and redshirt sophomore safety James Johnson.
- There were no "flame" helmets worn during practice Friday. All players wore the new helmets from the "Desert Ice" uniform set, minus the enlarged pitchfork on the helmet.
ASU JuCo DT transfer Deonte Reynolds (93) reporting to practice. Was cleared Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/1m1PP8QefD
— State Press Sports (@statepresssport) August 21, 2015
- ASU athletic director Ray Anderson was in attendance for Friday's practice.
Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 on Twitter.
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