When Ishmael Thrower played Pop Warner football, kids gave him the not-so-flattering nickname of "Ishmael Throw up."
Today, Thrower's teammates on the ASU football team show quite a bit more respect, and the senior defensive tackle's unique last name has been put to good use.
"People always tell me that's a great name for a defensive end; that I get to the quarterback and throw them and stuff like that," he said.
Thrower has done his share of tossing opposing passers this season, as he leads the Sun Devils with 5.5 sacks, totaling 36 yards in losses. Through eight games, Thrower already has the most sacks for a Sun Devils since Terrell Suggs set an NCAA record with 24 in 2002.
In his first full season a year ago, Thrower -- whose father played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland A's -- also led the team with 4.5 quarterback takedowns in 12 games. But ASU head coach Dirk Koetter said Thrower is a far better player than he was a year ago.
"He is playing up to his and our expectations," Koetter said. "I think we always knew that Ish was a really good football player."
But while Koetter and the rest of the coaching staff may have realized Thrower's skills, it took them a while to figure out how to best use them.
After recording 120 tackles, five fumble recoveries and five interceptions at Sacramento City College, mostly while playing defensive line, ASU coaches recruited Thrower as a linebacker.
Once he arrived in Tempe in time for the 2002 season, Thrower's role was limited to playing in the "cobra" pass rush formation. But after suffering from a recurring hamstring injury, his season ended after just two games. When the year was over, Thrower applied for a medical redshirt year, which was granted, and is the reason he still suits up in the maroon and gold.
When Thrower returned to the team in 2003, Suggs had bypassed his senior season for the NFL, and the ASU defense was dealing with severe depth problems along its front four. Thrower was moved back to the position at which he dominated two years earlier; only the offensive tackles he went against were not of the junior college variety.
Still, Thrower excelled and assumed the starting position he currently holds after just two games last season.
"Once they put me at linebacker, I didn't think I would be back in this position; playing end and leading the team in sacks," Thrower said. "I've improved, and I think I've done a lot to help this team. I've come up pretty big when I've needed to and played pretty consistently."
Even though it took a while to settle on one position, Thrower said he preferred defensive end to linebacker and said there is no better feeling than watching the opposition's signal caller pick himself up off the turf.
"There are so many things you have to remember to do playing linebacker. At end you just have to remember what play you're running and make sure you get to the quarterback," he said.
"You got to work hard to get to the quarterback, especially in the Pac-10; the offensive linemen are so good at pass-blocking. So, once you get there, you're just happy, and adrenaline is rushing through your body. Sometimes, I'm sure I probably look a little crazy out there."
Despite Thrower's career at ASU starting off sluggish, Koetter said it was the extra year in the program that has allowed Thrower to play at the level at which he is presently.
"How lucky are we now that Ishmael had to redshirt that first year that he came?" Koetter said. "If only all junior college players could come and redshirt for a year. It seems like they just get playing good, and then their careers are over. But another year working [in the weight room], another year of maturity and another year of practice has helped make Ishmael's play and leadership fantastic."
Thrower -- who was chosen to carry the American flag before Saturday's game against Washington State in honor of former Sun Devil Pat Tillman -- added that the extra year has helped him perfect his pass rush skills, as well as helped him mentally.
"It's just having the confidence knowing I'm going to get there and knowing that the person that is going against me can't stop me," he said.
Big words for a kid once teased for his name. But any Pac-10 quarterback would tell you Thrower's name needs no tampering now.
Reach the reporter at christopher.drexel@asu.edu.
