Last week, Professor Kenny Dillingham assigned his football stars a group project for their "Winning Mentality" class final paper. Cam Skattebo, Sam Leavitt, Jordyn Tyson, Ben Coleman and Myles Rowser teamed up.
The students were looking to leave it all out there in the classroom and make their mark on the course. The State Press got the inside scoop on how the paper went and how each member of the team contributed.
Cam Skattebo (RB-Really Brainy)
One has to start with the man who carried the group on his back: Cam Skattebo. Skattebo did the work for the project. He was an overachiever in every aspect.
From the first time the team got together, Skattebo pushed his glasses up his nose and created a Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Snapchat group chat and text chain to make sure that everyone knew what they were doing.
No one was allowed to slack off on Skattebo's watch. If someone did not do the required reading (*cough* Leavitt *cough*), Skattebo was there and gave the stink eye, not so gently encouraging his teammates to grind as hard as he was.
Unfortunately, on the day of the final defense of the team's project, Skattebo got sick. He was sweating profusely and throwing up, but he absolutely rallied for the team and still did his part for the presentation.
His peers will miss him in next semester's course as Skattebo leaves for a real career after gaining national recognition for his academic work.
Sam Leavitt (QB-Quite Brilliant)
Next up is Sam Leavitt. The young transfer student defied expectations and became a pillar of the project's success.
Leavitt thrived under pressure. No matter what was thrown at him, he was always ready to rally the troops and make a big play to get their project done. However, his solutions to certain problems were, shall we say, creative.
Professor Dillingham told the team to try a new way of concluding the project, and Leavitt really liked the idea. However, he may have lost track of the concept halfway through.
Though the team tried to convert on the idea, and eventually thought they had perfected it, Canvas blacked out as they were trying to submit, which led them to reconsider their methods.
In the last few minutes before the paper was due, the team regrouped, turned the paper in and met all of Professor D's specifications.
READ MORE: The future of Sun Devil Football is bright as Sam Leavitt's leadership continues to shine
Jordyn Tyson (WR-Worked Relentlessly)
Tyson, another key contributor, typically paired up with Leavitt to make up for lost time when the team was behind schedule: getting research done, gathering information and finding the best opportunities to get the project back on track.
The project had an unfortunate setback when they lost Tyson in an unlucky mishap. When the group was way ahead of schedule, Tyson got too hyped up and spilled coffee all over his computer.
His computer glitched and short-circuited, making him unable to contribute to the group Google Doc. However, he still managed to cheer on the team with sticky notes throughout the whole process and kept a good attitude for the guys.
Ben Coleman (OL-Observant Learner)
Another vital member of the team was Coleman. While his work may not be immediately obvious, he was quietly working to ensure that the other team members were successful.
Coleman created space for the others to do their best work. From reserving the study rooms to providing snacks to keeping everyone focused on the task, Coleman consistently focused on making the team great.
A huge part of Coleman's job was making sure Leavitt could contribute 100% to the project. Toward the beginning of the team's work on the paper, Leavitt was clearly not locked in.
Coleman was the one who took away Leavitt's phone and enforced the "no-phone" policy during group work. This meant Leavitt and all the other boys were forced to get off Snapchat and other distractions.
Myles Rowser (DB-Details Based)
When it came time for the final proof-read, Rowser didn't ghost. He stepped up for quality control, always looking to fix any errors in logic or style the team put forward.
Regrettably, during the team's defense of their paper, Rowser made a bit of a scene when he thought the review panel did not ask enough questions. He felt like all of the notes and preparation he had done was for naught.
Fortunately, before Rowser could get too upset, Coleman gave him a cute Sparky-themed stress ball to calm him down. The rest of the project defense went without a hitch.
In the end, the team put 100% of their best effort into the project. Each student played a role, and even beyond the five students in the group, there was a wider network of individuals who worked to make the team successful.
One thing is for sure: Everyone in the ASU community is looking forward to the assignments that Dillingham cooks up for next year.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Sophia Braccio and Katrina Michalak.
Reach the reporter at kagore1@asu.edu and follow @kategore_17 on X.
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Kate is a freshman studying journalism and mass communication. This is her second semester with The State Press.
