Mike Bercovici, Sun Devil football players make promise to Arizona State fans

Arizona State quarterback Mike Bercovici isn’t exactly known for being quiet and demure.

Instead, he’s known for firework plays (ahem, the Jael Mary) and is quite an outspoken and passionate presence on both the field and social media.

So it’s not too much of a surprise that Bercovici and a couple of his fellow Sun Devil football players — returning leaders D.J. Foster and Jordan Simone — are showing their leadership with a message and a promise to Sun Devil Nation.

Here it is, courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics:

As student-athletes at Arizona State University, we want to first and foremost thank all who contribute and support our football program. We are honored to have the opportunity to be members of the Sun Devil Football team and we take very seriously our duty to compete at the highest level in all that we do.

The leaders of this team have made it our mission to express to our fans that no one will ever compete harder for this community than the 2015 Sun Devils. We want all of you to know that nothing sounds better than hearing the ASU Victory Bell being rung on the field at Sun Devil Stadium and nothing is more gratifying than singing the fight song with our fellow students after each win.

Every year there is only one team that raises the National Championship Trophy for its university. This trophy signifies what we like to call “The Grind.” The Grind is not simply a goal-line stand on fourth down in Sun Devil Stadium or a game-winning touchdown pass, but rather the process by which we achieve these moments. The Grind is making a conscious decision every day to represent our university and our fans with class and character. It is 6 a.m. workouts on a Friday and a full schedule of classes each semester, early morning practices and late night film study. The Grind is not something we dread as players, but rather look forward to conquering. This season, we are embracing The Grind.

We have won many games in Coach Graham’s first three seasons leading our team out of Tillman Tunnel and each year we have inched closer to our ultimate objective. Our goal has and always will be to win championships, but the difference between this year and past seasons is the foundation we have laid through The Grind. In the classroom, around the community and on the field, the standard inside our locker room is no longer to just win. We will be champions.

The product that will step across the white lines this season will consist of smart, disciplined and tough young men with unique talents and skill sets. Yes, we may make great catches and deliver big hits on the gridiron, but that is not what wins a championship. The Grind wins championships.

We want to be a program that all of Sun Devil Nation is proud to call its own and as brothers, sons, teammates, students and members of this community, we invite you to join The Grind with us.

One last note: The Territorial Cup will return to Tempe this year.

The Sun Devils, who went 10-3 (6-3 Pac-12) in 2014, will begin their 2015 campaign with spring practices in March and will play their annual Spring Game on April 10.

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