ASU’s Deantre Lewis to practice at spur
Sep 10, 2012, 10:48 PM | Updated: Sep 11, 2012, 12:10 am
Due to the lack of depth in the secondary, Arizona State coach Todd Graham announced at his press conference Monday that he is going to try running back Deantre Lewis out at defensive back.
Arizona State’s safeties and corners has been plagued with injuries this season, leaving the coaches scrambling for personnel.
“I am probably more concerned with the depth in the secondary than I am with anything else,” Graham said.
As a true freshman in 2010, Lewis was one of the most dangerous weapons on the Sun Devil offense. But after sitting out the entire 2011 season because of a gunshot wound, Lewis returned to find his name buried on the depth chart at running back.
Graham said Lewis will play “spur,” a hybrid defensive back/linebacker position.
“I think we could put him in at third down and tell him to rush the quarterback and he’d be able to do that and do it pretty well,” Graham said.
Graham admitted that offensive coordinator Mike Norvell was against the idea, but said that he felt that he had “to do what was best for the team.”
“He is physical and runs very well and those are some good things,” Graham said. “I don’t think that he is not going to be a running back but if we can utilize him in a dime-nickel package on a third down, then why not?”
