Todd Graham speaks to importance of ‘the walk’ and tradition of USC game

The matchup between Arizona State and No. 21 USC has all the makings to be an intense one this weekend.

ASU is preparing for one of the biggest home games in Todd Graham’s tenure against the Trojans. It’s an opportunity for the Sun Devils to take control of first place in the Pac-12 South. Something that many could not have fathomed heading into this season.

Besides the fact that this game has immense Pac-12 championship implications, it goes beyond that for ASU. This matchup has brought a lot of tradition and history throughout the years.

“This is a game that they look toward I have to be honest about that,” Graham told Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona Sports Station’s. “I think all of our guys do. It’s a game from which you’re measured. Tradition and the past is what people kind of go on. You are measured on how you compete. How well you are able to be successful in this game. “

In 2014, one of the unforgettable moments in Sun Devil football history came when then-quarterback Mike Bercovici threw a hail mary to former ASU wide receiver Jaelen Strong as time expired to defeat USC 38-34.

Jaelen Strong (Arizona State) snags the CLUTCH hail mary TD and stuns USC in the Coliseum! pic.twitter.com/hrmiv4ejqD

— LeadingNCAA ™ (@LeadingNCAA) October 4, 2016

D.J. Foster, starting running back in 2012, Bercovici and Strong returned to Tempe on Friday to take part in “the walk” that Graham has his team do every week. The former players shared their experiences and tried to inspire the Sun Devils heading into the matchup.

“The old warriors tell them what it meant,” Graham said. “Our former players will describe when Jaelen caught that ball in the Coliseum and the clock ran out. What did that mean to them and how has that affected their life? What does it mean to be a Sun Devil that got it done against USC?

I think there’s great motivation in that because we are all about heart. It’s the heart, the mind and then the body.”

Graham does “the walk” every Friday for his team as a continual reminder to know whom they play for, whom they represent and all the sacrifices made in the process. The players line up on the end zone and walk the first 50 yards arm-and-arm and reflect on the price their families and they paid to be here.

The last 50 yards, players then reflect on what they are going to do to honor those sacrifices. Graham wants his players to visualize themselves being successful on the field come Saturday. Then the players come together in the end zone to take a knee and listen to the former players speak that participated in “the walk” that day.

“It makes for a very, very special day,” Graham said. “I think it gets our guys focused on just what price has been paid and whom they play for. The sacrifices they made for them to be there. They put a lot into it.”

The Sun Devils’ head coach knows how sacred the bond the players have and how much his former players wish they could take the field one last time.

Graham doesn’t want any of his players taking their experiences and opportunities for granted. He hopes that the athletes use these memories to help them as they venture through life.

“Maybe later in life when they face a challenge,” Graham said. “They’re wanting to give up or they’re having a tough deal in their marriage or something happens in their family. They get knocked on their can. They’ll know what it is to get up and to be a champion in life. That’s our whole deal and what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Graham has done a solid job of laying down the values and building a great foundation with this football team in his time at ASU. The commitment may be starting to show as the Sun Devils had strong outings the last few weeks.

“These young men are not just playing football; we are a 3.0 football team,” Graham said. “Character, smarts, discipline and tough that’s how you do it. It’s what you are made out of.” 

ASU will play USC on Saturday, at 7:45 p.m. The game can be heard on ESPN 620 AM.