Graham delivers powerful message behind ASU’s camo uniforms

Veterans Day is about a week away and Arizona State will pay homage to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

ASU will be sporting their ‘Brotherhood’ uniforms against Colorado this Saturday in Tempe. The apparel will be camouflaged and the helmet will list all the names of former Sun Devil players and coaches that served.

Arizona State will honor Pat Tillman and our nation’s veterans with special edition “Brotherhood” uniforms on 11/4. (via @adidasFballUS) pic.twitter.com/XCzJMMQJ8H

— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) October 23, 2017

The Adidas-designed uniform has generated a buzz from how it looks, but Sun Devils head coach Todd Graham wants to make sure everyone understands the importance behind it.

“I told our guys that you need to know why you are putting the uniform on,” Graham told Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona Sports Station. “It’s to honor the people that have fought and died for our freedom. Because our freedom is not free.”

Graham injected that message into his players all week.

With Veterans Day approaching on Nov. 11, he showed pictures of those who have enlisted in the past year. He reminded his players that this is someone’s father, daughter or someone significant in people’s lives.

“All week long at the beginning of our team meeting, I’ve had a slideshow of all of the American soldiers that have given their lives in the last year,” Graham said.

The coach also read letters from former Sun Devils that are enlisted, including one from a top Navy Seal who was on the 1987 team.

“We get caught up with all the things that are going on with us and we don’t realize that every day we wake up there’s people that are standing on the wall, ” Graham said. “There’s people that have given their life and are serving us so we can be free and play this game and live in this country.”

ASU will play Colorado on Saturday, at 6:30. It will be broadcast on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.