Herm Edwards and Arizona State are familiar with the Sun Devil Stadium fox
Nov 8, 2021, 11:39 AM
A fox enters the field of play during Arizona State's victory against the USC Trojans on Nov. 6, 2021. (Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports)
(Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports)
The workplace for football coaches is all about adapting to surprises and reacting on the fly without panic.
Arizona State head coach Herm Edwards has seen some things on the sideline, and he was hardly out of his element when the Sun Devils’ game against the USC Trojans on Saturday was interrupted by a fox just hoping to get on his way.
Edwards, who along with ASU’s football personnel is familiar with the local fox, knew what to do.
“Fifty, 60 thousand people in there screaming and the poor fox is on television. … Just open the gate for the guy,” Edwards told Bickley & Marotta of Arizona Sports. “Let him go, he’s fine. Everybody’s trying to figure out what to do. The one guy shooing him, I said, ‘Don’t shoo him, open the gate.’ He’s seen enough. He’s good.”
Edwards knows.
The Sun Devil football offices overlook the fox’s home, and the staff is familiar with their habits.
Long story short, everyone gets along at Sun Devil Stadium.
“One slept on the hood of my truck,” Edwards told Bickley & Marotta on Monday. “Laying on the hood. I can look out my window in the parking lot … I said, go ahead, it’s all good. They’re great. They’ve been here longer than everyone else.”
And a little skittish in front of a big crowd on Saturday, the fox knew exactly how to make its exit from the spotlight.
FOX ON THE FIELD pic.twitter.com/74HpVMlPHy
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) November 7, 2021
The fox has left the building. 🦊 pic.twitter.com/sKhQojlv1d
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) November 7, 2021
