(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)
He lined up on the outside of the defensive line, disguised as a pass rusher ready to drop back into coverage. On the second play of his first collegiate start, sophomore D-lineman Shannon Forman leaped up to intercept a short pass and rumbled 25 yards into the end zone.
The score put ASU two touchdowns ahead two minutes into the game, setting the tone for the eventual 49-7 opening night victory.
“During practice we would go through (the play) and I would never put my hands up- I’d let the DB’s catch it,” Forman said. “But that play, something just told me to put my hands up.”
“I got to the 25 yard-line I was like ‘just run out of bounds, I don’t want you to be like how Renell Wren was last year against Oregon State.’ So I’m running, running and I got to the 10 I’m like if you don’t score…”
The Renell Wren interception Forman referenced happened with 5:40 to go in last year’s 40-24 win over Oregon State. Wren similarly picked off a short pass deep in opposing territory, but only got two steps before an OSU lineman hit him and the ball popped out, allowing the Beavers to recover and retain possession.
“Sunday, when we were watching film…I was joking with him like ‘oh Renell you wish you could have that catch’ and we just started laughing,” Forman said. “It’s fun to have that type of friendship with all these guys.”
Forman cites the family atmosphere as a main reason he chose to play at ASU. However, he’s been largely overlooked lately, due in part to some of the teammates he’s become close with.
He’s gotten little recognition throughout Fall camp in favor of guys like senior Doug Subtyl and junior Jalen Bates, even though Forman played in more games than both in 2017. He’s listed as a backup behind these two and Wren on the team’s official depth chart.
Even going back to high school, when he also played fullback, Forman recalls starting his senior season without any major division one offers.
“My whole senior year I was really pissed off about me not having offers so I just took my anger out on the field,” Forman said. “The more I started playing with it, the more schools started reaching out to me and I just played with a fuel.”
Former ASU coach Todd Graham compared Forman to former Sun Devils Tashon Smallwood and Will Sutton, the latter of whom was a 3rd round pick in the 2014 draft, and called Forman underrated when he officially committed to ASU.
The sophomore still plays each snap with the anger he developed from being overlooked. At this point, it’s become a part of his competitive mindset.
“Until I reach who I am and reach where I want to be at, I’m still going to play angry,” Forman said. “If somebody says ‘this person right here in front of you is better’ I’m going to play angry that whole day. That’s just the fuel I have. I’m a competitor.”
Forman says he’s already matured from his freshman year, when he’d be laughing during meetings, and is playing this season with more focus on being a regular contributor.
“I want a lot of people to know who I am,” Forman said
Lots of people certainly learned his name when ESPN tweeted a video of his pick-six- at least those who stayed up late enough to see it.
“Being young you always wanted to be on ESPN,” Forman said. “To see (yourself) on ESPN kind of has your eyes big.”
“I’ve gotten a lot of questions of people wondering why we have him at (defensive) end, well there you go he answered that for me,” defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales said. “That was a work of beauty.”
The big-man may not score another touchdown this season, or the rest of his college career for that matter, but the play was a good start for someone looking to be an impact player throughout the 2018 season.
“I just have to be humble,” Forman said. “My foundation, my family just preaches that.”
