(Photo via Susan Wong/WCSN)
In the game of football, having strong leaders is a cornerstone of any decent football program.
For Arizona State Football, the leaders in 2022 will have their plates full. After a laundry list of departures and arrivals, the Sun Devils are spread thin across the depth chart. When looking at the depth chart, the linebacker position stands out from the others, with just six scholarship players on the roster.
Despite the small group at linebacker, two of the six scholarship players will wear the captain’s patch on their jerseys. Fifth-year linebacker Merlin Robertson and redshirt fifth-year linebacker Kyle Soelle will be the two captains at the linebacker position and the only on-field defensive captains.
Neither Robertson nor Soelle believed they would have stayed in Tempe for as long as they have. However, both understand that their journeys are different, and they must play the cards they have been dealt.
“We’re trying to be professionals at the next level. So I mean, it emphasizes that role now,” Soelle said on Monday. “Obviously, I don’t think either of us planned to stay [at ASU] for as long as we have, but it’s both of our journeys, both our paths [and] that’s the cards that were dealt to us. So, we’re gonna go with them and make the best of them. So, yeah, I think we got to be professionals now.”
For Robertson, coming back to Arizona State would give him another opportunity to finish what he started and build toward a future away from Tempe.
“Well, it was really just me sitting with my family and just thinking about the possibilities that can happen,” Robertson said. “Well, I wasn’t really satisfied with what I did last year. So, I just decided, why not [stay for another year], just give it another shot. Put my head down and keep on working and see where it goes from there.”
During the off-season, Robertson trained hard to set himself up for a promising fifth year. Robertson shredded five pounds, now weighing 235 pounds and appearing much leaner.
“I think [Robertson is] the most improved of anybody we have, and I probably won’t reference anybody else, but Merlin Robertson, who as a senior improved more than I’ve seen,” ASU’s head coach of sports performance Joe Connolly said on August 1. “He improved so much that he even surprised us [with] how much he improved…top to bottom, just incredible improvement from [Robertson].
“[Robertson] looks great, he’s moving great, and I think he feels great. He did a lot of work with us on his diet and sleep.”
Robertson’s off-season improvements started in the kitchen where he says he had to “lock in” with his eating. Robertson added that he just had to stop eating his “kids snacks” and avoid some of his favorites like fruit snacks, Doritos and Cheez-Its.
In addition to changing his eating habits, Robertson has also changed on the field. ASU head coach Herm Edwards described Robertson’s return as a “business decision” and one that could help him hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft.
“[Robertson has shown] Maturity. Obviously, he’s married and has kids, but I think just where he’s at in his life compared to when we got him…his body has changed, his whole mannerism. He’s grown up,” Edwards said. “He wants to have a good year and wants to continue to play football. He knows it’s important to him now…He made a business decision to come back.”
Since Edwards took over as the head coach of ASU Football, his goal has been to make the program as professional as possible. The professionalism and the experiences have helped many of ASU’s current athletes make informed decisions regarding their future.
“I think also we got a lot of NFL head coaches [and] a lot of NFL Experience upstairs,” Soelle said. “So when you sit down with them and analyze what’s best for ourselves in terms of the future, I trust their word.”
With about a week away from Arizona State’s first game against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, the Sun Devils are ready for the season to begin.
“You’re always gonna have that,” Robertson explained about the excitement for the first game. “Anytime before you have a game. [You’re] always gonna have those butterflies in your stomach and stuff like that. But it’s just natural.”
“You also get tired of hitting your teammates. Eventually, you want to hit someone that’s not on your team,” Soelle added. “So it’s a little different. But yeah, you get excited for that.”
