(Photo: Damon Allred/ Arizona Sports)
The journey of a student athlete is marked by sacrifice, growth, and ambition. The sense of achievement that comes with pursuing dreams and making an impact is often accompanied by unexpected challenges. Perhaps no one on Arizona State’s football roster understands those challenges better than redshirt junior linebacker Tate Romney.
Before he donned the maroon and gold, Romney enrolled at BYU in August 2022. Four months later, he entered the transfer portal. Just five days after announcing his decision, he became a Sun Devil. After seeing five defensive snaps for the Cougars in 2022, Romney played 543 snaps in 2023 during his redshirt freshman season at ASU — the sixth most of any freshman linebacker in the country.
Coming off a season of heavy workload, Romney had his sights set on the Sun Devils’ 2024 opener against Wyoming. However, his expectations for the season changed when he suffered a broken arm in fall camp, just a week before kickoff. The following week, Romney and his wife, Taylor, received news with even greater impact — the couple was expecting a child.
“Receiving that news, it’s kind of shocking for anybody who finds out the first time,” Romney said. “I obviously had gotten surgery the week before so that time before (hearing the news) was pretty disappointing.”
Prior to college, Romney lived 14 miles south of Tempe in Chandler, Arizona. Once he graduated from Chandler High School, Romney dedicated two years of service to a Latter-day Saints church mission — initially serving in Bahia Blanca, Argentina before moving to San Antonio, Texas.
In April 2022, Romney returned home from his mission and was welcomed by his family at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. A little more than 400 days later, he and Taylor were married at the Gilbert Arizona Temple. Since then, his primary focus has been building a strong family foundation.
“My top priority is being the best father and husband that I can be,” Romney said. “When I’m there at home, I try to be present with them.”
Whether he’s on the field, in the classroom, or with his family, Romney is committed to being present. During fall camp, that commitment came at a cost — he was getting just two to three hours of sleep a night.
Balancing the challenges of football, academics, and parenting requires a level of discipline uncommon among people who are Romney’s age. For him, each day is carefully structured and followed with intention. Despite his full schedule, Romney carves out time for what matters most.
“I dedicate my whole morning to football and a little bit of the evening to watch some film. I dedicate the afternoon completely to school. And then when I get home, I try to put all that away so I can focus on being a father and a husband,” Romney said.
Following ASU’s 35-31 win over UCF in Week 11 of 2024, Romney emerged as one of the Sun Devils’ key special teams players. From Week 11 onward, he logged 74 special teams snaps across six games — the second-most on ASU’s unit during that span.
Three games into 2025, Romney’s 45 special teams snaps rank third among Sun Devil special teamers. Just as he prioritizes supporting his family at home, he makes a point to show up for his teammates on the field. Sun Devil linebackers coach A.J. Cooper sees Romney’s work ethic firsthand.
“He’s so supportive. Whether he’s making plays, his teammates are having success, runs down plays on special teams,” Cooper said. “He’s a consummate professional. He’s an unbelievable teammate.”
Cooper, a father of two, connected with Romney over the shared experience of anticipating fatherhood — a feeling new to Romney, but familiar to Cooper. In nearly two decades of coaching, Cooper has seen many players navigate major life changes. Still, moments like watching one of them prepare to become a parent carry a special weight.
When Cooper first heard the news, his response went beyond a simple congratulations. It was a moment Romney hasn’t forgotten.
“I gave him a big hug, told him I loved him, and he’s going to be a great dad,” Cooper said. “Getting to be around to help those guys in a different phase of something is really special.”
The first ASU coach Romney connected with was running backs coach Shaun Aguano — one of two head coaches he played under during his time at Chandler High. Rather than following Aguano to ASU, Romney initially chose to follow his older brothers, Baylor and Gunner, to BYU.
Ultimately, Romney returned to his home state, largely giving up familiarity at BYU in order to begin a new chapter. Once again, he’s playing for a team with Aguano on the coaching staff — a destination not originally planned, but shaped by ambition and a desire to grow. Still, of all the twists in his journey, none has sparked more personal growth or brought more joy than the turn his life took off the field.
“I didn’t really expect it, but it was awesome,” Romney said. “Having a kid has been one of the greatest joys of my life by far.”
