‘Leader by Nature’: Tashon Smallwood leaves his mark on ASU football

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

Standing with his hands on his hips, Tashon Smallwood listens attentively to defensive line coach Michael Slater’s instructions. He’s done variations of this drill dozens of times this season and hundreds of times in his career, but he still pays close attention — peering through the facemask of a helmet covered in scratches.

When Slater finishes his speech, Smallwood gets down in stance and bursts off the line on his coach’s whistle. The sheer force of his reaction time stuns the scout team offensive lineman, who can barely keep his feet before Smallwood relents and makes way for the next pairing of teammates.

It’s rare for a 6-foot, 280-pound man to move that quickly. It’s also rare for a player with so many scratches on his helmet to never miss a game.

But that’s Tashon Smallwood.

“He’s very coachable,” Slater said. “He’s very knowledgeable, and that comes with the knowledge we’ve imparted on him but also the experience he’s had playing.”

ASU football’s ironman in the trenches is approaching the end of his college career. If Smallwood is healthy for all of ASU’s remaining games, he’ll have the second-most starts of any Sun Devil since 1984 and will have appeared in every game since he arrived in Tempe.

Coaches call the streak a testament to Smallwood’s perseverance and attitude in the face of adverse circumstances. He’s faced challenging situations before, though.

Smallwood grew up in a rough neighborhood in Fresno, California, raised by parents who instilled a set of values that kept their son off the streets and out of trouble.

“As a family we went through some things,” Smallwood said. “We went through a lot and we didn’t have much money. My situation isn’t unique, but what makes it unique is that it’s my situation and I deal with it differently.”

Smallwood found an outlet through football — a way for him to escape from the pressures of the day and, eventually, from Fresno altogether. He signed with Arizona State in December of 2013 as a four-star prospect.

Four years later, Smallwood has found a new perspective. He still carries with him the values he learned from his parents, values that have been strengthened by his experiences in the football program and a renewed faith in his religion.

Smallwood’s Christian faith is an integral part of his life. Finding others in college who shared his beliefs allowed him to bond with teammates and deal with the ups and downs of being a student-athlete.

“My faith is a huge part of me,” Smallwood said. “I really took some things hard throughout my years here and I had God to fall back on.”

Without suffering a significant injury or setback, Smallwood powered through the challenges that come with college football. He’s been a part of winning seasons, losing seasons, upset victories and upset losses. Through multiple coaching staffs and turnover in personnel, Smallwood was a mainstay, maintaining a positive attitude and consistent work ethic.

Now in his senior year, Smallwood is the soft-spoken leader of this Sun Devil defense. Cornerback Chase Lucas said Smallwood always provides words of encouragement to younger teammates and left an impact on him personally.

“I love Tashon Smallwood,” Lucas said. “He’s a good friend to me and is a lot of the reason why I’m in the position I am today.”

Last year, when Lucas was redshirting, Smallwood reminded him to be patient and that his time would come. It did, and the two remain close friends through football and bible study.

Smallwood’s leadership style bears stark contrast to defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. Both care deeply about the mindset of the ASU defense, but Bennett is the intense, vocal overseer while Smallwood prefers to lead quietly and by example.

When they get together at practice, it’s like something out of a sitcom.

“Sometimes he doesn’t know how to take me,” Bennett said, grinning. “I went off on him recently, and it wasn’t very nice. All he’ll say is, ‘I’m praying for you coach.’”

Taking advice and direction is one of Smallwood’s strong suits. His personal growth is a result of the values instilled by his parents, discipline he learned from his coaches and character he derives from his faith.

Football has always been at the center of it all. That could continue if Smallwood pursues a professional career. But even if this is it for the quiet kid from West Fresno with an uncanny reaction time, he still wants to leave a lasting impact on those around him.

“I want my teammates to remember me, but to remember how I did things — to put other people first,” Smallwood said. “That’s a good feature to have. It produces winning as a team, but it also helps you prosper in life. If you put others before yourself, it’s nothing you can’t do.”

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