ASU Football: How the Sun Devils chose their 2018 captains

ASU football head coach Herm Edwards announced the four captains for the 2018 season: quarterback Manny Wilkins, center Cohl Cabral, defensive back Demonte King and defensive tackle Renell Wren.

There’s no feeling like being the captain of a football team.

It’s an honor that can be boasted about endlessly, as the player now is now the focal point of their coaching staff, teammates and peers around campus. For athletes, the title is a status that may mark the peak of their sporting careers.

But for ASU head coach Herm Edwards, the recognition has much more meaning than the individual.

“I think sometimes, when you do things like that, players don’t really know the whole focus of what goes into being a captain,” he said. “I’ve always taken it very seriously.”

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On Thursday, the Sun Devils announced their four captains for the 2018 football season. Manny Wilkins and Cohl Cabral were selected as the offensive honorees while Demonte King and Renell Wren held the defensive honors.

According to Edwards, the team held the voting period two days ago, and the results were “good” and “close.” He also said that the team would have an honorary captain for each game depending on who they play in the season.

Edwards provided a sample sheet of the ballot with a captain’s challenges and the attributes they should look to embody.

The requirements define Edwards’ belief in the team, not the individual, and that each captain is responsible for upholding the honor they’ve been gifted.

He also made it clear that the four selections were the team’s decisions– not his.

“The team needs to vote for these things, not the coach,” Edwards said. “Let the team do it. They know who they want to be represented by.”

For every team, the captains are trusted to lead their team in practice and on Saturdays. Typically, these rules are more self-explanatory than written.

For Edwards, however, the title is a badge that the chosen athletes must honor at all times. It starts in the classroom, extends to practice, the weight room, film room and then on the field on Saturday nights.

We knew Edwards’ goal was to build high-character men when he arrived in Tempe, and just nine days away from when the season starts, some of that insight has come to life.