21 days until kickoff, and Jaelen Strong left a massive impact on Sun Devil football

Yesterday's edition of our countdown series turned back the clocks to look at arguably the greatest running back in Arizona State history in Woody Green. Today, with 21 days remaining until the season kicks off, we're looking at perhaps the best Sun Devil receiver of all time, Jaelen Strong.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Strong was a track star who also put up some blazing numbers on the football field. He didn't gain much recruiting traction, though, and opted to play Pierce Community College in Los Angeles.

There, Strong continued playing both football and track, the latter of which saw him post personal bests in both the long jump and triple jump. Strong dominated the football field, too, and his second season at Pierce finished with 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 10 games.

That caught the attention of Arizona State head coach Todd Graham, who had just finished up his first year in Tempe. He was also losing his top three wide receivers, and looking for a genuine outside threat after tight end Chris Coyle (who appeared on this series earlier this summer) led the team in receiving.

Before long, Strong was in Tempe catching passes from emerging fan favorite Taylor Kelly. Offensive coordinator Mike Norvell recognized Strong's combination of straight-line speed and size - he was listed at 6'2" and roughly 220 pounds - and built his game plans around that. Strong became a go-to target for Kelly on back shoulder throws, especially.

It worked beautifully, too. In his first year on campus, Strong led the team with 1,122 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. DJ Foster was second in yards with 653, for context. Strong was the focal point of the passing game, and even then, defenses couldn't figure out a way to stop him.

The next year brought more of the same. Strong continued his dominance, finishing the year once again leading the team in receiving. His 1,165 yards and 10 touchdowns cemented his status as one of the best in the entire Pac 12 at the time, but one moment enshrined Strong in the annals of Sun Devil football history.

We're referring, of course, to the Jael Mary.

Kelly had been injured two weeks prior, and the Sun Devils were blown out at home by UCLA in their first game with backup Mike Bercovici playing for them. With a road trip to face No. 16 USC, many fans were expecting sheer pain.

That happened, but not for the Sun Devils. Arizona State stayed in the game all night, and Bercovici had a chance for one last-gasp drive at the very end. With seven seconds left, and the ball just on the other side of the 50-yard line, he tossed up a prayer to the endzone. Strong did what he does best.

The clock hit zeroes just as Strong came down in the endzone with the ball in his hands, and the Sun Devils walked out of the fabled Coliseum with a 38-34 victory in one of the most stunning manners, while Trojans fans were captured all around the stadium doing their best surrender cobra.

Strong was already becoming a Sun Devil legend for his general dominance through the air, but this moment solidified his status as one of the very best - if not the best - wide receivers in program history, despite only playing two years in Tempe.

Despite all that, Strong inexplicably fell to the third round of the NFL Draft, being taken by the Houston Texans. At the time, the Texans were marred by inconsistent quarterback play, which impacted Strong's ability to make much of an impact. He did, however, put up a highlight in his very first NFL reception: a Hail Mary touchdown to end the first half on Thursday Night Football.

An injury would cut Strong's second season short, and a suspension to start the third season let to his release from Houston. Strong would later sign with both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns, but injuries continued to be a factor.

Strong ultimately retired after the 2019 season, but his place in the history books of Arizona State is hardly up for debate. He dominated Pac 12 defensive backs every single Saturday for two straight years, and delivered one of the most memorable moments in program history.