After hitting the midway point yesterday in our countdown of 100 days until Sun Devil football returns, today we have just 49 days until kickoff. It's a number that has hardly been worn - just 24 players in program history, with 15 of them changing numbers after one year - but there is one player who made 49 look particularly good: edge rusher Ishmael Thrower.
With a name that suggests he should've been a quarterback, Thrower made his name off terrorizing passers instead. Growing up in Sacramento, California, Thrower was not heavily recruited despite being named Defensive Player of the Year for the teams of Sacramento; he also lettered in baseball all four years, showing off his versatility.
With no D-I scholarship offers, Thrower opted to go the junior college route, staying close to home to play for Sacramento City College. In two years there, Thrower amassed 120 tackles, five fumble recoveries, and five interceptions; while JUCO programs didn't record sacks at the time, he had plenty of those, too. Thrower was named a first team All-American on the JUCO level after his sophomore season.
That helped him finally gain recognition from D-I schools, and before long, Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter came calling.
Thrower would ultimately burn his redshirt in his first year in Tempe, thanks to a season-ending hamstring injury, but he came back with a vengeance in 2003. Thrower would finish that season leading the team in sacks withy 4.5 while also tallying 30 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and both forced and recovered a fumble.
Going into his senior season, Thrower was elected one of four team captains, a reflection of his leadership and respect in the locker room. He would finish that year with 5.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, and recovered two fumbles on the year.
Thrower may not have rewritten any record books while in Tempe, but he certainly made his impact felt in his two seasons as a Sun Devil. His work ethic - Thrower was named a Hard Hat Player by the strength and conditioning team at the time - helped set the culture and tone for the Koetter era and his play on the field was undeniable.
There may not have been many players throughout Arizona State's long history to wear #49, but Thrower solidified himself as the greatest Sun Devil to ever wear it.