53 days until kickoff, and Scott Peters is making a name for himself in the NFL

Yesterday, we looked at a physical enforcer in fullback Case Hatch, who's now making it big as a pro wrestler. For today's installment of our countdown series, there is another former Sun Devil enforcer who's also coming into his own in the pro's: Scott Peters.

Growing up in southern California, Peters took a natural shine to football. His uncle had played collegiately for the Golden Bears, and Peters aspired to reach that level too. He quickly drew attention from head coach Bruce Snyder, who had been the head coach at Cal before taking over the Sun Devils, and Peters was on his way to Tempe before long.

Peters didn't waste time in becoming a trusted member of the offensive line, either. Alternating between guard and center in a reserve role early on, Peters eventually became the starting center. His final two seasons in Tempe, 2000 and 2001, Peters was named to the All-Pac 10 first team despite Arizona State not having a winning record either year.

For his efforts, Peters was drafted in the fourth round that year by the Philadelphia Eagles. He would bounce around a few teams over the next seven years, finishing his career with the Arizona Cardinals; his final game as a player was Super Bowl XLIII, which the Cardinals ultimately lost.

After retiring from football, Peters started work as an MMA trainer. He opened up the Lion's Den MMA Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he wound up training several notable UFC fighters like Brock Lesnar and fellow Sun Devil alum Cain Velasquez.

After some time in that arena, Peters also created the Tip of the Spear organization, dedicated to incorporating MMA techniques into football training to increase safety and decrease the risk for concussions, especially among offensive and defensive linemen.

Then, a connection emerged that changed Peters' entire career trajectory.

Scott Huff had been teammates with Peters at Arizona State, and actually succeeded him as the starting center when Peters left for the NFL. At the time that Tip of the Spear was gaining traction, Huff was the offensive line coach for the University of Washington.

At Huff's suggestion, Peters was brought in as a consultant to use his techniques in coaching the Huskies linemen. That very next year, Washington saw zero concussion cases for offensive or defensive linemen, and Peters' work skyrocketed in popularity.

It led to Peters being hired by the Cleveland Browns as an assistant offensive line coach, working directly under Bill Callahan, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL. There, Peters implemented his unique techniques alongside Callahan's proven strategies.

After four seasons learning under Callahan, Peters got a chance to lead his own room, joining the Patriots as their offensive line coach. While New England fired their head coach after just one season, Peters' work was lauded in the locker room, and it helped him land a job coaching the offensive line for the Cincinnati Bengals. He'll coach his first season there this upcoming season.

Peters was a great player for the Sun Devils, but his impact on the game of football has exceeded far beyond being one of the best players in his conference. He's changing the way the game is played, and making his mark on the NFL as we speak.