Brandon Magee has been a fan favorite of Sun Devil Nation over the course of his five years in Tempe. #8 wreaked havoc on opposing offenses from his linebacker position. But there is so much more to the man that has embodied the prototypical student-athlete. He’s an extremely proud Sun Devil, a leader, a family man and a hero to many grade school kids who he proactively sought out to advise on the virtue of being the best they can be in everything they do.

Last night at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism downtown campus, a 27-minute documentary, “Unbreakable”, was showcased chronicling the life and times of not only Brandon’s college football career, but his larger-than-life personality off the field. Master Tesfatsion, an ASU journalism student, writer for the State Press and intern for Rivals.com’s ASUDevils, followed the last several weeks of Magee’s life as he prepared for the NFL combine, ASU Pro Day and an

BOOM!… Sack by #8 at Colorado.

NFL Draft party this past weekend in Newport Beach, CA. It was in in-depth look at the player, student, workout warrior and true leader that some of us have had the pleasure of meeting. As great of a job that Master and his colleagues did, it is certain that 27 minutes barely scratched the surface. I’d still love to see what ended up on the cutting room floor.

Described by friends and family as a never-quit, humble “regular” guy who has lived his life doing nothing but maximizing his God-given potential, Brandon has exceeded expectations at every turn. The documentary caught a glimpse of a person who has overcome great odds to become a star on and off the field of the ASU campus. His parents, who instilled in Brandon basic old-fashioned values, took in many of his friends from Centennial High School in Corona, CA who needed support and a family structure. Linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Shelly Lyons, Brandon’s teammates in High School and at ASU, were just a couple of the young men that the Magee family took in without blinking an eye.

Coach Todd Graham took over the ASU program for the 2012 season while Brandon was still recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture that robbed him of his true senior season. Graham knew about Magee and sought him out within 48 hours of his arrival. The things that the new coach stood for resonated with Brandon, and he immediately responded by becoming the emotional leader of his team despite doubts that Magee could return to his pre-injury form. Any time Magee was asked if he could return to his pre-injury form, his resounding response that included a larger than life smile was always, “NO. I’ll be better!” And that he was during a dominant 2012 season that culminated in a 17-tackle performance against our in-state rival that almost defined who Mr. Brandon Magee is as not only a player, but an individual. Something that I was not previously aware of was that when Graham started to rally the team trailing 27-17 going into the 4th quarter, Magee stepped in and said, “Coach, I’ve got this.”  Only the players on the roster know what Magee said, but we all know the outcome of that game.

Brandon had been in contact with several NFL teams heading into the draft, and was confident that he would be taken by one of them. As the draft was finishing, Magee was left out in the cold when one name after another was called that weren’t his. Shortly thereafter, he received a few calls from teams including the Dallas Cowboys who ended up offering him an unprecedented contract for a free-agent. Brandon has stated that he selected the Cowboys because of how he fit into their 4-3 defensive scheme versus the paycheck. I believe him. And the many programs that passed on him entirely will surely remember his name when he exceeds expectations and meets them on the field.

Great advocate for ASU. Great leader. Great linebacker. Die-Hard-Devil.

Here’s a clip of Brandon in true form after the 2010 Territorial Cup Victory:

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Side note:  The first time I met Brandon was out one night after the 2011 season when he was with his brother Angelo right after ASU’s Pro Day. I introduced myself, and Brandon did nothing but tell me about how well Angelo had done during his evaluation in front of the scouts. I’ve since had a number of run-ins with him off the field, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him without a smile on his face. DHD will present “Unbreakable” Documentary upon it’s YouTube release in the coming week. Master’s twitter handle is @MasterTes.

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Many rock songs could represent how #8 played for ASU. We chose this one, Led Zeppelin’s “Achilles Last Stand” (live at Knebworth 1979). It hits hard and it’s relentless. Can you think of a more appropriate cut? Post it in the DieHard Forums.