Brock Osweiler. The only ASU quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards in one season. A true professional when dealing with the fans and media. Respected by his teammates for his work ethic and production. Everything you want from a leader on the football field. And most importantly, Brock bled maroon and gold. All of this tightly packed into one dramatic year of Sun Devil football. We only got a small taste and we wanted more.

Sun Devil For Life, Brock Osweiler

Now that some time has passed and the new focus and well deserved excitement is on Coach Todd Graham and the 2012 Sun Devil football team, we thought it was a good time to pause, look back and take another moment to pay tribute to number 17. After all, Brock was exactly what ASU fans wanted behind center on game day. Someone to believe in, well spoken, polished and a true representative of the 2011 football team. This is the same reason Dennis Erickson took him to represent the players and program at the Pac-12 media day.

Osweiler knew what was at stake during the 2011 season and he completely embraced the opportunity. He talked about a National Championship for ASU at the start of the season to set the tone. He knew that he had a talented team around him to accomplish many great things. In the end, the master plan fell apart for a variety of different reasons, but one of the things that remained consistent was Brock’s effort and determination for every single game. He did his job on and off the field, and impacted all the things he could control. But it just wasn’t enough.

Tillman Tunnel before Victory over USC

Many Sun Devil fans were surprised and questioned Brock’s decision to enter the NFL draft, and we were one of them. At first it didn’t seem to make sense, but when the dust settled, it made perfect sense. Brock’s draft stock was as high as it was going to be after he just set the ASU quarterback record for passing yards in a single season. It was going to be difficult to top those numbers and there were too many unknown factors for Osweiler in the new offensive system for 2012. Also, in the long run it was probably the best thing for the young quarterbacks on the ASU roster to gain valuable experience and learn the new system today instead of a year from now. Brock’s decision worked out best for everyone except the ASU fans that wanted to see him on Frank Kush Field for more victories and memories.

Although the stable is full at ASU with more than one promising quarterback for the future, many fans will look back during the 2012 season and quietly appreciate what we had with Osweiler. He had a rare combination of passion and calmness through times of adversity, and real emotion at the end of the season when talking about his teammates and coaches.

Sun Devil Warrior, Brock Osweiler

Osweiler “Proved It” in many ways during his career as a Sun Devil. We will miss you Brock and thank you for your time at Arizona State.