ASU's Jordan Simone makes Thorpe list but Lloyd Carrington left off
Arizona State senior safety Jordan Simone -- a non-scholarship player at this time last year -- is on the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back.
Preseason watch lists don't mean much, but it shows just how far Simone has come in a short time. Entering last season, he was barely known locally. This season, he's on the national radar.
Curiously, ASU senior cornerback Lloyd Carrington did not make the Thorpe list. Not only is he a two-year starter in a tough conference, Carrington recently was named to the watch list for the Bednarik Award, given to the nation's defensive player of the year. It'd hard to think a player can be among the best defensive players in the country, yet not among the best at his position.
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In the end, Carrington's play on the field will settle the matter. In fact, last season's Thorpe winner -- Louisville's Gerod Holliman -- didn't make the preseason list, either. He finished with a nation's best 14 interceptions. (Players also can be added to watch lists throughout the season).
Simone's story is well known to ASU fans. Coming out of Skyline High in Sammamish, Wash., he had one scholarship offer -- to lower-division Eastern Washington. Simone chose to walk-on at Washington State instead, but played only special teams. He transferred to ASU and sat out the 2013 season as a red-shirt.
Last year -- after earning a scholarship in August -- Simone won ASU's starting bandit-safety position and played at an All-Pac-12 level before injuries slowed him near the end of the season. In 12 games, he finished with 100 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and two interceptions. Twenty of those tackles came in ASU's win at USC.
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In May, coach Todd Graham announced that Simone, along with senior quarterback Mike Bercovici and senior receiver D.J. Foster would serve as this season's team captains. (Carrington, senior center Nick Kelly and junior linebacker Viliami "Laiu" Moeakiola were named co-captains; junior kicker Zane Gonzalez and sophomore defensive back DeAndre Scott were named special-teams captains.)
Overall, Simone is the seventh ASU player to make a preseason watch list. The others: Bercovici (Maxwell); Foster (Maxwell); Carrington (Bednarik); Kelly (Rimington, Outland); senior guard Christian Westerman (Outland); and Gonzalez (Groza).
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