The Backstory: If wearing No. 10 is a good luck charm for Sun Devil football players, then donning No. 9 might just be the exact opposite. Nearly every player who selected No. 10 took their career to incredible heights, whereas few players who wore No. 9 ever saw playing time.
No. 9 is not just devoid of superstars, it's a number that few Arizona State players ever even dare to wear. Prior to 1982, no Sun Devil even attempted to slap the No. 9 on their back and once Alvin Moore summoned the courage, he jumped ship from the jersey number after a single season. The next player to wear No. 9 was Mike Copeland, and he too abandoned the jersey! No. 9 has had a troubled history, but thankfully, defensive tackle Israel Stanley helped fix all of that.
The Player: Israel Stanley (1989-1992)
By no means does Stanley compare to our traditional stable of Sun Devil legends, but he still managed to produce a noteworthy career during his time at Arizona State.
In 1989, Stanley spent the season learning from the sidelines, but that would be his last year on the bench. The imposing defensive tackle was ready to make an impact, so head coach Larry Marmie unleashed him.
In 1990, Stanley entered his first season as a starter at defensive tackle, but unfortunately the Sun Devils limped to a 4-7 finish. But as Stanley improved, so did the Sun Devils.
During his junior season, Stanley evolved into a solid run-stopper and his experience from the previous season proved beneficial. Arizona State finished 6-5, but the record did represent an improvement.
As a senior, Stanley made the greatest strides of his career. Under first-year head coach Bruce Snyder, Stanley and the Sun Devils went 6-5, but they finished the season with a thrilling 7-6 win over the Arizona Wildcats in the Territorial Cup. As for Stanley, he took home his first conference-wide honor with recognition as an Honorable Mention All Pac-10 performer.
Though Stanley played in a down era, he still stood out and made vital contributions as a three-year starter.