ASU Football: 'Summer of Legends' No. 30 Jason Shivers

The Backstory: One of the more surprising parts of our "Summer of Legends" series is the lack of honorees we've had from the past 10 seasons. Though the Sun Devils' roster is always stocked with talent, the past decade has failed to turn up the same type of legends we saw from the 60s and 70s.

If we decided to run this series again 10 years from now, I would venture to guess that plenty of new legends would appear. Marion Grice and Alden Darby should be candidates after this season, while Chris Coyle and Will Sutton have already been honored.

Even with the lack of superstars from the 2000s, No. 30 gives us the rare opportunity to honor a recent Sun Devil standout. From the moment this player saw the field, Arizona State fans knew he had what it takes to be an impact performer.

The Player: Jason Shivers (2001-2003)

Many of our honorees have local ties to Arizona State, and today's legend is no exception. Upon graduating South Mountain High School in Phoenix, Jason Shivers took his talents a few miles over and joined forces with the Sun Devil defense.

Shivers is the rare Sun Devil to see extended playing time as a freshman, but he made the most of his opportunities. In his first season, Shivers led the Sun Devils in tackles with 89 and was named a Sporting News Freshman All-American.

Though the Sun Devils struggled to a 4-7 record, Shivers was a bright spot the defense could build around. The ball hawking safety stepped up again as a sophomore, and totaled a career high and team lead with 121 tackles.

For his efforts, Shivers was named an Honorable Mention Pac-10 performer, but his best work was still ahead of him. The 8-6 Sun Devils received quite a boost from their defensive leader, and he was still improving come his junior season.

In 2003, Shivers led the Sun Devils in both tackles (104) and interceptions (Three), but he made his most important marks as a special teams warrior. The Pac-10 honored Shivers with Second Team All-Conference recognition for his special teams work.

Shivers played just three seasons at Arizona State, as he elected to turn pro after his junior year. In each of his three years, Shivers led the team in tackles and received postseason notoriety, something only a handful of Sun Devils have ever accomplished.

In the Pros

Leaving school early turned out to be a disappointing decision for Shivers, as he was not drafted until the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. After being cut by the Rams in training camp, Shivers failed to stick with the Chicago Bears.

Honorable Mention

Calvin Demery: Demery was one of the Sun Devils' first great receivers, as he led the team with more than 40 receptions in both 1969 and 1971. In 1969, Demery was honored as a First Team All-Western Athletic Confrence end.