ASU Football: 'Summer of Legends' No. 28 Thomas Weber

The Backstory: Last season, Jaxon Hood and D.J. Foster became the rare Arizona State freshmen to make a profound impact during their first year in school. Each of the two Sun Devils played regularly, and both were critical to the Sun Devils' success. For their efforts, Hood and Foster were honored as Freshman All-Americans by Fox Sports NEXT.

The vast majority of our Sun Devil legends didn't see extended playing time until at least their sophomore seasons. However, that's not the case with today's honoree. Coach Dennis Erickson called No. 28's number plenty of times throughout his freshman year, and he had a season for the ages.

Though the rest of his time as a Sun Devil may not have been nearly as productive as his inaugural campaign, Thomas Weber put together one of the best freshman seasons an Arizona State player has ever had. And that's why he makes the cut as our legend at No. 28.

The Player: Thomas Weber (2007-2010)

Placekicking is an incredibly demanding job, and few kickers ever master their nerves and earn the "automatic" tag at the college level. The pressure is immense, the stakes are high, and the list of things that can go wrong is never ending. But despite all the difficulties, some players rise above the obstacles, and that's exactly what Thomas Weber did.

From the moment he stepped foot in Sun Devil Stadium, Weber was at ease. In 2007, Weber became the starting placekicker, and he enjoyed one of the most prolific seasons an Arizona State specialist has ever produced.

As a freshman, Weber booted 25 field goal attempts, and connected on 24 of them including a long of 53 yards. He actually managed to miss more extra points than field goals, as his 46 makes on 48 tries averaged out to a 95 percent clip. Weber's 118 points were the most since Terry Battle accounted for 120 points in 1996.

After the season, the recognition poured in for the Sun Devil standout. Aside from earning All Pac-10 honors, Weber was named a Consensus All-American and he was the first freshman to receive the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best kicker. Weber is also the only Sun Devil to earn Consensus All-American honors as a freshman, and that's a distinction that will likely stick with him for a long time.

Though Weber was unable to match his all-world production after his freshman year, he did bring more stability to the placekicking position than the Sun Devils currently have.

As a sophomore, Weber was an Honorable Mention Pac-10 kicker and a Second Team All-American according to CollegeFootballNews.com. That season, he made 19 of 25 field goals and 29 of 30 PATs. It's also worth noting that during his first two seasons, Weber served admirably as the Sun Devils; starting punter.

Over his final two seasons, Weber hit on 25 of 37 attempts, but he also struggled with injuries. Regardless, he finished his career as one of the most accomplished kickers in Arizona State history. His 340 career points are second all-time among Sun Devils, and he went a perfect 4-4 on attempts from beyond 50 yards.

Among his many accomplishments, Weber was a four-time Academic All Pac-10 award winner, as well as a team captain for the Sun Devils' 2010 squad.

Honorable Mention

Patrick Wilson: Wilson wore No. 28 proudly, and he served the Sun Devils' secondary well during his time at strong safety. In 2000, Wilson won Honorable Mention All Pac-10 honors, and in 2001, he followed that up by earning Second Team All Pac-10 recognition.