ASU in the Pros Series: Chargers QB Mike Bercovici

If you’ve been a fan of Arizona State football since at least 2015, you likely recognize the name of former quarterback Mike Bercovici.

Berco is responsible for one of the greatest plays in Sun Devil football history—the Jael Mary.

The single play overlooks the long wait Bercovici endured prior to and during his ASU career before finally earning his shot as a starter when he became fifth-year senior in 2015.

Known for being a gunslinger with a cannon arm, Bercovici was considered one of the most recent examples of being a champion for the Maroon & Gold and the culture head coach Todd Graham has since established at ASU.

ASU Stats

2011: 2/3 passes completed, 15 yds
2013: 3/4 passes completed, 18 yds
2014: 115/186 passes completed, 1,445 yds, 12 TDs, 4 INTs
2015: 319/532 passes completed, 3,860 yds, 30 TDs, 9 INTs

Notable: Threw for 510 yards against USC, becoming the first ASU player to throw for 500 yards since Andrew Walter (2002). He’s the first player ever to throw five touchdown passes against USC.

Where is he now?

Bercovici did manage to parlay his time in Tempe into a pro career. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the then-San Diego Chargers and appeared in a few preseason games.

He is currently on the Los Angeles Chargers’ roster entering the 2017-18 NFL season, and is slated on the depth chart behind veterans Phillip Rivers and Kellen Clemens.

Last season, the Chargers cut Bercovici in early September, but did retain him on the practice squad after clearing waivers. There’s a chance the scenario happens again this season for the 6-foot, 204-pounder, and considering the ages of Rivers (35) and Clemens (33), perhaps Berco could get a shot at proving he’s worth stashing away for the future.