Tyler Whiley – Noteworthy
The Sun Devils conducted their 10th of 15 spring football practices inside the Verde Dickey Dome on Wednesday morning. They are going four times a week, capped off by the annual spring football game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Sun Devil Stadium. Defensive back Tyler Whiley was perhaps ASU’s most impressive player last season before sustaining a broken leg and ligament damage in August, causing him to miss the entire season. Well, the 6-foot, 217-pounder will get a chance to make up for lost time as he was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Whiley made his return about two months ahead of schedule, which has impressed his coaches. “He really has been remarkable,” secondary coach Tony White said. “He really worked hard at it. It’s been great to see.”
Whiley was on track to start at the Tillman safety position before the injury. Aashari Crosswell has seen time there this spring, but Danny Gonzales said earlier this week one would start at the Tillman with the other in at safety. White has praised Whiley’s instincts, which make him a perfect fit for the Tillman position. “When you play there you’re a factor in both the running game and the passing game,” White said. “He has great instincts which makes him the perfect fit there. He has looked so good even after being out for a year. The game really comes naturally for him.” Whiley was anxious to jump back into the fold but said he tried to take advantage of the time he was out. “There is always something you can learn even just by watching, so i tried to do that,” he said. “I also wanted to be there for my teammates.” – Arizona Republic