The memory still lingers as if it happened yesterday, the details as sharp and clear as the summer sky.
Arizona State defied the odds, losing 34-32 with the football at its 28-yard line and just 23 seconds left and no timeouts remaining. After a midfield strike from Mike Bercovici to Gary Chambers to the 45-yard line, the Sun Devils threw the ball and there was one last play left with seven seconds remaining.
Bercovici dropped back and let it fly for a Hail Mary, where Jaelen Strong pointed the ball at USC defenders and found himself in the end zone for a touchdown, upsetting #16. Trojan horses on the road, 38-34.
Although 10 years have passed since his two years in Tempe – where he recorded consecutive seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards and finished in the top 10 for all-time receptions, 157, and receiving yards. reception, 2,287, in program history. – his coach at the time, Todd Graham, still remembers the game and the victory as if it were yesterday. Having coached and played at the collegiate level for a significant portion of his life, Graham has seen it all, but he places highlight-reel catches above all else.
“That piece is ingrained in my head and in my slow-motion memory,” Graham said. “It was one of the greatest plays, if not the greatest play. I can’t rank a play in my career that would mean more to me than that play, winning at the (LA Memorial) Coliseum in the final seconds.
ASU went 10-3, won its Sun Bowl game against Duke that season and finished 12th in the final Associated Press national poll, marking the program’s best finish since 1996, when Jake Plummer led the Sun Devils to a Rose Bowl appearance.
Sporting new colors on the sidelines under the bright lights of high school football, the game still fuels Strong.
“It’s who I am every day,” Strong said of his appreciation for his time at ASU. “A lot of my teammates that I had at ASU, we all do the same kinds of things.”
The AZ Compass football coaching staff includes fellow ASU alum and current Dragons defensive coordinator, De’Chavon “Gump” Hayes, who also played two seasons at defensive back under Graham in Tempe. Hayes has had a front-row seat to Strong’s journey, from their days competing against each other in practice to now competing together on the sidelines.
“He’s very solid, he doesn’t water down anything. Put all that on the table and he will tell you what it is,” Hayes said. “(Jaelen) is one of my closest friends here.”
Strong and Hayes not only make a visible impact on the field, but also help the Dragons build a similar bond off the field, creating a family atmosphere for the Dragons.
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AZ Compass Prep senior captain DJ Johnson highlighted the significant changes in the team’s bonds in just one season.
“Compared to last year, they brought us all together,” said Johnson, who leads AZ Compass Prep with four interceptions and three pass deflections. “I didn’t really want to talk to half the team last year, but now I’m going to see them at school and wash them up.”
One of the people who taught Strong important lessons about being a football player and person is Graham, who is an assistant coach at Texas Christian University. He is considered one of the most important Power Four coaching trees in all of college football. Current ASU coach Kenny Dillingham served under Graham as an offensive assistant in 2014-15.
Strong never hesitates to draw on his mentor’s knowledge to write a new chapter.
“Coach Graham has been that guy for me before ASU and ever since I’ve been there,” Strong said. “I lean on him for a lot of tough questions, a lot of tough advice. He has always been real with me and told me the honest truth since day one.
Graham added: “I’ve had five head coaching jobs in Division 1 and one of these days when I do it again I’m going to call Jaelen Strong. That’s how I feel about him as a coach.
Strong’s coaching priority is simple: help teach and develop the younger generation of athletes. He aims to set an example by never giving up on his players, regardless of their past.
“Just because a child is 15 and has done something tragic doesn’t mean their life is over. He has time to grow and at 30 he could be something special,” Strong said. “Everyone is in a situation of immediate, instant gratification, they don’t really care about these children and their future. I’m not like that.
AZ Compass Prep quarterback and team captain Cash White previously trained with Strong, who convinced him to join the Dragons program before this season.
“He (Strong) was like we’re going to start something here and build around it,” the sophomore said.
Through four games with the Dragons, White totaled 589 yards and 11 touchdowns with just two interceptions while leading a powerful offense. According to White, the confidence Strong has in his players makes all the difference.
“I just got here, he brought me in and helped me a lot,” he said. “Since I arrived here, I have had confidence in myself. »
After a winless 2023-24 season, an entirely new coaching staff was brought in to change the culture of this program. Now reorganized, the AZ Compass Prep football team continues to earn the respect of other Valley high schools. But the one message Strong wants his team to hear is clear to the players.
“We’re taking it one day at a time, one game at a time, one week at a time all the way down the road and hopefully you’ll be back here talking about a state championship,” said Strong.
This article was originally published on Arizona Republic: ‘Jael Mary’ still resonates for former ASU star Jaelen Strong
