March 27, 2012
TEMPE, Ariz. – Cameron Marshall grew so accustomed to playing
with a bum ankle last season that a group of media members joked Tuesday
he should just keep doing it.
In spite of his inspired 2011 play, Marshall and Arizona State football coach Todd Graham wisely thought otherwise.
Marshall
had a minor surgical procedure a week and a half ago to remove a bone
spur and loose debris from the ankle. As a result, he will miss the rest
of ASU's spring ball with a recovery time that Graham estimated will
between three and four weeks.
"It was just a routine deal that
lingered from the season that we probably already should have done,"
Graham said. "We wanted to make sure that we have him at 110 percent and
he was fighting through that (injury)."
Marshall practiced the first week of spring ball and, not surprisingly, looked pretty good.
"It
was very important for him to get that first day in pads," Graham said.
"He is going to be a great back in our system for the downhill runs
that we have and I wanted him to get a feel for those and not wait until
next fall."
Marshall ran for 1,098 yards and tied a school
single-season record with 18 touchdowns last season on an ankle which he
admitted was sore the entire season. He was listed as questionable for
the team's game against USC on Sept. 24, then took his first carry 70
yards for a touchdown and finished with 141 yards.
Marshall is
the top dog at what appears to be ASU's deepest position. Deantre Lewis
is practicing again after missing all of last season after being shot in
the hamstring during winter break. The Sun Devils' top recruit was
Scottsdale Saguaro running back D.J. Foster and the Devils also brought
in talented juco transfer Marion Grice. Both are expected to join the
team this fall.
-- Craig Morgan
