TEMPE, Ariz. — ASU football is going through quite a transformation from top to bottom including the defensive side of the ball. Although one constant remains junior defensive back, Ro Torrence.
Torrence, a transfer from Auburn, had a breakout season in his first campaign with the Sun Devils leading the team with eight pass breakups and 36 tackles. A season later, the DB is looking to elevate his status as a leader and Head Coach Kenny Dillingham has taken notice.
"When you see a peer, someone that used to be a guy that took a play off, say let's go let's go and lead," Dillingham said. "Those are the people they respond to because those are the guys that made a change for the better."
Dillingham challenged Torrence to step up as more of a leader after spring ball and the junior has since stepped up to coach's demand.
"He challenged me back in the spring," Torrence said. "after spring ball was over, he wanted me to be better at certain things and I just took that challenge on and that's what I worked on over the summer."
But what exactly does that look like? Torrence said it's about how he carries himself on and off the field around his teammates, a man in which they look up to.
"There's a right way to lead and a wrong way," Torrence said. "Just leading the right way, doing the right things, being a good person, and bringing all the guys along."
Now, as a leader of the defense, Torrence will look to bring the younger men along in hopes of flourishing in the new-look scheme under new defensive coordinator Brian Ward.
"Every day I want to be better," Torrence said. "Better than yesterday, so just take that mindset throughout the season and keep building on that."
Dillingham, Torrence and the Sun Devils will open the regular season at home against Southern Utah, Saturday, August 31, at 7 p.m.
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