120 Players You Need To
Know
Arizona State DE Lawrence Guy
By
Richard Cirminiello
Who is Lawrence Guy?
…It only took a month or two for Guy to show
the Arizona State coaching staff that he was worth all of those
recruiting hours it’d spent to land him. Despite being just 18 years
old and learning on the fly, he was too talented to keep off the
field, quickly working his way into the lineup and earning consensus
Freshman All-American recognition as a top defensive end. A scary
blend of power and quickness in a 6-5, 275-pound frame, he was
living in opposing backfields by the second half of the season. The
rare gem to come out of Las Vegas, he goes full bore on every down
and has a motor that never quits. And he’s only going to get better
as he improves his strength in the weight room and gets more reps
against quality competition. Was it really just a handful of years
ago that Guy was an awkward kid struggling to fit in? Once the light
went on and he started to fill out around the ninth grade, things
would never be the same for the kid who’s about to blossom into one
of the Pac-10’s brightest young stars.
Guy’s
best game so far was … UCLA last
Nov. 28. By this time of the season, it was obvious that Guy was a
true freshman in class only. In terms of impact, he was already a
second-year player. He routinely frustrated an overmatched Bruin
line, getting in on five tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack
in a 34-9 victory.
Why you
should care about Guy? … He’s one of
the budding defensive superstars in the Pac-10 and already looking
like one of those blue-chippers who’ll meet expectations. The best
thing about Guy is that his upside is enormous, particularly after
playing so well in his first season removed from high school. If he
makes even modest progress from his 2008, the Sun Devils will have a
fixture on the all-league team for the next three years.
Positives about Guy
…When a lineman the size of Guy has light feet and moves really
well, he has the makings of a very special player. At 6-5 and 275
pounds, he can handle himself inside, yet has the speed and lateral
quickness to wreak havoc like a strongside end. While still somewhat
raw, he has the frame and athleticism to command double-teams as
early as this fall.
Negatives about Guy … With Guy, he
has the frame and athletic ability to be a three-down player. Now,
he just needs to work on his technique and his pass rushing moves.
Playing in Las Vegas, he was able to dominate on his size and
quickness alone, but in the Pac-10, he’ll have to continue improving
the finer points of his game.
A cool thing about Guy you probably didn’t know
… Guy has a chance to become an inspiration and a role model for
every kid who was told he’d never amount to much. A chubby kid with
ADHD and self-esteem problems when he was growing up, he was about
the last eight or nine-year old that anyone expected to blossom into
an elite athlete. A kinetic learner, he needs to touch something to
truly grasp its concept.
Career Statistics
2007: Still in high school
2008: 44 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and two
sacks
Statistics, information and photo provided by the
Arizona State sports information department