Former Brophy standout Frederick Gammage turned down scholarship offers from Western new Mexico and Fort Lewis to be a Sun Devil and walked on to the program out of high school. After two years earning his stripes on the team, he earned a scholarship from Todd Graham and the ASU program and found himself in the rotation of the ASU offense as a wide receiver.
He has defied the odds already from what people told him he could and couldn’t do at the next level. But is not close to satisfied.
“A lot of people asks me how it feels, but I am not done yet,” said Gammage. “I’ve still got to keep working.”
His mentor since arriving on campus in Tempe is someone who went the same path that Gammage looks to go. Former walk-on turned scholarship receiver Kevin Ozier has graduated but still keeps in contact with the redshirt sophomore receiver to make sure his head stays the course.
“He was like a big brother to me,” Gammage explained. “So he texts me all the time saying ‘keep working, it’s not over yet.’ So I’ve just got to keep grinding.”
Though Gammage earned the scholarship from the program before the start of this season, he still has in the back of his mind the nay sayers and they people who might say he is pretty good “for a walk-on.”
“I keep a chip on my shoulder,” he mentioned. “People will say ‘oh he was in the right place at the right time,’ but no, I’ve really worked my butt off to get where I’m at.”
ASU, before all is said and done on their 2014 season, has one final game in the Sun Bowl against Duke. Last season, ASU had a dud in the Holiday Bowl against a Texas Tech team that blew them out in embarrassing fashion. Gammage said that the mentality leading up to this game on the practice field is completely different then it was a year ago.
“Everything is different about this year.” he stated. “Last year with the vets, the went like 12 periods and then they left and then the rookie scrimmage. This year we’ve had a full practice, 21 periods and then we scrimmage. So everything is different, we are trying to get this tenth win.”
Gammage and the Sun Devils square off with the Blue Devils in El Paso, Texas for the Sun Bowl on December 27th.
