TEMPE, Ariz. -- Manny Wilkins likens his first season as the Sun Devils' starting quarterback to a racehorse wearing blinkers. (that is the correct term)
"When they are racing, all they see is what's right in front of them," Wilkins said. "Last year, what I saw was right in front of me."
Wilkins had some success early as the Devils rolled to a 5-1 start, but experience, injuries, criticism and a six-game losing streak gave him greater perspective.
"I grew so much from getting hurt, from playing on damn near one leg and getting my butt worked, basically, that it has opened so many doors for me," he said. "I watched a bunch of game film that I didn't have of myself before. I picked up on my mannerisms and all the little things that defenses picked up on to defend you.
"Now I'm seeing everything. I have all my peripheral vision. I know everything that is going on, on the field, and I know so much more about the defense. I'm going into my fourth year now. I'm comfortable."
The battle for the starting quarterback position continues, but coach Todd Graham gave Wilkins a vote of confidence last week when he said that Wilkins is still his starter until someone, most notably Blake Barnett, beats him out. When asked why Wilkins has managed to maintain his hold, despite Barnett's impressive pedigree, offensive coordinator Billy Napier cited a laundry list of reasons that began with experience.
"Relative to our roster, he's the most experienced quarterback," Napier said. "I really believe when a guy has his first year of significant experience in terms of playing time, he goes into that offseason with an entirely different approach. He knows what it's going to be like when he runs out of the tunnel and goes and plays in that first game.
"That maturity -- I've been there, I kind of know what it's going to be like -- [means] my preparation is totally different than maybe it was when I was unsure of what was going to happen."
Wilkin's life road is a collage of experiences that he is trying to mold into a work of art. The more bits of information he accrues, the closer he comes to reaching his goal, but he never forgets the mileposts along the way, whether it was losing his dad to a drug overdose when Manny was 10, making off-field mistakes that nearly derailed his football career or taking tips from Johnny Manziel, Taylor Kelly, Mike Bercovici and even Packers QB Aaron Rodgers at the Elite 11 quarterback competition.
"Every person that I've encountered in my lifetime has helped," he said. "I take little things that I like, that work for me, that I didn't do before, but that these guys do and are good and affect people around them and then I try to push it all into one. If I can take all these good qualities and use them, I am setting myself up to be great; setting myself up to do something special."
Wilkins admitted the conglomeration of influences has altered the kid that arrived on campus in 2014.
"I'm the same person but I probably go about things differently," he said "I've matured on and off the field -- I can't even measure how much I've matured because it's so much. I've seen myself grow in the relationship I have with my girlfriend, in areas on the football field whether it's going through reads more, or pulling the check-down more. I've grown up in every aspect of life."
That includes playing smarter. Wilkins inspired his teammates and many fans last season with his aggressive style that included those famous hurdles over defenders. That style also meant absorbing big hits, however, and they took a toll on his body.
"That's one of the lessons that I think he has learned," Napier said. "There's a certain aggressiveness that you don't want to take away from the guy, but I think it's playing those situations smart and kind of seeing it from 1,000 feet away and saying, 'hey, big picture here. Where do I take those calculated risks? Where are we in the game in terms of when I do rush the ball or when I break the pocket, how I manage myself from a health standpoint?' I think he learned that last year."
Wilkins insists he will implement those changes this season.
"In order for me to be successful, I cannot get hurt," he said. "I cannot be somebody who always, on first-and-10 when the field opens up, takes off running.
"Save my body. If I get five yards and stay safe, what is the big deal getting six yards if I take a big lick? It's not a big advantage. It's really a disadvantage if I get hurt so what [Napier] said about calculated risks is on first-and-10 my mindset has to be different than what it is on 4th-and-3, game on the line. Then I can take that risk because I need to take that risk."
Whatever happens in the QB battle, Wilkins will continue to think of himself as a starter. More so than that, he considers it a duty to be leader.
"It's all about little things -- walking in the building and taking your hat off, taking your earrings out, taking your necklace off," he said. "I am supposed to be a standard. If I'm not doing those things then I have to figure things out.
"My goal in life is not to be the greatest football player of all time. My goal in life is to inspire people who are coming up and are taking the same path I did to make good choices; to not make stupid decisions and ruin their life. Football is an amazing sport. It changed my life. Without it, I wouldn't be where I am today so I'm grateful for it, but my life is greater than football."
"When they are racing, all they see is what's right in front of them," Wilkins said. "Last year, what I saw was right in front of me."
Wilkins had some success early as the Devils rolled to a 5-1 start, but experience, injuries, criticism and a six-game losing streak gave him greater perspective.
"I grew so much from getting hurt, from playing on damn near one leg and getting my butt worked, basically, that it has opened so many doors for me," he said. "I watched a bunch of game film that I didn't have of myself before. I picked up on my mannerisms and all the little things that defenses picked up on to defend you.
"Now I'm seeing everything. I have all my peripheral vision. I know everything that is going on, on the field, and I know so much more about the defense. I'm going into my fourth year now. I'm comfortable."
The battle for the starting quarterback position continues, but coach Todd Graham gave Wilkins a vote of confidence last week when he said that Wilkins is still his starter until someone, most notably Blake Barnett, beats him out. When asked why Wilkins has managed to maintain his hold, despite Barnett's impressive pedigree, offensive coordinator Billy Napier cited a laundry list of reasons that began with experience.
"Relative to our roster, he's the most experienced quarterback," Napier said. "I really believe when a guy has his first year of significant experience in terms of playing time, he goes into that offseason with an entirely different approach. He knows what it's going to be like when he runs out of the tunnel and goes and plays in that first game.
"That maturity -- I've been there, I kind of know what it's going to be like -- [means] my preparation is totally different than maybe it was when I was unsure of what was going to happen."
Wilkin's life road is a collage of experiences that he is trying to mold into a work of art. The more bits of information he accrues, the closer he comes to reaching his goal, but he never forgets the mileposts along the way, whether it was losing his dad to a drug overdose when Manny was 10, making off-field mistakes that nearly derailed his football career or taking tips from Johnny Manziel, Taylor Kelly, Mike Bercovici and even Packers QB Aaron Rodgers at the Elite 11 quarterback competition.
"Every person that I've encountered in my lifetime has helped," he said. "I take little things that I like, that work for me, that I didn't do before, but that these guys do and are good and affect people around them and then I try to push it all into one. If I can take all these good qualities and use them, I am setting myself up to be great; setting myself up to do something special."
Wilkins admitted the conglomeration of influences has altered the kid that arrived on campus in 2014.
"I'm the same person but I probably go about things differently," he said "I've matured on and off the field -- I can't even measure how much I've matured because it's so much. I've seen myself grow in the relationship I have with my girlfriend, in areas on the football field whether it's going through reads more, or pulling the check-down more. I've grown up in every aspect of life."
That includes playing smarter. Wilkins inspired his teammates and many fans last season with his aggressive style that included those famous hurdles over defenders. That style also meant absorbing big hits, however, and they took a toll on his body.
"That's one of the lessons that I think he has learned," Napier said. "There's a certain aggressiveness that you don't want to take away from the guy, but I think it's playing those situations smart and kind of seeing it from 1,000 feet away and saying, 'hey, big picture here. Where do I take those calculated risks? Where are we in the game in terms of when I do rush the ball or when I break the pocket, how I manage myself from a health standpoint?' I think he learned that last year."
Wilkins insists he will implement those changes this season.
"In order for me to be successful, I cannot get hurt," he said. "I cannot be somebody who always, on first-and-10 when the field opens up, takes off running.
"Save my body. If I get five yards and stay safe, what is the big deal getting six yards if I take a big lick? It's not a big advantage. It's really a disadvantage if I get hurt so what [Napier] said about calculated risks is on first-and-10 my mindset has to be different than what it is on 4th-and-3, game on the line. Then I can take that risk because I need to take that risk."
Whatever happens in the QB battle, Wilkins will continue to think of himself as a starter. More so than that, he considers it a duty to be leader.
"It's all about little things -- walking in the building and taking your hat off, taking your earrings out, taking your necklace off," he said. "I am supposed to be a standard. If I'm not doing those things then I have to figure things out.
"My goal in life is not to be the greatest football player of all time. My goal in life is to inspire people who are coming up and are taking the same path I did to make good choices; to not make stupid decisions and ruin their life. Football is an amazing sport. It changed my life. Without it, I wouldn't be where I am today so I'm grateful for it, but my life is greater than football."