by Connor Pelton, SDA Communications Student Assistant
The timing was right.
Shane Miller, longtime Sun Devil fan, graduated from Arizona State in 2004.
Keegan Herring, longtime Sun Devil great, arrived in Tempe and started impressing immediately at running back in 2005.
There was only one thing left to do. Miller wanted to name his first-born child after Keegan.
"I always liked the name," Miller says. "He was a really quick freshman and I was excited about where the program was at. He was cool and it sounded a little different."
Miller's wife, Liz, was on board with the name, even if she didn't exactly know where Shane got the idea.
"I may not have told her until after he was born," says Shane while laughing.
Nevertheless, the plan worked. So well, in fact, that when the Millers welcomed their second child into the world earlier this month, they decided to keep the Sun Devil connection going with a tribute to Kalen Ballage.
Shane and his family were at the Texas Tech game in 2016 when Ballage broke the NCAA's single game record for touchdowns, and he had always liked the name for either a boy or girl.
"It's fun to stick with the ASU theme," Shane says. "And my wife was more clued in for this one."
But while the Millers may have two children named after Arizona State greats, they aren't the only ones in Sun Devil Nation who have chosen to show their fandom this way.
The Jake's
Jake Plummer's storied and successful Sun Devil career certainly left a big impression on Arizona State fans, and it was his last season in Tempe that captured the hearts of four parents in particular.
Plummer was a senior in 1996, a year that is often referred to as one of the best in school history. The signal caller threw for 23 touchdowns that season, leading his team to an 11-1 record (just four points shy of a national title) in the process.
Plummer was in the Heisman Trophy discussion for much of the season, a debate that coincided with the pregnancy of Chris Votroubek's (class of '93) wife, Jaime. They were having trouble agreeing on a name, when suddenly, it hit him.
"I was waiting for the computer to connect to the Internet through the modem," recalls Chris. "I wanted to check out what Plummer's Heisman chances were. Suddenly, it came to me that our younger son would be named Jake."
It didn't take much convincing of Jaime, because she liked the name as well. And once Jake found out who his namesake was, it became a point of pride for the young Sun Devil fan.
"Growing up, he was always proud to be named after a famous quarterback," says Chris. "When Plummer signed with Denver, Jake stopped being a Cardinals fan and switched to the Broncos. He even made us stop at Invesco Field when we were driving through Denver just so he could see where Plummer played."
The Votroubeks weren't the only ones with the idea.
Jody Watkins graduated from ASU in 1991, but Plummer has always been his favorite Sun Devil. His favorite season, of course, was the 1996 campaign, and his primary memory from that year starts with Plummer and Arizona State erasing a 28-7 deficit before winning by eight at UCLA.
"He never quit and was a never say die type of guy," Watkins says. "I liked the way he played. And I liked his nickname."
The kid named after Jake the Snake is now 17-years-old, and Jake Watkins is well-aware of where his name came from, according to his father.
"We've always been passionate fans," says Jody when asked what his son thinks about the name. "He just thinks his parents are crazy Sun Devils."
The Tillman's
No name is more synonymous with Arizona State football than Pat Tillman, and his sacrifice and loyalty have led to many Sun Devil fans honoring his memory through their children's names.
"I kind of said it half-joking at first while my wife was pregnant. Then we talked through it and it became a no-brainer."
That's Kevin Doyle, a 2004 graduate of ASU. His wife, Jenny, gave birth to Tillman Doyle in 2014, and the three-year old is already mindful of his namesake.
"Big time," Doyle says when asked if Tillman knows who Pat is. "We talk about him all the time. I like everything he stood for so we try and instill that in our kids."
The plan is working so far.
Tillman Doyle has already participated in three Pat's Runs at age three. He reacts whenever coming across something Pat Tillman in person or on television, and his dad has started a collection of Tillman books so they can learn even more about the former Army Ranger and Sun Devil.
"We love who Pat was and having a son named after him," says Kevin. "It's great when people here us call his name at games and ask us about it."
Shannon Perkins (class of '06) and her wife chose a similar route, choosing the name Tillman for their first-born.
The Perkins are diehard Arizona State fans and were season ticket holders before moving to California in 2013. The character displayed by Pat is something she wants to ultimately see in Tillman and every member of her family.
"We love everything ASU and Pat Tillman so it just felt right," Perkins says. "He always showed the character that my family and I aspire to have. It's a strong name with an amazing legacy and we hope to do it justice."
The one born out of rivalry
Mario Bates and Mario Bennett may have played different sports, but the two do have some things in common.
They both donned the Maroon and Gold at the same time, and most importantly, they each had breakout performances against rival Arizona in their freshman seasons.
For former-Tucson resident and ASU graduate (class of '87) Eddie Arvayo, the opportunity to name his son Mario and stick it to his Wildcat neighbors was too good to pass up.
"I was in rival territory and always under attack," says Arvayo.
Bennett stepped onto the scene in a major way in his freshman season, scoring 35 points against Arizona before fans stormed the court in Tempe. He ended up finishing his collegiate career with a near-perfect record against the school's archrival.
Like Arvayo, Bates lived in Southern Arizona growing up and attended Amphitheater High School in Tucson. In his first Territorial Cup, the running back made the first-ever start of his career and carried the ball 35 times for 161 yards.
"Being a Tucson kid, that was huge when he chose Arizona State over the Wildcats," Arvayo says. "I was a huge fan of him all through high school, college, and the professional ranks."
It may not be easy raising a Sun Devil in Tucson, but between the name and his father's alma mater, Arvayo says Mario was on the right track from the start.
"Luckily I had him brainwashed from the beginning."
The timing was right.
Shane Miller, longtime Sun Devil fan, graduated from Arizona State in 2004.
Keegan Herring, longtime Sun Devil great, arrived in Tempe and started impressing immediately at running back in 2005.
There was only one thing left to do. Miller wanted to name his first-born child after Keegan.
"I always liked the name," Miller says. "He was a really quick freshman and I was excited about where the program was at. He was cool and it sounded a little different."
Miller's wife, Liz, was on board with the name, even if she didn't exactly know where Shane got the idea.
"I may not have told her until after he was born," says Shane while laughing.
Nevertheless, the plan worked. So well, in fact, that when the Millers welcomed their second child into the world earlier this month, they decided to keep the Sun Devil connection going with a tribute to Kalen Ballage.
Meet the children of Shane ('04) and Liz Miller, named for a pair of former Sun Devil backs in Keegan Herring and Kalen Ballage. pic.twitter.com/7VZUAkSRVb
— Connor Pelton (@ConnorPelton28) December 16, 2017
Shane and his family were at the Texas Tech game in 2016 when Ballage broke the NCAA's single game record for touchdowns, and he had always liked the name for either a boy or girl.
"It's fun to stick with the ASU theme," Shane says. "And my wife was more clued in for this one."
But while the Millers may have two children named after Arizona State greats, they aren't the only ones in Sun Devil Nation who have chosen to show their fandom this way.
The Jake's
Jake Plummer's storied and successful Sun Devil career certainly left a big impression on Arizona State fans, and it was his last season in Tempe that captured the hearts of four parents in particular.
Plummer was a senior in 1996, a year that is often referred to as one of the best in school history. The signal caller threw for 23 touchdowns that season, leading his team to an 11-1 record (just four points shy of a national title) in the process.
Plummer was in the Heisman Trophy discussion for much of the season, a debate that coincided with the pregnancy of Chris Votroubek's (class of '93) wife, Jaime. They were having trouble agreeing on a name, when suddenly, it hit him.
"I was waiting for the computer to connect to the Internet through the modem," recalls Chris. "I wanted to check out what Plummer's Heisman chances were. Suddenly, it came to me that our younger son would be named Jake."
It didn't take much convincing of Jaime, because she liked the name as well. And once Jake found out who his namesake was, it became a point of pride for the young Sun Devil fan.
"Growing up, he was always proud to be named after a famous quarterback," says Chris. "When Plummer signed with Denver, Jake stopped being a Cardinals fan and switched to the Broncos. He even made us stop at Invesco Field when we were driving through Denver just so he could see where Plummer played."
Soon: Have a cool story coming out on Sun Devil fanatics who have named their kids after ASU legends.
— Connor Pelton (@ConnorPelton28) December 12, 2017
Meet Chris Votroubek (left), who decided on the name Jake (right) while researching Jake Plummer's Heisman odds in the fall of 1996. pic.twitter.com/APdqfj8JDl
The Votroubeks weren't the only ones with the idea.
Jody Watkins graduated from ASU in 1991, but Plummer has always been his favorite Sun Devil. His favorite season, of course, was the 1996 campaign, and his primary memory from that year starts with Plummer and Arizona State erasing a 28-7 deficit before winning by eight at UCLA.
"He never quit and was a never say die type of guy," Watkins says. "I liked the way he played. And I liked his nickname."
The kid named after Jake the Snake is now 17-years-old, and Jake Watkins is well-aware of where his name came from, according to his father.
"We've always been passionate fans," says Jody when asked what his son thinks about the name. "He just thinks his parents are crazy Sun Devils."
The Tillman's
No name is more synonymous with Arizona State football than Pat Tillman, and his sacrifice and loyalty have led to many Sun Devil fans honoring his memory through their children's names.
"I kind of said it half-joking at first while my wife was pregnant. Then we talked through it and it became a no-brainer."
That's Kevin Doyle, a 2004 graduate of ASU. His wife, Jenny, gave birth to Tillman Doyle in 2014, and the three-year old is already mindful of his namesake.
"Big time," Doyle says when asked if Tillman knows who Pat is. "We talk about him all the time. I like everything he stood for so we try and instill that in our kids."
The plan is working so far.
Tillman Doyle has already participated in three Pat's Runs at age three. He reacts whenever coming across something Pat Tillman in person or on television, and his dad has started a collection of Tillman books so they can learn even more about the former Army Ranger and Sun Devil.
"We love who Pat was and having a son named after him," says Kevin. "It's great when people here us call his name at games and ask us about it."
Shannon Perkins (class of '06) and her wife chose a similar route, choosing the name Tillman for their first-born.
The Perkins are diehard Arizona State fans and were season ticket holders before moving to California in 2013. The character displayed by Pat is something she wants to ultimately see in Tillman and every member of her family.
"We love everything ASU and Pat Tillman so it just felt right," Perkins says. "He always showed the character that my family and I aspire to have. It's a strong name with an amazing legacy and we hope to do it justice."
Meet Tillman Perkins, son of @smperkins22 ('06). pic.twitter.com/Jahk9bZGRU
— Connor Pelton (@ConnorPelton28) December 13, 2017
The one born out of rivalry
Mario Bates and Mario Bennett may have played different sports, but the two do have some things in common.
They both donned the Maroon and Gold at the same time, and most importantly, they each had breakout performances against rival Arizona in their freshman seasons.
For former-Tucson resident and ASU graduate (class of '87) Eddie Arvayo, the opportunity to name his son Mario and stick it to his Wildcat neighbors was too good to pass up.
"I was in rival territory and always under attack," says Arvayo.
This is Mario Arvayo, named after a pair of former Sun Devils in Mario Bates (football) and Mario Bennett (basketball).
— Connor Pelton (@ConnorPelton28) December 15, 2017
Both had breakout performances in their freshman seasons against rival Arizona. pic.twitter.com/jAF6SGAwYk
Bennett stepped onto the scene in a major way in his freshman season, scoring 35 points against Arizona before fans stormed the court in Tempe. He ended up finishing his collegiate career with a near-perfect record against the school's archrival.
Like Arvayo, Bates lived in Southern Arizona growing up and attended Amphitheater High School in Tucson. In his first Territorial Cup, the running back made the first-ever start of his career and carried the ball 35 times for 161 yards.
"Being a Tucson kid, that was huge when he chose Arizona State over the Wildcats," Arvayo says. "I was a huge fan of him all through high school, college, and the professional ranks."
It may not be easy raising a Sun Devil in Tucson, but between the name and his father's alma mater, Arvayo says Mario was on the right track from the start.
"Luckily I had him brainwashed from the beginning."