TEMPE, Ariz. – Seven of the most prominent figures in the history of Sun Devil Athletics – Frank Kush, Phil Mickelson, Jake Plummer, Anthony Robles, Pat Tillman, Charli Turner Thorne and Danny White – were among 25 Arizona sports legends selected for The Athletic's Arizona-specific sports hall of fame, which the publication announced on Tuesday.
The list was compiled by writers from The Athletic Arizona. Among the guidelines the publication included was that the list did not account for how successful a college player was/is in the pros if that professional career takes place outside Arizona.
Pat Tillman: Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and the only Sun Devil included in The Athletic Arizona's 'first-ballot five,' Pat Tillman (1994-97), is one of the most famous Sun Devil football players in history. As a junior in 1996, Tillman started every game as ASU went unbeaten through the regular season, won the Pacific-10 Conference championship and made its second appearance in the Rose Bowl. In 1997, Tillman was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and was a Second-Team All-American while also receiving numerous academic honors as he helped lead the Sun Devils to a Sun Bowl victory over Iowa. He went on to play four seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals before joining the U.S. Army Rangers in 2002. He was killed in Afghanistan April 22, 2004, but he continues to be an inspiration to Americans everywhere. Following his death, he was awarded a Purple Heart by the U.S. Army and a Silver Star by the U.S. Military. In 2004 the Pacific-10 Conference Office announced that its annual Defensive Player of the Year would be named the in honor of the former Sun Devil. The Athletic Arizona: "It almost seems shallow to mention Tillman's athletic accomplishments, which included being named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 1997. Instead, he'll always be remembered and treasured for giving up an NFL career with the Cardinals to enter the armed forces after the 9/11 terrorist attacks..."
Frank Kush: An Arizona State and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Frank Kush won a school record 176 games between 1957-79. Kush led the Sun Devils to six victories in seven bowl games, including the 1970 Peach Bowl and 1975 Fiesta Bowl where the team capped off two undefeated seasons. The Peach Bowl marked ASU's first bowl game in 19 years and the Fiesta Bowl win pushed the Sun Devils to second in the national rankings, the highest ever under Kush. With Kush's 1975 team finishing second in the national rankings, he was named the National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Foundation. Aside from producing winning teams, Kush coached nearly 40 All-Americans and more than 125 NFL players, including 10 first-round draft picks and 17 Pro Bowlers. Kush led ASU to seven Western Athletic Conference Championships and guided the Sun Devils to winning seasons in 19 of his 22 years. The Athletic Arizona: "Arizona State has had a lot of great athletes and coaches over the years, but no one has been as synonymous with the Sun Devils brand as Kush…"
Phil Mickelson: One of four players to be named first-team All-American for four years, Phil Mickelson authored a decorated amateur career at Arizona State in addition to his professional accolades. As a freshman in 1989, Mickelson won the NCAA Championship, becoming one of five golfers to accomplish the feat. The following year he successfully defended his NCAA title and won the 1990 U.S. Amateur Championship and in 1991, Mickelson earned the Haskins Award and Nicklaus Award after a season in which he finished top-10 in all 11 tournaments. The lefty capped off his career at Arizona State with another NCAA title in 1992 and set multiple NCAA records. Mickelson became just the second golfer to capture three NCAA titles. Mickelson turned pro in 1992, and since then, he has captured 44 PGA Tour victories, which include five major championships, record performances at the U.S. Ryder Cup and President's Cup. Mickelson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992. The Athletic Arizona: "Wikipedia describes Mickelson as the face of amateur golf in the early 1990s and that's no exaggeration. Mickelson won three individual NCAA championships while at ASU…."
Jake Plummer: A 2019 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Jake Plummer was a four-year starter at (1993-96) quarterback at for Arizona State. Plummer was the architect of one of the greatest seasons in school history, as he led the Sun Devils to an undefeated regular season (11-1 finish), the second Pac-10 title in school history and a berth in the 1997 Rose Bowl. At the end of a spectacular senior campaign, Plummer was named a first-team All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Plummer concluded his ASU career third in the school record books in career passing yards (8,826), fourth in TD passes (65), fifth in completions (632). Following his time at Arizona State, Plummer was taken in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He played for two teams during his 10-year NFL career, serving as the Arizona Cardinals quarterback for six seasons (1997-2002) before finishing his career with four seasons (2003-06) as the Denver Broncos starting quarterback. In 1998, Plummer helped the Cardinals reach the playoffs for the first time in a non-strike season since 1975. The Athletic Arizona: "The skinny kid from Idaho who started as a freshman in 1993 and three seasons later almost delivered a national championship… If there's a list of the Valley's most popular athletes, he's high up on it."
Anthony Robles: A three-time All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier at 125 lbs, Anthony Robles finished his ASU career ranked eighth in wins (122) and 10th in dual wins (53), setting ASU career records for bonus-point victories (92) and technical falls (47). In 2011, Robles capped a perfect 36-0 season and won a national championship by defeating the reigning champion, Iowa's Matt McDonough, 7-1, in the finals. That year, he was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Since graduating from ASU, Robles has become a motivational speaker, receiving the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance in 2011, and had the opportunity to narrate an ESPN E:60 episode on Wisconsin high school wrestler Zack Anglin, who was born with no hands or feet. Robles also returns to ASU on the Pac-12 Network broadcast team for wrestling matches, also part of ESPN's team for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The AthleticArizona: "Numerous ASU athletes have won individual national championships but we're pretty certain no one else has accomplished that feat on one leg…"
Charli Turner Thorne: The winningest coach in ASU women's basketball history and No. 2 in the Pac-12 in most career wins (504), Charli Turner Thorne is at the helm of an Arizona State program that has made it to the postseason 19 of the last 20 seasons, including a school record six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2014-19), two Elite Eight appearances and three Sweet 16 finishes. ASU's 14 NCAA Tournament appearances under Turner Thorne are 11 more than what ASU had in the 15 years prior to her arrival in Tempe. She also earned a pair of gold medals with USA Basketball. In 2020, ASU extended its current school record of consecutive 20-win seasons to seven. The Sun Devils were preparing for their school record seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance before the NCAA announced the cancelation of the Tournament earlier this month. In 2020, ASU became the first unranked team to defeat consecutive Top 5 teams when it beat No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State. The Athletic Arizona: "Since taking over as ASU's women's basketball coach in 1996, Turner Thorne has led the Sun Devils to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, two Elite Eight berths and three Sweet 16 appearances..."
Danny White: College Football Hall of Fame Inductee Danny White was the Sun Devil starting quarterback from 1971-73. Playing for legendary head coach Frank Kush, White was part of three Western Athletic Conference Championship teams, compiling a combined record of 32-4. In addition, White led ASU to victories in the first three Fiesta Bowls. He was selected First-Team All-America in 1973 by Time Magazine, Football Writers and NEA and Second-Team All-America the same year by United Press International and Associated Press. He took over starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys in 1980, establishing a then-franchise record for touchdown passes in a season (29). White guided the Cowboys to three consecutive appearances in the NFC Championship Game in his first three years as the starter. Following his playing career, White was named the first head coach and general manager of the Arena Football League Arizona Rattlers. Under his leadership, the Rattlers earned five berths in the league's championship game (ArenaBowl), winning the championship in 1994 and 1997. The Athletic Arizona: "Plummer holds a special place in ASU quarterback lore but make no mistake, White was the best quarterback the Sun Devils have ever had."
The list was compiled by writers from The Athletic Arizona. Among the guidelines the publication included was that the list did not account for how successful a college player was/is in the pros if that professional career takes place outside Arizona.
Pat Tillman: Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and the only Sun Devil included in The Athletic Arizona's 'first-ballot five,' Pat Tillman (1994-97), is one of the most famous Sun Devil football players in history. As a junior in 1996, Tillman started every game as ASU went unbeaten through the regular season, won the Pacific-10 Conference championship and made its second appearance in the Rose Bowl. In 1997, Tillman was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and was a Second-Team All-American while also receiving numerous academic honors as he helped lead the Sun Devils to a Sun Bowl victory over Iowa. He went on to play four seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals before joining the U.S. Army Rangers in 2002. He was killed in Afghanistan April 22, 2004, but he continues to be an inspiration to Americans everywhere. Following his death, he was awarded a Purple Heart by the U.S. Army and a Silver Star by the U.S. Military. In 2004 the Pacific-10 Conference Office announced that its annual Defensive Player of the Year would be named the in honor of the former Sun Devil. The Athletic Arizona: "It almost seems shallow to mention Tillman's athletic accomplishments, which included being named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 1997. Instead, he'll always be remembered and treasured for giving up an NFL career with the Cardinals to enter the armed forces after the 9/11 terrorist attacks..."
Frank Kush: An Arizona State and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Frank Kush won a school record 176 games between 1957-79. Kush led the Sun Devils to six victories in seven bowl games, including the 1970 Peach Bowl and 1975 Fiesta Bowl where the team capped off two undefeated seasons. The Peach Bowl marked ASU's first bowl game in 19 years and the Fiesta Bowl win pushed the Sun Devils to second in the national rankings, the highest ever under Kush. With Kush's 1975 team finishing second in the national rankings, he was named the National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Foundation. Aside from producing winning teams, Kush coached nearly 40 All-Americans and more than 125 NFL players, including 10 first-round draft picks and 17 Pro Bowlers. Kush led ASU to seven Western Athletic Conference Championships and guided the Sun Devils to winning seasons in 19 of his 22 years. The Athletic Arizona: "Arizona State has had a lot of great athletes and coaches over the years, but no one has been as synonymous with the Sun Devils brand as Kush…"
Phil Mickelson: One of four players to be named first-team All-American for four years, Phil Mickelson authored a decorated amateur career at Arizona State in addition to his professional accolades. As a freshman in 1989, Mickelson won the NCAA Championship, becoming one of five golfers to accomplish the feat. The following year he successfully defended his NCAA title and won the 1990 U.S. Amateur Championship and in 1991, Mickelson earned the Haskins Award and Nicklaus Award after a season in which he finished top-10 in all 11 tournaments. The lefty capped off his career at Arizona State with another NCAA title in 1992 and set multiple NCAA records. Mickelson became just the second golfer to capture three NCAA titles. Mickelson turned pro in 1992, and since then, he has captured 44 PGA Tour victories, which include five major championships, record performances at the U.S. Ryder Cup and President's Cup. Mickelson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992. The Athletic Arizona: "Wikipedia describes Mickelson as the face of amateur golf in the early 1990s and that's no exaggeration. Mickelson won three individual NCAA championships while at ASU…."
Jake Plummer: A 2019 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Jake Plummer was a four-year starter at (1993-96) quarterback at for Arizona State. Plummer was the architect of one of the greatest seasons in school history, as he led the Sun Devils to an undefeated regular season (11-1 finish), the second Pac-10 title in school history and a berth in the 1997 Rose Bowl. At the end of a spectacular senior campaign, Plummer was named a first-team All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Plummer concluded his ASU career third in the school record books in career passing yards (8,826), fourth in TD passes (65), fifth in completions (632). Following his time at Arizona State, Plummer was taken in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He played for two teams during his 10-year NFL career, serving as the Arizona Cardinals quarterback for six seasons (1997-2002) before finishing his career with four seasons (2003-06) as the Denver Broncos starting quarterback. In 1998, Plummer helped the Cardinals reach the playoffs for the first time in a non-strike season since 1975. The Athletic Arizona: "The skinny kid from Idaho who started as a freshman in 1993 and three seasons later almost delivered a national championship… If there's a list of the Valley's most popular athletes, he's high up on it."
Anthony Robles: A three-time All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier at 125 lbs, Anthony Robles finished his ASU career ranked eighth in wins (122) and 10th in dual wins (53), setting ASU career records for bonus-point victories (92) and technical falls (47). In 2011, Robles capped a perfect 36-0 season and won a national championship by defeating the reigning champion, Iowa's Matt McDonough, 7-1, in the finals. That year, he was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Since graduating from ASU, Robles has become a motivational speaker, receiving the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance in 2011, and had the opportunity to narrate an ESPN E:60 episode on Wisconsin high school wrestler Zack Anglin, who was born with no hands or feet. Robles also returns to ASU on the Pac-12 Network broadcast team for wrestling matches, also part of ESPN's team for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The AthleticArizona: "Numerous ASU athletes have won individual national championships but we're pretty certain no one else has accomplished that feat on one leg…"
Charli Turner Thorne: The winningest coach in ASU women's basketball history and No. 2 in the Pac-12 in most career wins (504), Charli Turner Thorne is at the helm of an Arizona State program that has made it to the postseason 19 of the last 20 seasons, including a school record six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2014-19), two Elite Eight appearances and three Sweet 16 finishes. ASU's 14 NCAA Tournament appearances under Turner Thorne are 11 more than what ASU had in the 15 years prior to her arrival in Tempe. She also earned a pair of gold medals with USA Basketball. In 2020, ASU extended its current school record of consecutive 20-win seasons to seven. The Sun Devils were preparing for their school record seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance before the NCAA announced the cancelation of the Tournament earlier this month. In 2020, ASU became the first unranked team to defeat consecutive Top 5 teams when it beat No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Oregon State. The Athletic Arizona: "Since taking over as ASU's women's basketball coach in 1996, Turner Thorne has led the Sun Devils to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, two Elite Eight berths and three Sweet 16 appearances..."
Danny White: College Football Hall of Fame Inductee Danny White was the Sun Devil starting quarterback from 1971-73. Playing for legendary head coach Frank Kush, White was part of three Western Athletic Conference Championship teams, compiling a combined record of 32-4. In addition, White led ASU to victories in the first three Fiesta Bowls. He was selected First-Team All-America in 1973 by Time Magazine, Football Writers and NEA and Second-Team All-America the same year by United Press International and Associated Press. He took over starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys in 1980, establishing a then-franchise record for touchdown passes in a season (29). White guided the Cowboys to three consecutive appearances in the NFC Championship Game in his first three years as the starter. Following his playing career, White was named the first head coach and general manager of the Arena Football League Arizona Rattlers. Under his leadership, the Rattlers earned five berths in the league's championship game (ArenaBowl), winning the championship in 1994 and 1997. The Athletic Arizona: "Plummer holds a special place in ASU quarterback lore but make no mistake, White was the best quarterback the Sun Devils have ever had."