ASU football coach Herm Edwards says he knows who the Sun Devils are

New ASU football coach Herm Edwards joined the Tiki and Tierney Show on CBS Sports Radio and CBS Sports Network on Wednesday to talk about his hire at ASU and the news conference introducing his as the coach of the team.

Edwards had an exchange with a reporter during his news conference Monday that led some to question if he knew that ASU's mascot was the Sun Devils and Edwards addressed that question during the interview, saying that he definitely knows the school's nickname.

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"Yes, are you kidding me? I got recruited from Arizona State," Edwards said. "Frank Kush recruited me (in the 1970s). Look, I knew Arizona State before half those people – whatever they were tweeting – they weren’t even born (when I was getting recruited by Arizona State).”

The ASU coach addressed some other issues during the interview, including connecting with recruits after a long layoff from coaching in college.



“I question them this way," he said. "What are your dreams, what are your desires, and what are your ambitions as far as being a student-athlete? It’s kind of interesting when you ask them that. Everyone’s been asking about being a football player. I ask them those three questions right there. They look at you and I go, ‘You need to think about that. Because when you enter that campus, everyone’s going to know you as a football player, but you’re a student-athlete. You want to leave this campus well-equipped so if you don’t become a pro football player, (then) in the real world, in life, you’ve done enough here and I’ve helped you with that to be well-equipped to deal with anything you have to deal with in life.'



“I’m going to tell them the truth, I’m an honest guy," Edwards said of talking to parents on the recruiting trail. "The thing that they’ll realize is I’m the same guy on television when I walk in their living room. That’s who I am. They’ll understand that. I’m going to be honest about their son’s skill, his athletic skill, and share with them the positive things about Arizona State in the classroom and the community and (about) our expectations. When he leaves there, he’s going to graduate, he’s going to be a well-rounded young man, he’s going have leadership aspirations, and if he has the talent to play in the National Football League, he’ll be well-equipped to do that as well. That’s what I’m going to bring to the table. If they’ve watched me for the last nine years on television, my actions and my words match up. I’ve got an opportunity. And I’m going for it.”

You can listen to the complete Herm Edwards interview with the Tiki and Tierney Show on CBS Sports Radio and CBS Sports Network here.

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