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Arizona State Football: Mike Bercovici Has Etched His Name Into Sun Devils Lore

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By @MattHeinz_Rant

Mike Bercovici Arizona State

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Plummer, Pat Tillman, Frank Kush, Danny White and Mike Bercovici are all now considered legends in Tempe. The first four names are the greatest individuals ever from the Arizona State football program. The last, Bercovici, known by his teammates as Berco, has only started two games but is already an instant Sun Devils hero.

Berco floated a 46-yard hail mary caught by Jaelen Strong to beat USC 38-34 on the final play on Saturday night, but the story of Berco goes far beyond one throw.

Football is the ultimate team game, but don’t get confused here — Bercovici put the team on his back and willed them to victory on the road in front of his hometown friends and family. In total, he had 510 yards, five touchdowns and no turnovers. Throughout the fourth quarter, Berco was seen pacing along the sideline, pumping up his defense and demanding that they give him the ball back.

Trailing by nine on the road with 6:26 left, the ball 97 yards away from the end zone, Berco was keeping his offense in a hurry-up mindset while at the same time relaxing the players with his calm demeanor in between plays. That drive ended in a 21-yard TD pass to D.J. Foster to put ASU down two. That is how you play the quarterback position, folks.

The next time Berco got the ball, ASU was down nine with 2:57 left, but he threw a perfect strike to Cameron Smith for a 72-yard touchdown. Most backups would have been in a state of high stress and uneasiness. Berco however, isn’t your average backup.

As a kid growing up a USC fan in the Los Angeles area, Bercovici told his dad he would play in the L.A. Coliseum one day. His dream technically came true, but certainly not quite how he expected. Rivals.com rated Bercovici as the 14th-best pro-style quarterback for the class of 2011. The Trojans had already secured commitments from QBs, Cody Kessler and Max Wittek. As a result, Bercovici never received a scholarship from his beloved Trojans.

Berco chose to be a Sun Devil and during his first semester on campus in Tempe, he earned the respect from his teammates as Brock Osweiler’s backup when he earned ASU’s “Hard Hat” award given to the most dedicated player in off-season workouts. It’s rare for a backup to be adored by his teammates like Berco is on the Sun Devils. His left tackle and team captain Jamil Douglas told reporters after the game, “I had a lot of faith in Berco, he’s just a resilient player. He never gives up.”

Giving up is something everyone expected Berco to do when he was named the third-string quarterback during Todd Graham’s first two seasons. However, Berco surprised many and didn’t transfer. Already possessing an undergrad degree, he is now enrolled in the ASU Sports Law and Business School, where he will earn a master of legal studies degree next year. Having an attractive girlfriend on the ASU dance team also probably helped the talented backup stay in Tempe.

When asked about why he stayed, Berco stated: “The school, fans and city (of Tempe) are why I do it.”

Winning the game in front of his friends and family makes the Berco story even better. At his post-game press conference, Berco said “I needed to get like 150 tickets if I could.” The heroic QB also added, “I have friends in the USC student section telling me they’re cheering for me.”

USC’s defensive tackle, Antwaun Woods, played football with Berco at Taft High School. Interestingly, Woods was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty for slamming Bercovici in the third quarter. That third quarter also featured two dropped potential touchdowns by Kody Kohl and Foster that resulted in a field goal and a punt. Had those passes been caught, Berco would have finished with seven touchdowns.

Those drops did set up the miracle Hail Mary finish though. After Strong snagged the 46-yard pass out of the air to win the game, all Berco could do was run, dive and lay on the ground. Berco told the press, “I had people telling me, ‘Get up. Get up.’ But all I wanted to do was go upstairs and see my mom.”

What a great story for a great kid!

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