TEMPE – On paper, Arizona State football players Keith Abney II and Kyson Brown shouldn’t have much in common.
They play on opposite ends of the ball, as Abney, a junior, plays cornerback, and Brown, a sophomore, lines up in the backfield as a running back. Yet, the two share a strong bond off the field, even living together.
The reason?
Their enrollment in Barrett, The Honors College, a program that houses some of Arizona State’s most academically adept students.
The pair roomed together in the Barrett dorms their freshman year, when they learned to balance the demands of playing Division I football with a rigorous schedule of schoolwork.
“We’re still roommates, (so) if I need help with something, we’re always helping each other stay on top of our work,” Abney said.
Abney and Brown are among eight players on the ASU football team who are at Barrett. Martell Hughes, Cory Butler, Cameron Dyer, Kanyon Floyd, Isaiah Iosefa and Uriah Neloms are also part of the academic-minded group.
Barrett assigns each honors college student a Barrett advisor. In the case of these athletes, the advisors meet with the football team’s academic group bi-weekly to discuss necessary classes, credit requirements and academic performance of players. Maintaining constant communication with these advisors remains critical to the success of each athlete.
For Abney, planning out his day to make time for school amid practices, film meetings and recovery sessions is critical to achieving success in the classroom.
“I know we’re so busy in football, so just having that set time I can have for myself to be able to do my schoolwork so I can stay on top of that and keep my grades,” Abney said about the key to balancing school and football.
Courtney Skipper, known around the facility as “Skip,” oversees academics for the football team, monitoring the athletes to make sure they meet NCAA eligibility requirements. Skipper, who’s been at ASU for 19 years, has noticed a commitment from the current coaching staff to recruit players with admirable academic backgrounds.
“This staff is aiming for more academically highly rated students who can play football,” Skipper said. “They’re going after that academic profile and usually those guys are the ones who can get into Barrett.”
In press conferences, coach Kenny Dillingham has made it a point to promote the program.
Often, he’ll slip in a shout-out to the school when one of his players, in Barrett, is mentioned, highlighting players like Abney, who take on the academic challenge of balancing the demands of Barrett with football.
“I think what Keith does is he provides proof of concept that smart guys win,” Dillingham said. “Smart guys are successful.
“I like guys that are intelligent, that care and their care levels are high. I think a lot of those guys that can get into the Barrett, they just have a really high care level.”
Dillingham hopes to accumulate up to 15 players on the roster in Barrett by the end of this upcoming signing class and reach 20 by his fourth or fifth signing class.
His initiative trickles down to his staff, with assistant coaches encouraging players with upstanding academic backgrounds to apply to the program on their visits. It’s turned into another recruiting tool for ASU.
“I honestly didn’t know that they had this program until I came on my visit,” sophomore linebacker Hughes said. “And then when they did tell me that, that really stood out from the other schools that I took my visits (to).”
Hughes, who hails from San Diego, grew up in a household that emphasized academics. Having a program such as the Barrett Honors College helps him fulfill his ambitions to be successful post-football.
“I take a lot of pride in my academics because (of) the way my parents have raised me,” Hughes said. “It’s always been school first, sports second. So I feel like doing that, coming here and being part of the Barrett program, I really am doing that for them and for myself to better my future.”
Hughes’ sentiment is music to Skipper’s ears, who, like a “proud parent,” applauds athletes who take charge of their academic endeavors.
“That’s what my role is: to remind all these young men you’re more than a football player,” Skipper said. “There’s a true passion and dedication that they (Barrett athletes) show off the field. … To be a great athlete in your sport doesn’t mean you need to do less academics or focus more on that. You can attack both equally and be successful in both.”
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