
The Arizona State Sun Devils have a lot of talented players who will be leaving the team. These players have been great to watch, and before their next chapter begins, it is important to review their impactful time at ASU. Tight End Chamon Metayer certainly had a lot of impact, so let's break down his on and off the field impact he had as a Sun Devil.
Across two seasons as a Sun Devil, Metayer had 681 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. His yards are pretty good, but where Metayer really shone was in the red zone. Having nine touchdowns over two seasons is a great number, and Metayer showed in a lot of games that he was reliable in that area of the field.
In terms of awards, he was named to the Mackey Award preseason watch list. The Mackey award goes to the best tight end, so the fact that Metayer is on the watch list means he has a pretty good chance to win it.
This category is more subjective than stats and awards, as different plays and moments can stick out to different people. So, this list is not set and stone, it is more so plays highlighting moments where it felt like Metayer showed what it is to be a Sun Devil under the fantastic culture that Head Coach Kenny Dillingham has built up.
The first play was in ASU's Week 8 loss to the Houston Cougars this season when quarterback Jeff Sims found Metayer for a touchdown. ASU was pretty much out of the game at this point, but Metayer was still playing with full effort. It showed that he never gave up at any point during this season.
The second play came this season against the Baylor Bears in Week 4 where quarterback Sam Leavitt threw the ball to Metayer on a 3rd and 6. Metayer caught the pass at the line of scrimmage and then broke tackles and fought his way for a first down. Metayer's hard efforts set up a first and goal for ASU's offense, where they scored two plays later. This play showcased Metayers' fantastic strength and mobility.
The third and final play to showcase Metayer's skills came in Week 9 against the Iowa State Cyclones , where QB Jeff Sims hit Metayer for ASU's second touchdown of the game. In a game where the Sun Devils only beat the Cyclones by 5 points, every score mattered. Metayer ran a great route on the play and showcased how crisp Metayer's route running could be.
Metayer's impat was not only felt on the field, as many of his fellow ASU peers recognized the impact he made off of the field. In terms of players, when Metayer posted on Instagram that he is declaring for the NFL Draft, many ASU players such as Jordyn Tyson, Sam Leavitt, Prince Dorbah and more posted supportive messages. This goes to show the impact that Metayer had on ASU's players.
In terms of coaching, Kenny Dillingham said this when Metayer and other players were at a post-game press conference. "These group of guys right here, they changed an organization. How many people in life can say they changed an organization? That takes a special group of people."
Overall, the best word to describe Metayer is reliable. As a player, no matter the score or stats of a game, Metayer was always there to give his best. As a person, he seemed like a great presence in the locker room. Covering Metayer was a great job due to his reliability and passion, and it will be very exciting to see what he does in the NFL.
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