Jake Sheffield Class: Graduate Student Hometown: Denver, Colo. Last College: College of the Desert Height / Weight: 6-3 / 272 Position: DT Experience: 1V

--War shapes ASU's Jake Sheffield (by Kevin Gemmell, ESPN.com/May 25, 2012)

--Marine brings focus, maturity to football field (by William Boor, ASU State Press/April 9, 2012)

--Sun Devil football recruit Sheffield prepared for duty (by Paola Boivin, Arizona Republic/June 29, 2011)

ASU: Arrives at ASU after graduating from the College of the Desert in Palm Desert, Calif... has one of the most compelling backgrounds of any college football player or recruit, having spent approximately 18 months serving two tours of duty in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps.

2012: Played in nine games on the season, recording eight total tackles, seven of which were solo...recorded his first tackle of the year against Colorado (10/11)...had his biggest performance of the year against No. 2 Oregon (10/18), tallying four tackles (three solo)...also had one tackle in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against Navy (12/29).

JUNIOR COLLEGE: Comes to ASU with three years to play two...listed as the No. 57 overall junior college prospect in the nation by SuperPrep... earned All-West Region honors by PrepStar... can play multiple positions along the defensive line... explosive off the line and can wreak havoc in opposing backfields... active on special teams and can block kicks... has college experience playing in a three-man defensive front... bench presses 365 pounds and power cleans 305... one of three midyear transfers already enrolled at ASU, joining Darwin Rogers and Easton Wahlstrom... will participate in spring practice... earned First-Team Southern California Football Association Central Division East Conference honors at defensive end as a sophomore in 2011... in eight games as a sophomore, he totaled 24 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, two blocked kicks and 1.5 sacks...chose ASU from reported FBS offers from Indiana and Iowa... was also recruited by Hawaii, Iowa State, Oregon State and UNLV... "When I drove down [to ASU] I was very impressed with the football facilities," said Sheffield. "They're a big school so I figured they'd have good facilities but I was shocked. The campus was pretty nice. They have academic support and all of that. I like how they support the coaching staff. Everyone I met was very down to earth and friendly. I really liked it."... was coached by Dean Dowty at the College of the Desert... "Pat Tillman was such an inspiring guy," Sheffield said. "And everything I read made it seem like the community there [around ASU] really respects the military. That helped the decision."... verbally committed to ASU on June 15, 2011.

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Aurora (Colo.) Gateway High School in 2005 prior to joining the military... was an all-state honoree at offensive guard in high school.

CAREER STATISTICS