Jan. 8, 2013

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State University defensive tackle Will Sutton, after meeting with family and head coach Todd Graham, has decided to return to ASU for his senior season.
 
"I'm excited for Will to come back next season and continue what he helped build this past year. But just as important, I'm happy for Will to finish what he started in the classroom and earn his degree from Arizona State University," Vice President for University Athletics Steve Patterson said. "This is a great moment for ASU fans everywhere as we get another opportunity to see the most dominant defensive player in the country wear the Maroon and Gold for another year."

Sutton became the first Sun Devil since Terrell Suggs in 2002 to earn consensus First Team All-America honors after being recognized by the American Football Coaches Association, The Sporting News and the AssociatedPress, as well as the Walter Camp Football Foundation (second team).
 
His 23.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in 2012 both rank fourth on the school's single-season list, and he led the Pac-12 with 1.08 sacks and 1.96 TFLs per game. Sutton also added 63 tackles, three forced fumbles and five pass breakups, despite missing one game and the majority of another due to injury.
 
A force that can line up in multiple spots on the defensive line, he anchored a defensive line that finished second in the Pac-12 and first in the FBS in TFLs (9.0), and second in the conference and FBS in sacks (4.0). Individually, he finished the season second in the FBS in sacks per game and third in TFLs.
 
Sutton, who recorded a tackle for loss in all 12 games he played in and collected multiple TFLs in seven of those contests, used constant pressure to guide a Sun Devil defense that led the Pac-12 in both pass defense and pass efficiency defense, as well as rank second in the conference in total defense.
 
Sutton was named the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Defensive MVP after registering 3.5 tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, in the Devils'record-breaking 62-28 win over Navy. He was also the recipient of the Pat Tillman Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award and the prestigious Morris Trophy, given to the top offensive and defensive linemen in the Pac-12.

A graduate of Centennial HighSchool in Corona, Calif., Sutton is one of six true freshmen in school history to start the first season opener of their career. He has collected 113 total tackles in 37 career games, including 32 TFLs and 16.5 sacks, as well as four forced fumbles and six pass deflections.
 
Sutton's 2012 Accolades
Consensus First Team All-American (18th consensus AA in school history; first since Thomas Weber in 2007; first First-Team AA since Suggs in 2002)
Associated Press First Team All-America (14th in school history; first since Suggs in 2002)
AFCA FBS Coaches First Team All-America
Sporting News First Team All-America
Pat Tillman Pac-12Defensive Player of the Year
Morris Trophy winner (sixth in school history; first since Suggs in 2002)
Walter Camp Second Team All-America
Sports Illustrated First Team All-America
CBSSports.com Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year
Phil Steele Second Team All-America
First Team All-Pac-12
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Defensive MVP
Bednarik Award semifinalist
CBSSports.com First Team All-America
Phil Steele First Team All-Pac-12
Lindy's First Team All-America
Athlon Sports First Team All-America
FoxSportsNext.com Second Team All-America
 
Sutton's 2012 Single-Season Records
13 sacks - fourth in school history
23.5 tackles for loss - fourth in school history
102 yards lost on sacks - fourth in school history