- Slug: Sports-Jael Mary Jaelen Strong, 970 words.
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By Saleh Awward
Cronkite News
CHANDLER – The memory still lingers as if it happened yesterday, the details as crisp and clear as the summer sky.
Arizona State defied all odds, down 34-32 with the football at their 28-yard-line and just 23 seconds to go and no timeouts remaining. After a strike down the middle of the field from Mike Bercovici to Gary Chambers to the 45-yard line, the Sun Devils spiked the ball and had one final play left in store with seven seconds remaining.
Bercovici dropped back and let it fly for a Hail Mary, where Jaelen Strong high-pointed the ball over USC defenders and found himself in the end zone for a touchdown, upsetting the No. 16 Trojans on the road, 38-34.
Although 10 years have passed since his two years in Tempe – where he recorded back-to-back seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards and finished in the top 10 for all-time receptions (157) and receiving yards (2,287) in program history – his coach at the time, Todd Graham, still remembers the play and the victory like it happened yesterday. Having coached and played at the collegiate level for a significant part of his life, Graham has seen everything but ranks the highlight-reel catch above all else.
“That play is ingrained in my head and my memory in slow motion,” Graham said. “It was one of the greatest plays, if not the greatest play. I can’t rank a play in my career that would mean more to me than that play, winning in the (LA Memorial) Coliseum in the last seconds.”
ASU went 10-3, won its Sun Bowl matchup against Duke that season and finished 12th in the final national Associated Press poll, marking the program’s highest finish since 1996, when Jake Plummer led the Sun Devils to a Rose Bowl appearance.
Sporting new colors on the sidelines under the bright lights of high school football, the game still fuels Strong.
“It’s who I am every day,” Strong said of his appreciation for his time at ASU. “A lot of my teammates that I had at ASU, we’re all doing the same type of stuff.”
The AZ Compass football coaching staff includes fellow ASU alum and current Dragons defensive coordinator De’Chavon “Gump” Hayes, who also played two seasons at defensive back under Graham in Tempe. Hayes has had a front-row seat to Strong’s journey from their days of competing against each other at practice to now competing together on the sidelines.
“He’s very solid, he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Put it all on the table, and he’ll tell you what it is,” Hayes said. “(Jaelen) is one of the closest friends I have out here.”
Strong and Hayes are not only making a visible impact on the field but also helping the Dragons build a similar bond off the field, creating a family-like atmosphere for the Dragons.
Senior AZ Compass Prep captain DJ Johnson emphasized the significant changes for the team’s bond in just one season.
“Compared to last year, they brought us all together,” said Johnson, who leads AZ Compass Prep with four interceptions and three pass deflections. “Half the people on the team last year, I wouldn’t really talk to but now I’ll see them in school and dap them up.”
One of the individuals who taught Strong important lessons about being a football player and person is Graham, who is an assistant coach at Texas Christian University. He is considered to have one of the most prominent Power Four coaching trees in all of college football. Current ASU coach Kenny Dillingham served under Graham as an offensive assistant in 2014-15.
Strong never hesitates to tap into his mentor’s knowledge as he writes a new chapter.
“Coach Graham has been that guy for me before ASU and since I’ve been there,” Strong said. “I lean on him for a lot of tough questions, a lot of tough advice. He’s always been real with me and told me the honest truth since day one.”
Added Graham, “I’ve had five Division 1 head coaching jobs and one of these days when I get back doing that again, I’ll be calling Jaelen Strong. That’s how I feel about him as a coach.”
Strong’s coaching priority is simple: help teach and grow the younger generation of athletes. He aims to set an example of never giving up on his players regardless of their past.
“Just because a kid is 15 and (has) done something tragic, doesn’t mean his life is over. He has time to grow and by the time he’s 30, he could be something special,” Strong said. “Everyone is in a place of right now and instant gratification, they don’t really care about these kids and their future. I’m not like that.”
AZ Compass Prep quarterback and team captain Cash White previously trained with Strong, who convinced him to join the Dragons program ahead of this season.
“He (Strong) was like we’re gonna start something here and build around you,” the sophomore said.
Through four games with the Dragons, White has thrown for 589 yards and 11 touchdowns with just two interceptions while leading a high-powered offense. The belief Strong has in his players, White says, makes all of the difference.
“I just got here, he brought me in and has helped me out a lot,” he said. “Ever since I got here, I’ve had confidence in myself.”
After a winless 2023-24 season, an entirely new coaching staff was brought in to change the culture of this program. Now revamped, the AZ Compass Prep football team continues to gain respect from other high schools in the Valley. But the only message Strong wants his team to hear is clear to the players.
“We take it one day at a time, one game at a time, one week at a time all the way down the road and hopefully you guys’ll be back out here talking about a state championship,” Strong said.
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