ASU LB Wooten back to being a "maniac on the field"

Morris Wooten arrived at Arizona State promising to be a "maniac on the field."

At the start of this season, however, the middle linebacker was not doing much of anything on the field. Wooten was almost forgotten during a suspension for an undisclosed team rules violation.

With the Georgia game on Sept.20, however, Wooten found redemption. This week's game against Washington State will be the sixth straight as a starter for Wooten, who, as he did early last year, is living up to his reputation as a sideline-to-sideline ball magnet.

"I'm never satisfied, but I'm happy with my progress," the senior said. "I feel like I've been a help to the team, and it's nice to be able to say that again. But there is more that I need to do."

Wooten's suspension began with the 2007 Holiday Bowl and carried over to the first three games of this season. He was reinstated for Georgia and made an immediate impact, registering a team-high eight tackles.

After Gerald Munns left the Sun Devils due to a personal issue, Wooten was made the starter. His 43 tackles in the last six games lead ASU, ahead of the 40 by outside linebacker Mike Nixon and 39 by safety Troy Nolan.

"If there is anybody that has jumped out at you in the last month or so, it's been him," coach Dennis Erickson said. "He's made a lot of plays. He's physical. Fortunately for us, he was able to step in after Gerald left, and we didn't miss a beat. We were lucky."

A 6-foot-1, 240-pounder with a reputation as a run stopper, Wooten came to ASU from Glendale Community College, hoping to travel the same path as ex-GCC and ASU middle linebacker Dale Robinson, the Pac-10's defensive player of the year in 2005.

Wooten started eight games last year, but his playing time was limited after he suffered a thumb injury. Then came the rules violation.

"It was a terrible feeling, not being able to do anything," Wooten said. "I felt like I had let the team down. Going into the summer and into this season, I knew that I would eventually get my opportunity to play. I took it as a learning experience, a lesson in patience."

Relegated to the third-team defense in practice, Wooten tried to stay in the mindset of a starter, dissecting every move by the first unit.

"I became a student of the game," Wooten said. "I watched Gerald in front of me and tried to learn. There are always things in my game that I need to fix, and that was especially the case during (the suspension.)"

Now entrenched as a starter, Wooten believes it is not too late to make an impression on pro scouts - and show what he thinks being a maniac is all about.

"With my playmaking abilities, I've shown what I can do by shedding blocks and making plays," Wooten said. "In these last games of the season, I'm going to let loose with everything I have."