Arizona State football bonding during annual Camp Tontozona trip

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Sophomore cornerback Keith Abney didn't know what to expect when he traveled with his Arizona State football teammates to Camp Tontozona for the first time last year. He had heard about the cabins and the uncomfortable bunks, but he wasn't sure how much of the feedback was true and what was embellished by teammates.

But Abney, a native of Dallas, Texas, appreciated the time he had to bond with his teammates with the hike up to the top of Mount Kush proving particularly memorable.

"I still have videos I took on my phone," he said after the Sun Devils wrapped up practice earlier this week. "I hadn't seen anything like that. They don't have mountains in Texas. Well they might, but not where I'm from."

The football team is back at Camp T. The Sun Devils arrived on Tuesday, departing shortly after a two-hour practice at Mountain America Stadium. They will have the first of four workouts on Wednesday. The activities will be capped off by a scrimmage on Saturday that is open to the public.

It's been 60 years since the coaches and players started making the annual trek to the pine tree-laden community, 18 miles northeast of Payson.

Last season, ASU visited for three days — one day less than this season. The team has been to Camp T the last two years but the 2020 and 2021 visits were canceled due to COVID-19. The 2019 squad didn't make the trip because the facility was being renovated.

"It’s more just the legends that get told, I think are awesome to hear," coach Kenny Dillingham said. "It’s just climbing the mountain with the guys and laughing. Last year we climbed the mountain and I remember Keith Abney is up there with Sip (Kyson Brown) and they’re like on the top of this mountain and looking around and he says, `I’ve never seen anything like that.' Well, he’s from Texas. They don’t see that. They don’t climb a mountain and look down.

"Those experiences at Camp T are so unique. That was something they’ll remember forever. That’s kind of what bonds people together are moments. I talk to the guys about moments. Life is about moments. If you’re miserable in your daily life, you’re going to be miserable. You may have moments that hide your daily life. People search for moments to disguise their misery but at the same time moments are what you remember and our job is to live a life that you’re happy, joyful and you enjoy what you do when you have these amazing moments on top of it. Camp T is a moment that they experience they’ll remember forever. It’s not a normalcy, not something they do every day. But it’s a moment that they remember."

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Dillingham said there won't be much difference in the trip this time, the extra day is a small change, but it means weight equipment will have to be taken on the trip, too.

Sure the team practices, but the biggest benefit is the team bonding. The trip can be particularly important when there are so many newcomers.

"They told me be prepared. Bring a lot of fans," said true freshman offensive lineman Champ Westbrooks, who is from Los Angeles. "Lot of card games. Just a chance to put the phone down and talk to my teammates."

"The weather is the main thing I hear. It's like a 10-degree dropoff so we'll take that," said junior linebacker Keyshaun Elliott, a transfer from New Mexico State. "The team bonding, all the activities we get to do together. With a team like this, it is important. We have a lot of freshmen, a lot of transfers. What better way to get to know each other than put us together in cabins without our phones."

"I heard you don't get a lot of sleep because you have like 40 guys in a cabin," said kicker Parker Lewis, a transfer from Ohio State.

Dillingham said there will be plenty of physical activities. Last season's trip featured a competitive game of dodgeball. But the energetic head coach says he won't be participating in anything that strenuous due to knee surgery he had during the offseason. However, he welcomes any challengers when it comes to spades, chess or ping pong.

The veteran players on the squad — quarterback Trenton Bourguet and injured defensive lineman Anthonie Cooper, both of whom have been on the team since 2019 — had advice to give.

"I already told them definitely have to make a run to Walmart or something, buy a fan and load up on snacks," Bourguet said. "It’s a place obviously you have no connections, there’s no place to go. You’re all together. Here in the summer you can stay with friends and hang out but it's not like when you’re at Camp T. It’s really hard to describe unless you’re there so I’m trying to explain the cabins situation and walking down the field you just have to see it for yourselves. We’re looking forward to that and getting up there."

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Arizona State football bonding during annual Camp Tontozona trip

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