Arizona State football player Deantre Lewis came in as a highly recruited running back, but due to a crowded backfield he'll get a chance to hit the field on defense.

Lewis ran for 539 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman in 2010 but redshirted last season after being involved in a shooting. Now that the Sun Devils have a full stable of running backs and the defense is a bit thin in the ranks, Lewis is getting to fufill a dream of playing defense.

Coach Todd Graham was impressed with Lewis' practice as he worked on nickel and dime packages. Lewis jumped at the opportunity to just get on the field.

"I want to play defense," he said Tuesday after practice, his first as a defensive back. "I've been wanting to play defense for awhile now. I guess it's a new era for me."

Unfortunately for the Missouri Tigers, the Sun Devils' Week 3 opponents, Lewis is using his shooting as an outlet to go buck wild on defense.

"Especially after my shooting, I have a lot of anger built in me. I feel like I can use it on my opponents and hitting them and stuff. I feel like that's a good move for me."

Lewis has not played defense since high school. He did not play in Week 2's 45-14 victory over Illinois. On the year he has tallied 12 yards on four rushing attempts.

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