Tyler McClure
Affiliation: former Chandler High School offensive lineman, class of 2013.
Interview date: May 4, 2016.
FA: I’m here with former Chandler High and current Arizona State offensive lineman Tyler McClure, who was a big part in Chandler’s eventual emergence as a state title contender.
When did you first know just how big this rivalry was?
TM: I would say probably my freshman year when I went to the first game. It was just the amount of people that were there. Being on the freshman team, you don’t get a whole lot of people coming to your games, so going to that and seeing the atmosphere, it was pretty overwhelming. It was pretty exciting.
FA: How big is that rivalry within the football program, and how did being part of the program change your life on campus?
TM: I would say that it’s throughout the whole community. When I was playing, everyone knew when the Hamilton game was. If we were out getting lunch, we would have our jerseys on and people would see us and they would be like, ‘Beat Hamilton.’ Everybody knew. There’s a lot of pressure, because we wanted to be the first team to do it every year. No one had even beaten them, so the pressure was there to be the first team to do it and I think that was the biggest pressure we faced.
FA: Do you think that impacted you guys at all when playing in those games?
TM: I would definitely say there was an impact from pressure, I guess you could say. But I don’t think it affected the way we played, per se. I just think we had a different mindset going into that game. We were the most prepared for that game, probably. Those practices, that week of practice was probably the most intense week of practice throughout the year.
FA: What is the preparation like for a Hamilton game?
TM: It’s just a different atmosphere. My senior year, one of the first practices that week coach Aguano came out and he was just fired up. He just came out and he was dressed differently, so it was definitely a crazy experience.
FA: You saw the transition with coach Aguano taking the helm. What differences did you notice in the program when he took over?
TM: My varisty experience was only with coach Aguano, but he was a great coach. He really cared about his players. The transition there, we definitely developed a lot more players. Coach Aguano really cares about out development. He wants us to succeed and go on to play at the next level. He’s been pretty successful at that, obviously, in the past few years. He’s produced a lot of [Division I] talent, and I think his biggest emphasis is making sure that we’re successful not only on the field but after our time there.
FA: You were a NAU commit, but decided to walk on at Arizona State instead. What was that decision like?
TM: It was a real last-minute thing. I was committed to NAU all the way up until the night before Signing Day. I actually got a call from [Chandler offensive line coach Chris] Chick, and he was just saying that if I wanted to I could go to ASU as a preferred walk-on. With that being my dream school, I mean, it was just a big decision to make. It was the night right before and I was just kind of scattered. I actually didn’t make the decision right then, but I made the decision not to go to NAU at that time. I actually didn’t go to Signing Day because I wasn’t signing anywhere, and then over the next few days I really thought about it and decided to walk on.
FA: What were those first few years at ASU like as a walk-on?
TM: I mean, I didn’t see a lot of action at all. You’re thrown right on the scout team. As a walk-on, no one really — it’s almost like you’re just a body. I would say it was definitely a hard thing to cope with, especially being a starter in high school and playing all the games and then to go to a place where no one really knows your name. You’re really just like a hitting dummy, almost. It’s definitely a transition you’ve got to get used to, but yeah, I did it. I grinded through it, and now I’m actually in a playing role.
FA: How did coach Aguano help you for that situation, and how smooth was the transition for you to college football?
TM: I think coach Aguano really helped, because he brought in a lot of the schools’ attention and he got his players to meet with a lot of schools. It wasn’t really too overwhelming to communicate with the coaches and do those things, because he kind of did it for us. There would be coaches coming in to talk, and then he would introduce himself and we would talk and for some, that would be it from there. But they kept calling you. Something coach Aguano definitely helped me out with a lot was setting me up with NAU. He pushed them to have interest in me, and he does that for a lot of his players. He wants to see us succeed at the next level, and he wants us to have a good education. With his help, I think he actually does a lot for his players as far as recruiting goes.
FA: What differences have you noticed in the field since Aguano took over?
TM: It’s great [watching them]. My senior year, Bryce [Perkins] actually played a few games with us and I could see that he was a real athlete. I knew he was going to do big things. Then you’ve got him, you’ve got Chase Lucas and just a couple guys that I saw on the lower levels that I had actually saw really made an impact. I think it’s great that they’ve made as big of an impact as they did. I could see it at our games that Bryce is a really good leader. I think that that leadership really propelled them to that next level.
FA: What are those Chandler-Hamilton games like as a player, and how difficult is it to block out distractions in a scenario like that?
TM: Playing in a game like that, you have to have a certain level of mental maturity. You cannot let it affect you. I mean, I didn’t really let it affect me. When you get on the field, it really doesn’t affect you that much because all you’re focused on is playing. I was able to do that, I’m not sure other players do, but I don’t personally let it get to me. There’s definitely an element there that, if you’re not mentally mature enough, it will disrupt you and could overwhelm you because it’s a lot of people screaming and cheering. It could be a distraction if you let it, but you just can’t let it be.
FA: Are there any games in the rivalry that stand out to you?
TM: I would definitely say my junior year. We had to win it. We were leading at halftime and we came out after that and didn’t play too well. We really let that game slip away from us and they ended up beating us by a touchdown. That left a real sour taste in my mouth, just because we were so close and we just couldn’t finish that game. They were a great team, and they just came out and outplayed us in the second half. That was the most memorable rivalry game for me.
FA: Where do you think this rivalry’s place is at right now in terms of in the state or even nationally?
TM: For recognition, I would say it’s definitely the biggest game in Arizona. Nationally, I really do think that it’s a nationally-ranked game. I would say that it’s probably one of the top-ranked rivalries in the nation. It’s one of the oldest rivalries, and I think that right now it’s actually going back-and-forth. Chandler’s winning a lot, Hamilton’s winning, so it’s kind of turned into an actual full-on rivalry. Any team can win.
