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TEMPE — Statistically, Keegan Herring is one of the great running backs in Arizona State history.

His total of 2,234 career rushing yards is 10th in school annals. He has led the team in rushing two of the past three seasons. His 815 yards last season are the most for any Pac-10 returning running back.

Yet Herring, a senior who graduated from Peoria High School, has never left training camp as the starter. He has been in the starting lineup only 12 times in 38 career games.

Ask Herring about it, and you get an answer as surprising as his statistical prowess.

He smiles.

"That's why people love the game so much," he said. "It's competition that drives you farther than you think you can go.

"That's why I love the game of football — because there's always competition at your spot, and there's always someone a little bit better.

"And it's always someone that's a little bit better that can teach you something in life."

Herring has learned enough lessons for a thousand lifetimes.

In a 10-month span last year, Herring buried his father, his best friend, his sister and his aunt.

"When you go through a lot of things, you see the world go slower than normal," he said. "After all the devastating situations I've been through, it's making me see life a little more slowly.

"Take things as they are, because you never know what may happen in the future."

Herring carries the weight of his tragedies, but not outwardly. He is the kind of guy, senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter said, who will tell a joke — even one that does not make sense — to break any moment of awkwardness or stress.

Herring might be the most beloved of his teammates.

"He's really the heart and soul of our team," Carpenter said. "He's our emotional leader. He's the 'character' of our guys. He's the funny man."

Coach Dennis Erickson puts it more bluntly.

"I don't know what we'd do without Keegan around here," he said.

Herring, a 5-foot-10-inch, 195-pounder, cheers up teammates just by walking into a room. Once, he befriended a group of grade-school kids as they toured the ASU campus, never letting on that he was a football player. Another time, he led kids on a tour of Sun Devil Stadium without being asked.

"He's about as outgoing as any human being I've ever been around," Erickson said.

Herring will tell you he gets his personality from his mother, Debra Griffen, who will approach complete strangers and chat them up. As a kid, Herring said, he would run around and tap someone on the shoulder and run away, seeing if they would chase him.

Herring hopes to have a series of players chasing him this season.

He and bruising junior Dimitri Nance figure to share carries this season, the season-long starting spot still undecided.

Nance rushed for 500 yards and seven touchdowns last season, even starting the Holiday Bowl.

"I'm gonna try and be a little bit lightning," Herring said, "and let him be a little bit thunder."

Erickson has said the Sun Devils expect to use more pass-heavy formations than last year, when Carpenter threw for 3,202 yards and 25 touchdowns.

In Carpenter and junior wide receiver Chris McGaha — who recorded 830 receiving yards last season — ASU might have the best passing combination in the conference.

"I think you need to run the ball very well if Coach Erickson wants to do all that stuff," Herring said.

The Sun Devils will not benefit from their schedule the way they did last season, playing only four road games — and two of them at lowly Washington State and Stanford.

ASU will host preseason No. 1 Georgia on Sept. 20 but plays five road games this year. Two of those come at Cal and conference favorite USC.

The Sun Devils also will play at two of the conference's toughest road stadiums in Corvallis, Ore., and Seattle. ASU ends its regular season at Arizona Stadium.

The team's Achilles' heel figures to swell up again this season. Last season, ASU allowed 55 sacks, the second-most in the NCAA. The team graduated offensive linemen from that team that totaled 127 career starts.

In short, a good running game will be the best way to keep Carpenter upright.

"The run game is the most important thing a football team has," Carpenter said. "If you can play defense and you can run the ball, you can win championships."

Herring will be part of it, the way he always has been. Starter or not.

"I know what it feels like to be a guy like Keegan. All he does is football; it's his life," Carpenter said. "Sometimes when it gets taken away from you a little bit, guys come in and take your spot; it's hard to really want to stick around and wait your turn.

"It kinda goes back to Keegan just being the type of leader he is, the type of person he is. He knew he'd get his chance some time or another."