One of the most memorable moments from the college football game between Arizona State and Colorado on Saturday was when Arizona State’s wide receiver Melquan Stovall delivered a brutal stiff arm slam to defensive back Shilo Sanders. The play has gone viral on social media, and has sparked a debate about Sanders’ NFL prospects.
The incident happened around the eight-minute mark of the second quarter, when Stovall caught a slant pass from quarterback Jayden Daniels. As he turned upfield, he encountered Sanders, who tried to tackle him.
Stovall then used his right arm to shove Sanders’ face and neck, lifting him off the ground and throwing him down like a ragdoll. The chokeslam stiff arm move allowed Stovall to pick up an extra 13 yards on the play.
Stovall, who stands at 5’9″ and weighs 185 pounds, showed impressive strength and balance in overpowering Sanders, who is 6 feet tall and weighs 195 pounds. Sanders, who is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, has been touted as a potential draft pick for the next level. However, his critics on social media are using the incident to support their argument that he is too undersized and weak to be an effective defensive player in the NFL.
Sanders had a decent game overall, making several key trip up tackles on Arizona State’s receivers, and running back. It was his first game back from injury, so maybe he didn’t have his full strength back yet when he met face to face with Stovall’s arm. Whatever the case may be, at the moment his haters are having a field day clowning him.
The stiff arm king Stovall finished with 32 yards on 5 catches.
Arizona State would go on to lose game to Colorado by a score of 27-24. Colorado improved to 4-2 securing a win in the tough Pac-12 South division, while Arizona State dropped to 1-5 as their disastrous season continues.
The game was a close contest that came down to the final minutes, but it will be remembered mostly for Stovall’s stiff arm slam that went viral.