Antonio Pierce knows the life that Merlin Robertson is living.
That of a father of two trying to excel at college football.
"I was the same guy," said Pierce, Arizona State's linebacker coach. "I had two kids when I was in college and left with three. Every aspect of his life, I've been through it."
Pierce believes that Robertson can build on 2018 Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year to become one of the best linebackers in ASU history. But the sophomore is multi-tasking at a level unusual for any 19-year-old, much less one expected to play Division I football at close to an All-America level.