Billy Napier wore his headset Wednesday just as he does every Arizona State practice. The offensive coordinator stood behind the offense, his play sheet in his left hand as the Sun Devils ran through their initial "team" period.
Just hours earlier, Napier learned he had lost his father. Since 2013, Bill Napier, a longtime north Georgia high school football coach battled ALS, an incurable neuro degenerative disease that leads to paralysis and eventually respiratory failure.
Bill Napier was 60.
On the Kajikawa practice fields, Napier watched as a play ended. He put his head down and signaled running back Nick Ralston onto the field.