(Editor's note: Arizona State running back J.R. Redmond will file a weekly diary with ESPN.com throughout the season. For more on ASU sports, visit the official Sun Devils site).

Sept. 16, 1999

My first goal is to beat Arizona. My second goal is to reach a bowl game. And my third goal is to finish the season at full speed and good health after the bowl game.

	J.R. Redmond has been dogged by injuries and ASU has struggled as a result.

In order to reach those goals, I spent the offseason in the weightroom with our strength and conditioning coach Rich Wenner, getting bigger and stronger. I also spent a lot of it doing mental preparation as far as looking at a little bit of film, trying to get to learn some defenses better, trying to figure out where the different holes will be in the defenses.

After a physical game, your body is a little sore and whatnot, but as long as you get up and get moving early in the morning the next day, your body reacts and responds pretty well. There are a few bumps and bruises, but they work themselves out by the middle of the week.

When I'm not playing football, I write a lot of music. I also try to expand my play selection in Madden 2000 on Sony PlayStation. I also spend a lot of time talking to my nephews about life because no direction leaves you aimless, and I want them to set a target and shoot for it. You know, don't stop shooting for it until they hit it.

As the season gets underway, I don't necessarily feel the pressure from the media. I feel like in the end, I owe it to my teammates and myself to perform the best that I can.

Right before the game, especially during warmups, I just like to get a good look at the opponents when we're out on the field right before the game stretching. I like to make eye contact with those that I feel that I am going to have to run across, or come across, in a game to try and get a feel for them and where their heart is.

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That's me getting a chance to know them. Pretty much when we make eye contact, there is a complete conversation going on, whether they know it or not. There are words that they're speaking to me as soon as they make eye contact with me. I can see it in their body language and their movement, and if they choose to try and get, not necessarily smart, but exchange a few pregame words, then it lets me know exactly where their heart is and exactly what type of player and individual they'll be once the clock starts.

I'm a team captain (along with teammate Erik Flowers) for the entire season. I just feel like in the past, I tried to lead by not necessarily being very vocal, but by letting my actions show as far as leadership qualities were concerned -- going out there and leaving it all on the field. Some people can see that and appreciate it and go out there and play to my intensity. But you know, some people actually need to hear it and need to be told before they can really step it up and be able to equate the same level of intensity.

Now that the season has begun, I think that as long as we stay a team and no one tries to individually become THE man, and if everyone plays their roles that are given on the team, we'll do quite fine.