A Mesa man is turning his passion for Sun Devil football into art.
Christopher Roche is an elementary school art teacher who has created his own business painting and selling his work.
He’s also a big ASU fan, after years of attending football games with his son, Connor.
“He loved it,” Roche said. “He would always make me stay later and get autographs when the players would come out.”
Connor grew up to be a Sun Devil and worked for the football team. He now lives in the northwest, but his dad is taking the passion they shared and turning it into vibrant paintings.
“You’re not doing stuff to please an audience, you’re doing stuff that you’re passionate about, and that passion will come through in the work,” Roche said.
His work has captured the attention of fans, players, and the university itself.
Two of his paintings are permanently on display inside the new student-athlete facility. He was also commissioned by ASU to create a painting of Jake Plummer for his induction into the Football Hall of Fame.
Countless ASU players have autographed his paintings and Roche says prints of the first piece he created, a tribute to the late Pat Tillman, that have helped raise thousands of dollars for the Pat Tillman Foundation.
If you would like to learn more about his work, click here.
