Arizona Wildcats: Top 30 athletes in school history

It’s not easy to come up with Arizona Wildcats top 30 athletes in school history, but we gave it a try.

The University of Arizona, founded in 1885, is 130 years old and has a rich history of athletics. Whittling down the list to the top 30 players or athletes from the vast population of Arizona’s successful alumni was not an easy task.

What we did was look at not only what the athlete accomplished at Arizona, but what they accomplished once they graduated. Is their name a name that is recognized by the school or the nation? Have they won championships or medals? Do they support the school as they moved into their professional career? Has Arizona retired their jersey?  Have they played in pro sports for awhile?

That is what we considered. What we found were a lot of athletes who moved on to play professional sports and did not play all four years at Arizona. The minority of athletes stayed in school and earned four year degrees.

The sports covered include swimming, golf, football, baseball, and basketball. The athletes covered played at the University of Arizona all the way back to the 1950’s. We included both men and women. For fun, list all the players you can name and see how many we included in our list.

It’s easy just to choose football and basketball players, so we dove in a little deeper and when you do that you are going to drop names off the list. So please excuse Zona Zealots if we left your favorite player out or a recent graduate. Please note, these athletes are not in any particular order.

Have fun!

Next: Steve Kerr - Basketball

May 27, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr instructs during the third quarter in game five of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Rockets 104-90 to advance to the NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The name Steve Kerr is almost synonymous with the University of Arizona, and now it is synonymous with his NBA team, the Golden State Warriors.

Kerr played college basketball, then went on to play in the NBA for 16 years, then became a sports broadcaster and landed a perfect job as head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

New York Knicks GM Phil Jackson had seriously recruited Kerr to be the head coach his team, but New Yorks was too far away from his family, and he would have to rebuild the team. So Jackson turned to another first-time NBA coach, former Laker Derek Fisher.

It seems like yesterday that social media was buzzing with news of Kerr and his Warriors beating LeBron James’s Cleveland Cavaliers in six games to win the NBA championship. In his post-game interview, Kerr mentioned and thanked his mentor and former hall of fame college coach Lute Olson.

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While at Arizona, Kerr was a big part of the famous 1988 Arizona Wildcats basketball team. The Wildcats went 17-1 in the then Pac-10 becoming the Pac-10 Champions. The team went on to the NCAA Championship tournament seeded No. 1 in the West and beat in succession, No. 16 Cornell, No. 8 Seton Hall, No. 5 Iowa, No. 2 North Carolina and lost to the No. 1 seeded Oklahoma in the Final Four 86-78.

Kerr played in 129 games at Arizona, averaging 11.2 points per game, 3.4 blocks, one steal, and 2.2 rebounds. In 1988, the 3-point shot was introduced, and what was impressive about Kerr was that he shot 199 3-pointers, making 117 or 57.3% of his 3-point shots.

In the NBA, Kerr played for 16 seasons and six different teams, starting at the age of 23 and ending his career at 37. He earned some impressive stats.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/14/2015.

Kerr is currently recuperating from back surgery; he put his trust in his assist coach and fellow Wildcats alumni Luke Walton to lead the team while his is recovering. We hope he gets back on his feet quickly.

Next: Annika Sörenstam - Golf

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Wildcats fans may not be aware that world-famed professional LPGA golfer Annika Sörenstam is an Arizona Wildcats alumni.

Originally from a town outside of Stockholm, Sweden, Sörenstam was noticed by a coach in Tokyo while playing in a collegiate event. She then moved to the US to play for the Arizona Wildcats women’s golf team. She played for Arizona for two years and turned pro in 1992.

While at Arizona Sörenstam won seven collegiate titles. In 1991, she became the first freshman who wasn’t an American to win the individual NCAA Division I Championship.

Sörenstam, who retired in 2008,  is accredited with the most wins in the LGPA, as well as earning a total of $22,573,192 in winnings throughout her career. She has won a total of eight ESPY awards including Best Female Golfer and Best Female Athlete as well as awarded the LPGA Tour Player of the Year eight times.

Here are some of Annika’s other career highlights from her website AnnikaSorenstam.com to soak in:

• Total Career Wins: 89
• LPGA Career Wins: 72
• Majors Wins: 10
• Rolex Player of the Year Awards: 8 (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
• Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003.
• Vare Trophy wins (for LPGA player with the lowest scoring average for the year): 6 (1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005)
• WPGET Rookie of the Year: 1993
• Rolex Rookie of the Year: 1994
• Patty Berg Award (for contributions to women’s golf): 2003
• Golf Writers Association of America Female Player of the Year awards: 8 (1995, 1997, 2000-2005)
• European Player of the Year awards: 2 (2004, 2005)
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year awards: 3 (2003-2005)
• Lowest score by any female in a single round: 59 (Second round of the 2001 Standard Register PING tournament.)
• Lowest scoring average for one season: 68.69 (2004)
• Named United States Golf Ambassador (2008)

Next: Terry Francona - Baseball

Oct 4, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona (17) stands in the dugout before a game against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Cleveland won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Terry Francona found success playing baseball at the Univeristy of Arizona and in the Major Leagues both as a player and a manager.

While attending the University of Arizona, Francona helped the Wildcats win the 1980 College World Series where he was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.  Also in 1980, he won the Golden Spikes Award given to the best player in Collegiate basketball.

Terry “Tito” Francona, the 2013 MLB American League Manager of the year, is the current Manager for the Cleveland Indians. In 2013, Francona’s team won 92 games and lost in the playoffs in a Wild Card game to the Tampa Bay Rays. He has worked in Major League Baseball as a manager for 15 years getting his start with the Philadelphia Philly’s for four seasons, and then with the Boston Redsox for eight seasons, and the remaining three with the Cleveland Indians.

But Francona hasn’t always been a manager, he was initially drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1st round (22nd pick) of the 1980 MLB draft to play at first base. His MLB debut was at the age of 22 on August 19, 1981, and he continued to play professional baseball for a decade for five teams; Montreal Expos (5), Chicago Cubs (1), Cincinnati Reds (1), Cleveland Indians (1), and ended his career with the Milwaukie Brewers (2). Francona played in 708 games, walked up to the plate to hit 1,731 times, scored 163 times, and hit 16 home runs in his career.

In between his managerial stints with the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians, Francona tried his hand at sports broadcasting for both Fox and ESPN.

Francona has been sighted on the University of Arizona campus recently for the Utah vs. Arizona football game, and he also took in a basketball game.

Next: Mike Bibby - Basketball

Nov 20, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings former player Mike Bibby sits courtside next to Kings owner Vivek Ranadive during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Chicago Bulls 103-88. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Bibby brought a lot of joy to both Wildcats fans and NBA fans alike. 

Mike Bibby, the son of former NBA and UCLA player and former USC basketball coach Henry Bibby, decided to attend the University of Arizona and play point guard as a Wildcat.

Bibby was voted the Consensus All-American in 1998. But that isn’t what Wildcats fans remember most about him, what they remember most is that Bibby helped the Wildcats as a freshman win the NCAA National Championship under Lute Olson. Arizona beat Kentucky 84-79 in the final game.

Bibby was named Pac-10 Player of the Year (1997–98) in his sophomore year. He also was named to the First-team All-Pac-10. That year he started in all 69 games, won All-America honors and averaged 17.2 points, 5.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 3-pointers per game.

Arizona was lucky to have Bibby for only two years; he entered the 1998 NBA draft Bibby selected as the No. 2 overall pick by the Vancouver Grizzlies. In his first year in the NBA, he made the 1999 All-Rookie first team.

Bibby’s NBA career spans 14 years. He played for five teams beginning with three seasons with the Vancouver Grizzlies, six seasons with the Sacramento Kings, three with the Atlanta Hawks, and one each for the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.

Bibby never won an NBA championship, although that was one of his goals, he came close in his second to last season playing with the Miami Heat. His first NBA Finals appearance came with the Heat; they played against the Dallas Mavericks, which beat the Heat in six games (4-2) in 2011 to earn their first NBA title. If only he could have stayed in Miami for one more year he would have won a ring.

Bibby will always be a champion to Wildcats fans.

Next: Rob Gronkowski - Football

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after beating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Gronk is only 26 years old and he has accomplished a lot.

Rob Gronkowski‘s name comes up a lot these days. Whether he is giving dating advice, or he is celebrating after winning the super bowl, or he is raising money for charity.

In 2006, Gronkowski had moved to Pennsylvania and attended Woodland Hills High School winning multiple awards while playing in his senior year. From there, he decided to attend the University of Arizona.

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski celebrates with the Vince Lombardi trophy following the game against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In 2007, Gronkowski set a new school record as a true freshman, the most reception yardage from a tight end with a record eight receptions for 525 yards and six touchdowns. He was named an All-American by both Rivals and The Sporting News as well.

Gronkowski missed the first three games of his 2008 season, but that didn’t stop him from racking up more yards than his freshman season. His season totals included 47 receptions for 672 yards and ten touchdowns which were the most scored on the team. He was awarded the John Mackey National Tight End of the Week twice. According to his website, GronkNation.com, ‘he set the school tight end records for single-game, single-season, and career receptions, yards, and touchdowns.’

Arizona Wildcats fans had the pleasure of cheering on Gronk two years as he left the school early to enter the 2010 NFL Draft after his sophomore year. Chosen 42nd overall in the second round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, Gronk continues to blaze trails as their star tight end.

Gronk has become one of New Englands Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s favorite targets. Here are some of Gronk’s NFL career highlights:

• Super Bowl champion (XLIX)
• In six seasons, he has scored a total of 62 touchdowns
• In 2011, he was selected as Offensive Player of the week in Week 14
• Invited to three Pro Bowls in 2011, 2012 and 2014
• In 2014, he was awarded the NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year

Currently, the New England Patriots are 10-0 with six games left to play. The seem to be on their way to another Super Bowl appearance. There’s no telling just how far Gronk can go in his career, and Wildcats fans will enjoy watching him.

Oh, and if you want to ask him a question, follow him on Twitter, and use the hashtag #sixstargronkchat.

Next: Kenny Lofton - Basketball/Baseball

Jun 19, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians former members Mike Hargrove and Kenny Lofton during a pre-game celebration for the 1995 Indians team before the game between the Cleveland Indians and the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Kenny Lofton came to Arizona to play basketball and ended up playing professional baseball.

The way Lofton tells it, he would have come on a baseball scholarship, but you could not get a full scholarship for playing basketball. Arizona came calling, so he jumped on it. Kenny Lofton grew up in Hoosier country in East Chicago, Indiana and grew up “immersed in basketball.” He feels that basketball helped him play baseball and vice-versa, “Completing an alley-oop isn’t entirely different from jumping a the fence to rob a home run.”

Lofton was the backup point guard for Steve Kerr on the basketball team, and he has fond memories of his days playing with Sean Elliot and Tom Tolbert who he says the team called the ‘The Black Whole.‘ When Kerr left Arizona, Lofton took over PG duties and helped the Wildcats make it to the Sweet 16.

His time at Arizona helped Lofton with his career in baseball, the sport he is famous for playing, “Many probably won’t remember me for my exploits on the hardwood, but in every timely steal, meticulously placed bunt and athletic catch, there was at least a small glimpse of my basketball-playing past.”

Fun fact: Lofton did play baseball at Arizona. He tried out for the baseball team and played in five games recording one official at- bat. Those five games were enough for Lofton to be recognized by scouts. He entered the 1988 MLB draft, and the Houston Astros selected him in the 17th round. While completing his basketball scholarship, he also played in the minor leagues. Keeping a promise to his mother, he continued playing in the minor leagues until he graduated from Arizona earning a degree in studio production.

Lofton played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball for seventeen years after making his MLB debut in September 1991. In those 17 years, he appeared in two World Series including 1995 and 2002 and also made nine other postseason appearances.

Here are some of his MLB career highlights:

• 622 stolen bases rank him fifteenth all-time
• Holds the Indians’ record for stolen bases with 452
• Tallied a .299 career batting average with 130 home runs, 116 triples, and 1,528 runs in 2,103 games.
• A three-time MLB Player of the Week.
• Played for 11 different playoff teams
• A six-time All-Star
• Won four Gold Gloves
• Awarded MVP four times

Post his MLB career, Lofton started a film company, Filmpool Inc., for which he is the CEO. He took up golf and recently played with Arizona football coach Rich Rodriguez to raise money for the school. He has also tried his hand at sports broadcasting,

Next: Jennie Finch - Softball

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The face of American softball, Jennie Finch is a Hall of Fame alumni of the University of Arizona.

Originally from La Mirada, California, Jennie Finch grew up with two older brothers and a father who worked tirelessly with her on her softball skills growing up. She started playing softball at the age of five. By the time she was eight years old, she had begun to hone her skills as a pitcher. The following year, only nine years old at the time, she was playing for a 10-and-under traveling all-star team. A star was born.

Jennie Finch broke and NCAA record while pitching for her Arizona Wildcats softball team by winning 51 consecutive games. She also threw eight no-hitters. She was awarded the Honda Softball Award as player of the year in 2001 and 2002. Finch holds the University of Arizona record for wins in a season, in 2001 she went 32-0, and consecutive wins (60). She places second in college career shutouts at 64.

In the 2001 NCAA World Series, Finch allowed only one run in her first five games. The Wildcats beat UCLA to win the Championship awarded the Women’s College World Series most outstanding player. That year Finch was awarded Pac-10 pitcher of the year honors. Also, she was awarded the National Player of the Year.

Finch participated in the 2004 Olympics in Athens Greece, her USA team won the Gold Medal. In the 2008 Olympics in China, Finch and her team lost in the finals to Japan, earning them a Silver medal. She also won the USA Softball Female Athlete of the Year in 2009.

Softball has since been eliminated from Olympics sports unfortunately as Finch lobbied to the Olympic committee to keep the sport. Here is Jennie in her own words talking about the Olympics and her National Championship from the University of Arizona.

According to her website, coming home from the Olympics started a whirlwind of fame and notoriety:

"Jennie returned home from Athens and her popularity soared. She appeared on late-night shows with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel; magazines including Glamour and Vanity Fair ran features on her. She was famous. She struggled with the notoriety, which in a team sport is sometimes a problem. Endorsement deals from major brands including Sprint, Bank of America, and Mizuno followed and allowed Jennie to continue to play. She created a signature line with Mizuno that featured a bat, batting gloves, shoes and mitt with her name on them, and together with Mizuno pioneered the use of pink in women’s softball equipment. Pink and black became her signature."

Finch, now 35, is married (2005) and the mother of two boys. She continues to teach young women the sport of Softball and came into her own as a role model. Watch any NCAA softball championship game these days and you will learn all about the game of softball from Arizona’s own Jennie Finch.

Check out what Jennie is up to these days on her fan website www.jenniefinch.com.

Next: Sean Elliott - Basketball

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Sean Elliott is a name very familiar to Wildcats fans.

Sean Elliott led the 1988 team to the Pac-10 Championship and the final four in his junior year under head coach Lute Olson. Elliot still holds the school record for all-time leading scorer averaging 19.2 points per game for a total of 2,555 points. His 1988 team included notable Alumni such as Steve Kerr, Kenny Lofton, and Harvey Mason Jr. Kerr and Elliott would later play together for the San Antonio Spurs.

Elliott won the Wooden Award, the Adolph Rupp Trophy, the NABC Player of the Year and the AP Player of the Year in 1989. After an excellent senior year, he also broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time PAC-10 career scoring record. Arizona retired his No. 32 jersey that is hanging in McKale Center.

While in college, Elliott played in the 1986 FIBA World Championship for the US national team and won a gold medal.

He played in the NBA for 11 seasons, all but one for the San Antonio Spurs and that came in the middle of his NBA career. In Elliott’s NBA career, he played in 742 games averaging 14.2 points, 2.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. Elliott is fourth in three-point attempts (1,485) and is the fifth all-time franchise leader in three-point field goals made (563).

Memorial day, May 31, 1999, Elliott and Steve Kerr played together on the San Antonio Spurs and in their quest for the Spurs first Championship title. But first they had to win the Western Conference. To do that, they had to play fellow Wildcats alumni Damon Stoudamire and his Portland Trailblazers and in game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, after Elliott had made already made five 3-pointers, but the sixth one went down in history as the “Memorial Day Miracle.”

The Spurs went on to win the last two games against Portland for a four-game sweep, and then later beat the New York Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals to win their first NBA Title, four games to one.

Elliott’s Twitter profile states the following “Spurs TV analyst, NBA champion & 2x All-Star, proud father & husband, car & wine geek, tortured golfer.” What a life!

Next: Amanda Beard - Swimming

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Amanda Beard is a Wildcat Olympian gold medalist.

Amanda Beard also has her own website, AmandaBeard.net so you can find out more about her, her book and if you want to engage her for motivational speaking.

Beard is from Irvine, California currently living in Tucson, Arizona where she attended college. Beard started early, when she was 14 she entered her first Olympics in Atlanta Georgia in 1986 where she won gold in the medley relay and silver medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke.

In 2001, she began her college career at the University of Arizona. That year she won the individual NCAA National Championship. In 2003, she became the world record holder in the 200-meter breaststroke and world champion.

Beard didn’t stop there, she qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.  According to her website, “She won her first individual gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke and a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley. She is the winner of eight United States titles – three times in both the 200m breaststroke and the 100m breaststroke, plus twice in the 200m individual medley – and she was ranked first in the world for 200m breaststrokers in 2003.”

Amanda currently a model who would is interested in more TV Hosting, speaking engagements and mentoring young women.

Next: Tedy Bruschi - Football

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Ask most Arizona Wildcats fans who their favorite college football player is and they will say, Tedy Bruschi.

You may recognize Tedy Bruschi as he is a current analyst for ESPN.

Bruschi played for the University of Arizona football team from 1991-1995 and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. One of the ringleaders of the vaunted Desert Swarm defenses, he started out playing strong side outside linebacker then transitioned in 1993 to the defensive line. While at the University of Arizona he earned multiple awards and honors:

• Unanimous All-American in 1995
• Consensus All-American in 1994
• Second-team AP All-American in 1993
• Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior
• Earned First-team all-conference honors three times
• Tied the NCAA career sacks record with 52
• Bruschi set the school record with 19 sacks in 1993
• Selected the Defensive MVP of the 1994 Fiesta Bowl

In his senior year, he got a license plate for his car that said simply, ‘SWARM.’ What will Bruschi remember from his time at Arizona?

"“I got a sack to tie the record in the last seconds of my college career, and we beat ASU. How do you beat that?” Bruschi was quoted as saying after the game. “Somebody asked me if I’ll remember this game when I’m a grandfather. I don’t think I’ll have to remember it because I’ll never forget it.”"

The New England Patriots drafted Bruschi No. 86 overall in the 1996 NBA Draft in the third round.  Patriot fans love Tedy Bruschi, just like Wildcats fans. He played multiple linebacker positions for 13 seasons for the Patriots and appeared in five Super Bowls winning three. He played in a total of 189 games recording 12 interceptions, four touchdowns, 44 forced fumbles, and 30.5 sacks.

Also, Bruschi was awarded the 2005 NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year. He was also named AFC Player of the Week five times and was invited to play in the 2004 Pro Bowl.

Bruschi was inducted into the College Hall of Fame and the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2013. His Arizona Wildcats jersey was retired.

We will continue to enjoy Tedy Bruschi analyzing football for us on ESPN.

Next: Jason Terry - Basketball

Sep 28, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jason Terry (31) during media day at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Jason “The Jet” Terry is probably the newest Arizona graduate in our list of 30 top players.

This is because he went back and earned his degree last year (2014.) Newly graduated, the university retired his Jersey during halftime at a game in McKale last season.

While at Arizona Terry not only helped the Wildcats win the 1997 National Championship, he also accumulated a ton of awards and honors, as well as records, here are just a few care of NBA.com:

• Named First Team All-America by Associated Press as a senior after averaging 21.9 points per game (44.3% FG, 83.9% FT)
• Received First Team honors from The Sporting News and was selected as the National Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated, CBS/Chevrolet and Basketball Times
• Finished four-year career as the Wildcats’ all-time leader in steals (245), ranking 4th on the all-time Pac-10 list
• Concluded his career at Arizona ranked 12th in points list (1,461), 5th in assists (493) and 2nd in 3-point field goals (192)
• He is the only player in Arizona history to finish with 1,000 career points and 200 career steals
• Compiled a 103-28 record in his four years as a Wildcat
• Became the first player in the Pac-10 to lead the league in scoring (21.9 ppg, 14th in nation), assists (5.5 apg) and steals (2.8 spg) since 1989-90 (Gary Payton)

Fun Fact: Terry has a tattoo of the Seattle city skyline, his hometown, and the number 206 which is the Seattle area code.

Terry, 38 years old, has played in the NBA for seventeen seasons and counting. He was drafted No. 10 in the first round of the in the 1999 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks where he played for five seasons. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks and played for them for the next eight season. It was with the Mavericks that Terry earned an NBA Championship ring in 2011. His famous 3-pointers were crucial to the Mavs victory.

Betsided

In 2009, Terry was voted Sixth-Man of the Year. After his stint with the Mavs, Terry signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics, which was short-lived because they traded him to the Brooklyn Nets along with Paul Peirce and Kevin Garnett. Eight months later, the Nets traded him to the Kings, then finally in August 2015, Terry found a home with the Houston Rockets.

He is currently playing point guard for the Houston Rockets and is in his second season.

Terry’s stats are impressive. To-date, he has played 38,699 minutes in 1,221 games, scoring 18,023 points, 5,162 assists, 3,045 rebounds, and 2,085 3-pointers. Hall-of-Fame is in his stars.

Houston made it to the conference finals losing to the Golden State Warriors last season (1-4), we predict a repeat series.

Next: J. T. Snow - Baseball

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Jack Thomas “J. T.” Snow, Jr. is famous for playing in Major League Baseball as a first baseman.

Drafted by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 1989 baseball amateur draft, J.T. Snow played in the minors until his major league debut at the end of the 1992 season. After one season with the Yankees, Snow was traded to the California Angeles where he played for three seasons.

In 1996, the Angels traded him to the San Francisco Giants where he played for eight seasons. When his contract ended, he signed a one-year deal with the Boston Redsox where he played under fellow UA Hall of Famer manager Terry Francona. Snow asked to be released because they weren’t playing him.

He then signed a one-day contract with the San Francisco Giants so he could retire from the baseball a Giant. Snow, who played for 18 seasons in the MLB, is a six-time Golden Glove Award winner. He won the National League Player of the year in 1997.

Fun Fact: Snow played with fellow Arizona Wildcat Kenny Lofton, they both played in the 2002 World Series with the Giants. Snow wore a couple different numbers on his jersey but wore a number six on his back for most of his career.

Snow is a part of the 1989 Arizona Wildcats Pac-10 Championship team hitting .359 and earning All-Pac-10 South honors.  In his three years as a Wildcat he was also letter winner, his career batting average was .333, his on-base percentage was .447.  Snow left for the MLB draft after his junior year.

Next: Andre Iguodala - Basketball

Jun 16, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) talks to the media after winning the NBA Finals MVP after game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Andre Iguodala is a phenomenal basketball player, and he is a beloved former Arizona Wildcat.

Andre “Iggy” Iguodala is an NBA Champion (2015), an All-star (2012), and has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team twice. He just recently won an NBA championship ring with fellow Arizona Wildcats Steve Kerr and Luke Walton. Andre doesn’t like his nickname, but he cannot seem to escape it, his fans love to call him Iggy.

June 14, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) moves to the basket against the defense of Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) in the second half in game five of the NBA Finals. At Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Iguodala’s teams have gone to the playoffs eight times in the last eleven seasons he has played in the NBA; he is currently playing in his twelfth season for the Golden State Warriors as a shooting guard. His career started with the Philadelphia 76ers, drafted 9th overall by the Sixers and played in Philly for eight seasons. T.J. McConnell also is getting his start in the NBA on the Sixers were just 17 games into the season he already ranks No. 1 in assists.

After his stint with the Sixers, Iguodala then played one season for the Denver Nuggets. The last three seasons he has played for the Warriors where he earned the  NBA Championship MVP award as a bench player.

In addition to the NBA, Iguodala was also a team member of Team USA representing the United States national team in 2012 Summer Olympics and 2010 FIBA World Championship; he won a gold medal in both.

Iguodala originally signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Arkansas, but Arkansas fired their head coach Nolan Richardson. So, Iguodala decided to play for the Arizona Wildcats to play with Luke Walton, Mustafa Shakur, Salim Stoudamire, Channing Frye, and Hassan Adams. He was already friends with Adams before joining the Wildcats. He only played at Arizona for his freshman and sophomore year (2002-2004).

In his two years at Arizona, Iguodala played in 62 games overall scoring a total of 594 points, making 409 rebounds, 213 assists, 95 steals and 29 blocks. He was selected to the First-team All-Pac-10 in 2004 and recorded three triple-doubles.

Wildcats fans will continue to root and cheer for the Iggy and the Golden State Warriors.

Next: Nick Foles - Football

Mar 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles (center) is introduced to the media at Rams Park. Foles is joined by Rams head coach Jeff Fisher (left) and general manager Les Snead (right). Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY SportsR

Nick Foles will always be remembered for being one of the most accurate and prolific quarterbacks in Arizona football history.

Rams new quarterback Nick Foles is not in the hall of fame for his career stats, but he is in the NFL hall of fame for stats he earned in one game while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles under Chip Kelly.

He tied the Bronco’s Peyton Manning by scoring seven touchdowns in one game in Week 9 of the 2013 season. He also posted a perfect passer rating (158.3) and passed for more than 400 yards. Foles is the first quarterback to record both a perfect passer rating and throw seven touchdown passes.

"Just in case you didn't know, Nick Foles is in the Hall of Fame."

Foles is in his third season in the NFL, he was initially drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft and was traded to the Rams for Sam Bradford. The Rams head coach Fisher benched him in week 11, and he responded as he always does, in a very classy way.

"“You don’t expect [to be benched],” Foles told reporters regarding the news. “It’s just one of those things that — I respect Coach Fisher to start off. Of course, I want to be out there, but it’s his decision to make, and I respect it. I love Case [Keenum] to death. He’s one of my favorite people in the world, so I’m going to be right there to support him every step of the way and help him in any way possible.”"

In his 2013 NFL season, Foles was awarded the following:

• Invitation to the Pro Bowl
• Pro Bowl Offensive MVP
• NFL Passer rating leader

I initially Foles originally committed to Arizona State but decided to attend Michigan State instead. Later, after play for Michigan State for one year, he decided to transfer to the University of Arizona where he red-shirted in 2008. Foles was the backup quarterback to Matt Scott after Scott won the quarterback competition in spring training. He got his start against Oregon State after Foles took over from Scott after Scott struggled in the game against Iowa. And Foles continued to be the starting quarterback until he graduated in 2011 with a degree in communication.

Foles stats are phenomenal for the three years he was a Wildcat. He completed 933 out of 1,396 passes for a total of 10,011 yards. You read that stat correctly, so he averaged over 3,000 yards per season. Foles earned a 145.6 quarterback rating in his senior year at Arizona.

Let’s hope things turn around for him in St. Louis.

Next: Jason Gardner - Basketball

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Jason Gardner was most famous for his time playing with the Arizona Wildcats basketball team.

Jason Gardner, originally for Indiana, played at guard for the University of Arizona for all four years (1999-2002). He played in 134 games, scoring a total of 1,984 points. Garder, only five-foot-ten, recorded 319 3-pointers, 462 rebounds, 622 assists and 225 steals. He frequently ranked in the top five in any of these categories in multiple years in the Pac-10.

As far as Pac-10 awards, Gardner earned the USBWA Freshman of the Year award in his freshman year and was a Consensus All-America (2nd Team) in his senior year. His team lost to Duke University in the 2001 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. In 2005, the University of Arizona retired his jersey in 2005.

Although Gardner wasn’t drafted into the NBA, probably because of his size, he found success overseas. He played internationally for eight seasons in countries such as Belgium, Slovenia, and Israel, and became a two-time all-star in Germany with EWE Baskets Oldenburg. After retiring from playing, he found an assistant coaching job at the Loyola University of Chicago and two years later, joined fellow Arizona Wildcat teammate Josh Pastner‘s coaching staff in Memphis in 2013. Pastner had coached under Lute Olson at Arizona for eight seasons.

Coaching just one season in Memphis, Gardner was named the head coach at IUPUI (Indiana Univerity – Purdue Univeristy Indianapolis) in 2013. He has been a head coach at Purdue for two seasons and counting.

Next: Chris McAlister - Football

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Former Arizona Wildcats football player Chris McAlister will always be remembered for his kick and punt returns and turning them into points.

Chris McAlister, originally from Pasadena, California, played defensive back for the Arizona Wildcats from 1996-1998. In 1996, he transferred to the University of Arizona from Mt. San Antonio College. During his time at Arizona, he returned 42 punts for 1,095 yards, averaging 25.5 yards per return. He was also unanimously voted Consensus All-American in 1998, he was also elected to the first-team All-Pac-10 selection for three straight seasons.

As the nation’s top player in the kick returning game, McAlister was awarded the Mosi Tatupu Special Teams Player of the Year Award in 1998. One thing unique about his college career was that he was the first in Arizona history and only the seventh player in college football history, to return a kickoff, punt, and interception for touchdowns in the same season.

McAlister was drafted No. 10 in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He played for the Ravens for ten seasons before playing his final season with the New Orleans Saints. McAlister was invited to the Pro Bowl three times.

He recorded a key interception helping the Ravens win the 2000 Superbowl (XXXV) by beating the New York Giants, 34-7. While playing with the Ravens, he set a new record for the longest play; he had run back a missed field goal 107 yards for a touchdown.

McAlister ran into financial troubles, and in 2011 was living with his parents to make ends meet, he retired from the NFL in 2009.

Next: Lance Briggs - Football

Sep 7, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears outside linebacker Lance Briggs (55) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Lance Marell Briggs just retired from this NFL this year after all 12 seasons with the Chicago Bears.

Lance Briggs was drafted No. 63 by the Bears in the third round in the 2003 draft. He is originally from Elk Grove, California and is 35 years old.

You must check out his website, www.lance-briggs.com, you will find about his foundation, his camps and most importantly his bio. Here is an excerpt from his bio regarding his college and NFL career:

The University of Arizona

• Played 33 games as strong-side linebacker
• Was named team’s Defensive MVP as a senior
• Finished with 308 tackles (including 205 solo tackles), 10.5 sacks, 36 tackles for losses, three interceptions, ten passes deflected, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries

The Chicago Bears

• He has started 137 of the 140 career games he’s played.
• He became the first linebacker in NFL history to return an interception for a score in each of his first three campaigns.
• Over the last nine seasons, he tied for the most interceptions returned for touchdowns of any linebacker in the NFL.
• In 2011, he became the ninth player in franchise history to be voted to seven Pro Bowls; he is only the fourth linebacker in franchise history to be selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls.
• He has 1,286 career tackles—the third most in franchise history since 1971 when tackles were officially recorded for the first time; he led the team in tackles in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011 after finishing second in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010.

Lance Briggs became a comic book fan at the age of seven and helped others who share his passion come together on his comic books site LanceBriggs55.ning.com. The title of his comic website is ‘Lance’s Comic World’ which is ‘The Official Comic Book/Pop Culture Social Networking Site Created by the NFL’s Lance Briggs of the Chicago Bears.’

In addition to his football and comics passions, Brings is also passionate about his foundation Briggs4Kidz, which helps the less fortunate, raising awareness and funding to help people who have come across difficult times.

Next: Richard Jefferson - Basketball

Nov 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson (24) at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Richard Jefferson currently plays small forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA.

Richard Jefferson helped the Cavs earn back-to-back Eastern Conference Championships in 2002 and 2003. You may remember Jefferson in black and white playing for either the Nets or the Spurs.

The Cavs are the seventh team he has played for so far in his 14-year career, this time he has a great chanced to earn his first championship ring. He started his career playing eight seasons with the New Jersey Nets after the team chose Jefferson with their No. 13 pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft. Here is the list of teams Jefferson has played for:

The man deserves a ring! This year he just might get one if it comes down to the Golden State Warriors and a healthy Cleveland Cavaliers once again, the Cavs could come out on top.

At the age of 35, Jefferson has not lost the ‘it’ factor, earlier this season he made ‘SportsCenter’s’ Top 10 with a dunk that brought LeBron James out of his chair.

Jefferson has not forgotten where it all started for him; he is a huge donor to his Alma Mater, the University of Arizona. In 2011, Jefferson donated  $3.5 million, one of the largest donations received by the school, towards a multi-use facility to be used by both the men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams. The gym was dedicated in his name on Dec. 8, 2008. The Richard Jefferson Gymnasium is 20,000 square feet and includes four cross court and two full-size basketball or volleyball courts.

Jefferson, a 2012 Pac-12 Hall of Fame inductee, played at Arizona for three years between 1998 and 2001 and averaged 11.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 26.3 minutes in 84 games.

Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CBB: View Original Table
Generated 11/23/2015.

Jefferson was highly accomplished in his college career, here are some of the highlights:

• Helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA Tournament three times, losing to Duke in the 2001 NCAA Championship Game
• As a junior started 34 of 35 games, finishing second on the team in blocks (24), third in rebounding (5.4 rpg), third in assists (2.7 apg) and fourth in scoring (11.3 ppg), earning All-Midwest Regional Team honors
• In the national semifinal against Michigan State, poured in 17 points, adding eight rebounds and two block
• Had a strong NCAA title game against Duke, scoring 15 of his 19 points in the second half, including sinking a career-best 4-of-8 three-pointers while hauling in eight rebounds
• Named to All-Final Four Team in 2001
• Selected to All-Pac-10 Freshman Team in 1998–99 season.

When Richard Jefferson eventually retires from the NBA, he aspires to be a sports broadcaster and has dabbled in this future career on the college media circuit.

Next: Trevor Hoffman - Baseball

Aug 30, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres former closer Trevor Hoffman acknowledges the crowd during his Padres Hall of Fame induction ceremony as his wife Tracy (left, background) looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Former Arizona Wildcat Trevor Hoffman, a seven-time All-Star, and San Diego Padre Hall of Fame pitcher, played in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons.

Trevor Hoffman had a legendary career in the majors started with the Florida Marlins for one season, followed by 16 seasons with the Padres, ending his career with a couple seasons playing for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Padres retired his No. 51 jersey in 2011. Hoffman played alongside San Diego Padre Tony Gwynn for nine years, and after Gwynn had retired, he became the face of the Padres franchise.

His journey began when he was drafted in the 11th round by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1989 amateur draft. Three years later he was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 1992 expansion draft; he was then traded to the Sand Diego Padres.

Hoffman earned over $80 million during his MLB career. His career earned run average was 2.78; he recorded 1,133 strikeouts and 601 saves in the 1,035 games and 1,089 innings he pitched.

The MLB determines a relief pitcher each year for an award in Hoffman’s name. This year the ‘Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year’ award went to Pittsburgh Pirate reliever, Mark Melancon.

Hoffman was not offered a scholarship out of high school, partly because of his height and partly because he was missing a kidney that was taken out when he was six weeks old. He grew three inches, and Arizona picked him up making him sign a waiver in case something horrible happened to left kidney while playing.

The University of Arizona has a Hall of Fame Page for Hoffman on their website, here is an excerpt (note: Hoffman played shortstop on pitcher as a Wildcat):

"One of the most esteemed and well respected student-athletes in Wildcat baseball history, surprisingly during his time at Arizona, shortstop Trevor Hoffman led the Wildcats in hitting in 1988 and in 1989 and had a .371 batting average, which was 35 points better than his fellow teammate J.T. Snow. In 1989."

Hoffman has not forgotten his roots, and recently visited the University of Arizona and bumped into Arizona Football Director of Personnel Matt Dudek.

Trevor Hoffman is now a San Deigo Padre’s executive overseeing all pitching development in seven of the Padre’s minor-league affiliates in locations such as the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest and the Caribbean. Pitchers all over the world are benefitting from his advice.

Next: Gilbert Arenas - Basketball

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Gilbert Arenas has hung up his NBA shoes, but he will not be forgotten as one of the Arizona Basketball players who helped take the Wildcats to the final four.

Gilbert Arenas played point guard in the NBA for twelve seasons and earned two nicknames; Agent Zero and Hibachi (he used to say “hibachi” when his jump shot was in midflight).  Arenas entered the 2001 NBA Draft and was selected No. 31 (2nd round) by the Golden State Warriors. After two seasons, he became a free agent and signed with the Washington Wizards where he spent the next seven seasons.

In the 2006/2007 season, Arenas ranked No.1 in 3-pointers made (205), and minutes played (3,304). He scored a total of 11,396 points including 1,081 3-pointers. Also, he made 2,164 rebounds, 2,894 assists, 887 steals and 134 blocks. During his NBA career, he was named Player of the Week seven times and was earned a spot in the All-Start game three years in a row (2005-2007).

In late 2010, Arenas was traded to the Orlando Magic, who waived him the next year when he then signed for his last season in 2012 with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Trade to the Magic was most probably because  Arenas was suspended for most of the 2009–10 season due to being accused of handgun violations (incident on December 24, 2009) and his actions after the incident.

After the NBA, Gilbert played a year for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Arenas earned more than $140 million during his NBA career. He recently filed a 21-page Complaint in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles against Boulevard Management Inc. and business manager Lester Knispel. According to Forbes, he alleged recklessness and negligence by the defendants as the reason he lost millions and is seeking more than $40 million in damages. He put his Encino home on the market just this week for $3.495 million.

Arenas has been busy in court. Just last month he filed a defamation lawsuit against his former fiance’ Laura Govan (Basketball Wives LA) claiming she was behind the publishing by several websites, of false accusations that he infected her with sexually transmitted diseases. Let’s hope he wins his cases, it seems to be a rough road for this Wildcat lately.

As far as his college career, Arenas played for Arizona for only two years and in those two years, he was a major contributor:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/23/2015.

As a sophomore, Arenas along with his teammate Richard Jefferson helped Arizona make it to the NCAA Final Four where they lost in the final game.

As the Lakers took on Gilbert’s first NBA team, the Golden State Warriors, former teammate Nick Young decided to wear some special Adidas sneakers.

Next: Antoine Cason - Football

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Antoine Cason played for four years at the University of Arizona; he continued to play in the NFL, but we don’t know yet if he will retire.

Antoine Cason was born in Long Beach California to a family full of athletes. His father, Wendall Cason, played for the University of Oregon and then in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons. When Antoine was deciding where to commit, his top three schools were Boise State, Oregon State, and Arizona.

Cason chose to commit to Arizona and played cornerback for the Wildcats from 2004-2007. His college career started out slow and in his freshman year he accumulated four interceptions for 88 yards. Each season Cason played, his stats improved. He started all 46 games he was eligible to play in.

Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CFB: View Original Table
Generated 11/24/2015.

When Cason was a senior, he was voted the Consensus All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2007, but that wasn’t the only award he earned. Following is a list of all the other awards he received in his senior year:

• First-team All-Pac-10
• NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field All-American in 4×100
• Walter Camp First Team All-American
• Associated Press First Team All-American
• The Sporting News First Team All-American
• CBSSports.com First Team All-American
• SI.com First Team All-American
• Rivals.com First Team All-American
• Arizona’s Ruby Award winner as the top male student-athlete

Cason excelled off the field as well as on the field. He was the team spokesman and leader throughout his career. He started a new charity in his senior year, ‘Cason Cares’, which was a charity drive for cancer research.

Cason had his Wildcats jersey retired in 2010.

One of the highest rated cornerbacks entering in the 2008 NFL Draft, Cason was selected 27th overall by the San Diego Chargers. Cason’s first interception was against the Denver Bronco’s quarterback Jay Cutler on September 14, 2008.  In his Rookie year, he accumulated 59 tackles, two interceptions, and one touchdown. He got his first start on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010.

Cason played for eight years in the NFL. He played for the Chargers for five years; and then he played for one season with Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and then the Baltimore Ravens. His career stats include 318 tackles, 16 interceptions for 362 yards in 11o games.

Antoine Cason was released by the Carolina Panthers in December 2014. On Instagram, Cason posted that he had surgery to fix an ongoing foot problem, and he will miss the 2015 season. Two months ago he posted that he was getting the boot off of his foot, so things are progressing. While he sits out, he is having fun as a sports broadcaster for Fox Sports 5 in San Diego.

We hope Antoine recovers and can play next season.

Next: Luke Walton - Basketball

November 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton (left) talks to guard Stephen Curry (30) during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 112-108. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Former Arizona Wildcats basketball player Luke Walton has been making headlines lately and for good reason.

Luke Walton is not getting credit for coaching the Gold State Warriors NBA team at the young age of 35; that accolade is going to his head coach and fellow former Arizona Wildcat Steve Kerr. The Warriors just broke a record fore most consecutive wins to start a season (16). It’s even more meaningful because the record came at the demise of his former NBA team, the Los Angeles Lakers, beating them 111-77. But the media and NBA fans are now turning their heads, and more attention is being given to this NBA champion and it’s about time.

Fun Fact, Luke is currently coaching his 2002-2003 Arizona Wildcats teammate, Warriors small forward Andre’ Iguodala.

Much like Walton’s college coach and mentor Hall of Famer Lute Olson, when fans cheered for Walton in ball games, it sounded like a boo, but it was really just his name, “Luuuuukkkkeeee.”

Luke Walton’s last name was made famous by his father and former UCLA Bruin and Boston Celtic, Bill Walton. Bill played for a very famous college basketball coach himself, John Wooden. Bill Walton is now a beloved Pac-12 basketball commentator. When began his Pac-12 broadcasting journey, he did not reflect favorably towards the Wildcats. Once Wildcats fans complained, he changed his ways, and now fans mourn when former UCLA coach Steve Lavin takes his place. Bill and Luke were the first father-son duo who have won multiple NBA championships.

Luke Walton played forward for eleven seasons in the NBA, nine of them were with the Lakers. Drafted No.32 in the second round of the 2003 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Walton helped the Lakers get to the playoffs seven times and win the NBA Championship twice in 2209 and 2010 with Kobe Bryant. The two remain close and have a lot of respect for each other. Kobe has been quoted as saying that Walton was the next Phil [Jackson] and that he had a high basketball IQ.

Walton’s NBA career stat totals include 2,649 points, 1,588 rebounds, 1,317 assists, 182 3-pointers, 102 blocks and 313 steals in 564 games. Walton was known for being able to move and pass the ball to his teammates.

When Walton retired from the NBA, he began coaching. His first coaching job was with the University of Memphis as an assistant coach during the 2011 NBA lockout.  Walton was playing for the Cleveland  Cavaliers when the lockout hit and continued to complete the 2012-2013 season.

Walton dabbled in sports broadcasting. In 2013, Time Warner Cable SportsNet hired him to join their Lakers on-air broadcast team

Walton’s next job was to be the player development coach for the Los Angeles D-Fenders (NBA Development League) in 2013. From there, Walton was hired by head coach Steve Kerr, who also played for Phil Jackson during his NBA career to be an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors. In his first year coaching for the Warriors, he earned another NBA Championship ring along with fellow Wildcats Kerr, Bruce Fraser, and Andre Igoudala.

Walton graduated from the University of Arizona in 2003; he played all four years as a guard and a forward. The following chart shows his stats by year.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/24/2015.

Luke married his college sweetheart and also former Wildcat Bre Ladd, who played for the UA Women’s volleyball team.

Look for Luke to be an NBA head coach at least in the next five years if not sooner, his legacy may be yet to come.

Next: Darryll Lewis - Football

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Darryll Lewis played Arizona football in the 1980’s and then moved on to the NFL where he played for ten seasons.

Darryll ‘D-Lew’ Lewis is a 10-year NFL veteran cornerback who was invited to the Pro-Bowl in 1995. Lewis played cornerback for three teams. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the second round (38th overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft and played for them for the next eight years. Following his stint with the Oilers, Lewis moved on to play two seasons with the San Diego Chargers and signed with the Denver Broncos in 2001 but was released due to a knee problem, so he retired.

In Lewis’s NFL career, he caught a total of 32 interceptions, which he returned for 555 yards scoring five touchdowns, made five sacks and recovered eight fumbles, which he returned for 139 yards and one touchdown.

Lewis played at the University of  Arizona from 1987-1990 under head coach Dick Tomey. He started out in his freshman year as a running back, but the Wildcats secondary coach Daune Akina moved him to cornerback the following year.

Zona Zealots staff writer Brad Malone paid homage to Lewis by writing about one his favorite games in Wildcats history. The game he wrote about was the Arizona vs. Oregon game in 1990, a game which propelled Lewis to eventually being awarded the Jim Thorpe award given to the best defensive back in college football. Lewis was also a consensus All-American and was one of two players who earned the Pac-10 co-Defensive Player of the Year award.

Here’s an excerpt from Malone’s article:

"Coming from the back of the end zone, Lewis had a long way to go to make a play.  It was so nerve-racking. It looked like Musgrave was going to ruin the Cats Pac-10 opener. Then Lewis came out of nowhere, knocking Musgrave out of bounds and stopping him inches from the goal line.   After the game my buddy and I waited outside of McKale Center to try and see if Lewis would sign my ticket stub. Everyone wanted a piece of our hero, but after a bit of waiting,  Lewis signed my ticket and I still have it 25 years later. Later that season, Lewis helped his Thorpe candidacy when the Wildcats visited the UCLA Bruins in Pasadena.   Late in the game, tied at 21, Lewis intercepted a pass and ran 70 yards for the game winning touchdown. Lewis ended the Pac-10 season with seven interceptions."

Lewis’s Wildcats jersey was retired in 2010 with Antoine Cason.

Next: Jerryd Bayless - Basketball

Nov 7, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Jerryd Bayless (19) takes a shot against Brooklyn Nets forward Thomas Robinson (41) in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Jerryd Bayless currently plays point guard and shooting guard in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jerryd Bayless has been making a statement with his play that was recognized late last season and helped the Bucks greatly in the playoffs. The Bucks are a young team coached by Jason Kidd.

During his eight-season NBA career, Bayless has played for six different teams for no more than two seasons. The teams in order are the Portland Trailblazers, the New Orleans Hornets, the Toronto Raptors, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Boston Celtics and in 2014 he signed with his current team, the Milwaukee Bucks. The moves from team to team were the result of trades except the move to the Bucks.

So far in his NBA career, Bayless has racked up 3,894 points, 1,374 assists, 987 rebounds, 299 steals and 342 3-pointers in 427 games, and he’s not done yet.

Bayless, a McDonald’s All-American and top-10 recruit, only played for the Wildcats for one year, 2007-2008, and what a season it was. Lute Olson had three future NBA players on the team that year, along with Bayless was Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger. There are so many highlights to write about, but we will give you a few of the most impressive:

• Became the first player in Arizona history to score 30 or more points in three straight games, Feb. 10-16
• No Pac-10 player made as many free throws per game (6.2 FT/game) or got to the free throw line as often (7.4 FT/game)
• Hit 10-of-10 FTs to finish with 20 points, four assists, and a career-best three steals on 3/6 at Oregon State
• Scored all 20 points in the second half (6-of-9 FG) to go with four assists in 40 minutes at Washington State on 2/23
• Started in all 30 games, he played in, scoring 562 points, recording 121 assists, three blocks, and 29 steals.
• Final averages for the season: a team-high 19.7 points, (45.8 FG%, 40.7 3PT%), four assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Arizona earned a No. 10 seed and would play West Virginia in the first round; the Wildcats lost to the Mountaineers, 75-65.

Bayless was selected No. 11 in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers traded rights to the Portland Trailblazers on draft day.

Bayless is active in the AAU community managing ‘TeamBayless‘ under the Compton Magic umbrella of teams and also run basketball camps and showcases.

Bayless still bleeds Wildcat blue and cardinal red, he recently re-tweeted this post followed by a tweet ‘BearDown.’

Bayless shares his thoughts in a blog he writes and posts on his website, JarrydBayless.com, here’s an excerpt from one of his posts titled ‘A CHANCE TO SHINE‘:

"I’ve put in a lot of work on my game, in-season and in the off season, throughout my career and throughout my life, to prepare myself for opportunities like this. I’m just very happy that it’s kind of come to fruition. Opportunities don’t come often in this league. I’ve experienced that first-hand, which makes me appreciate each one I get a lot more. It’s hard to make it in the NBA. From outside looking in, you might think it’s a lot easier than it is, but this league is unforgiving, and it’s very hard to get those types of opportunities. That’s just the way it works."

Bayless is a busy man; he also runs the ‘Bayless foundation.’ Taken from his website, the foundation mission is, “To enhance the well-being of youth through community programs and events that focus on literacy education, holiday giving to disadvantaged families and children, and fitness initiatives.”

Good luck to Jarryd and his Bucks this NBA season!

Next: Chuck Cecil - Football

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Chuck Cecil is a legend at the University of Arizona.

Chuck Cecil was voted Wildcats football fans favorite Wildcat in Arizona history and the most popular player in school football history. Cecil ran back an interception 100 yards to score a touchdown against ASU. The Wildcats went on to their 5th consecutive victory over the Sun Devils. This famous play was voted the greatest play in Wildcat football history

Cecil played for the Wildcats for three years from 1985-1987 as a defensive back. He caught 21 interceptions for 241 yards and two touchdowns during his college career. The one famous play for 100 yards and one touchdown made up half his total yards and touchdowns. Cecil was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009 and into the Wildcats’ Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. He also was a  television analyst for University of Arizona football games for two seasons (1999–2000).

In addition to being a fan favorite, Cecil earned many accolades:

• In 1986, Chuck was ranked 10^th in the nation with six interceptions and 2^nd in the nation in 1987 with nine.
• Awarded All-American honors in both 1986 and 1987.
• In 1987, Kodak, Football News, UPI and Walter Camp voted him a consensus 1st Team All-American.
• Second Team All PAC-10 in 1885 and First Team All-PAC 10 in 1986 and 1987.
• Voted to the PAC-10 All-Academic Team in 1985, 1986 and 1987.
• Selected an Academic All-American in 1985, 1986 and 1987.
• Selected PAC-10 Player of the Week three times and in 1987 he was chosen the PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year.
• In 1988, he was awarded the prestigious PAC-10 Conference Medal.

Cecil was drafted No. 89 by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round in 1988 NFL Draft and played for eight seasons. He played for the Packers for five seasons, followed by a season for the Phoenix Cardinals and ending his career with the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans).

Cecil was known as an extremely physical tackler and had to wear a special helmet (that was bigger and had more cushion) to help him avoid concussions, a little ahead of his time. He was selected by John Madden to his 1991 All-Madden Team. Madden said  Chuck was one of the hardest hitters in the NFL.

Cecil got his start coaching when he was hired by his former coach  Jeff Fisher to be a defensive coach for the Tennessee Titans after he retired. He coached for the Titans from 2001-2010.An NFL Pro Bowl safety, he caught 16 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and made 445 tackles in the 95 games he played. Cecil has been a defensive secondary coach for the St. Louis Rams since 2012.

Next: Channing Frye - Basketball

Oct 13, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic forward Channing Frye (8) drives to the basket against the Miami Heat during the second half at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Miami Heat 95-92 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Channing Frye is still playing in the NBA, he’s playing with former Arizona basketball player Aaron Gordon in Orlando.

Channing Frye is playing in his 10th season in the NBA as a center but also plays power forward. Drafted No. 8 overall in the first round of the 2005 draft by the New York Knicks, he won 2005-06 NBA All-Rookie honors.  Frye only spent two seasons in New York before they traded him to the Portland Trailblazers. In 2009, he signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Suns and in 2014, he signed Signed 4-yr, guaranteed $32 million deal with the Orlando Magic. Frye currently plays with fellow Arizona Wildcat Aaron Gordon.

Channing missed the 2012/2013 season due to and enlarged heart determined during a routine pre-season treadmill test. The only thing that cures this type of medical issue is rest, thus Frye took off the 2012/2013 season and came back in 2013.

Here are Frye’s NBA career stats to date:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/25/2015.

Frye, a McDonald’s All-American, attended the University of Arizona from 2001-2005. There is not enough room on this page to list all of his accomplishments from his college career, so we will just hit the highlights.

• Finished his career ranked second on the Arizona and Pac-10 career blocked shot list with 258
• Registered 93 double-figure-point and 35 double-figure-rebound games in his four-year career
• Averaged 14.3 points and 9.6 rebounds in 12 career NCAA Tournament games
• A starter in 119 of 133 career games played
• Received the University of Arizona’s Sapphire Award, which is given to the outstanding senior male student-athlete
• Named 2004-05 male winner of the Pacific-10 Conference Sportsmanship Award, which is given to the league student-athlete (covering all sports) who best exemplifies the characteristics of good sportsmanship
• Finished his career with eight double-doubles in 12 NCAA Tournament appearances
• Ranks second in Arizona and Pac-10 history with 258 career blocked shots
• Earned Wooden Classic Player-of-the-Game honors with 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds
• Sophomore year – Team leader with 60 blocks (2nd in Pac-10) and a 56.9 FG percentage (3rd in Pac-10/29th nationally), and double-doubles (9)
• Team leader with 60 blocks (2nd in Pac-10) and a 56.9 FG percentage (3rd in Pac-10/29th nationally), and double-doubles (9)

You can catch Arenas’ this season playing with Aaron Gordon on the Orlando Magic., we wish them both a successful season.

Next: Art Luppino - Football

Jul 23, 2014; Hollywood, CA, USA; Pac-12 team helmets are displayed outside the Paramount Theatre during the Pac-12 Media Day at the Studios at Paramount. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Art Luppino played football for the Arizona Wildcats in the 1950’s.

Arthur ‘Art’ Luppino, grew up in La Jolla, California. Also known as the ‘Cactus Comet,’ he played running back for the Arizona Wildcats from 1953-1956.  In his 1954 and 1955 seasons with the Wildcats, Luppino led the nation in rushing: 1,359 yards in 1954 and 1,313 yards in 1955. He was the first ever to win back to back rushing titles. Luppino also led the nation in kickoff returns (632 yards) in 1954. Also in 1954, he broke the single-season scoring record at the time with 166 points.

Both Luppino and Kadeem Carey hold the record for rushing for four touchdowns in one game twice in the same season. Carey broke both Luppino’s long-standing record for 21 rushing touchdowns in 1954 and 44 in his career in the 2013/2014 season.

Here is a sample of classic video Anthony Gimino (

TucsonCitizen.com

) found of Luppino playing against Idaho.

Art Luppino’s jersey was retired in 1999.

After college, Luppino was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1957 but due to a knee injury, he retired from professional football.

Next: Damon Stoudamire - Basketball

Nov 16, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Sean Miller and assistant coaches Damon Stoudamire and Book Richardson sit on the bench during the second half against the Cal State Northridge Matadors at McKale Center. Arizona won 86-68. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Most Wildcats fans would probably recognize Damon Stoudamire from sitting on the bench next to Head Coach Sean Miller during last season’s basketball games, but his history with the Wildcats goes much deeper.

Damon Stoudamire joined Sean Miller’s staff as an assistant coach at Arizona in 2013 and stayed for two seasons helping the Wildcat reach back-to-back Elite Eights. He made the tough decision last May to move back to Memphis to coach on Josh Pastner’s staff to be closer to his family and children.

Damon, a cousin of former Wildcat Salim Stoudamire, attended the University of Arizona from 1991-1995. Point guard for the Arizona Wildcats, he also played for the legendary coach, Lute Olson. Damon played alongside Khalid Reeves in his junior year and led the team to the Final Four. In his senior year, he was elected the Wildcats, team captain.

Damon was selected to the First Team All-American and the Pacific-12 Conference Player of the Year after the 1994-95 season. He was also a finalist for College Player of the Year and the 1995 Wooden Award.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/27/2015.

Stoudamire was drafted No. 7 in the first round by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA draft. Standing only five ft 10 in he earned the nickname “Mighty Mouse,” he also has a Mighty Mouse tattoo on his upper right arm. In his rookie year, he won NBA Rookie of the Year and NBA All-Rookie First Team honors. According to the Arizona Wildcats Hall of Fame post he also recorded some Arizona firsts:

"First in the UA career record books, at the time of his induction, for three-point field goals (272) and three-point field goal attempts (677) and second all time assist man at Arizona (663). He became the sixth player in Pac-10 history to have a triple-double when he scored 32 points to go with 14 assists and 11 rebounds versus Oregon in Tucson as a senior in 1995."

Stoudamire accumulated 11.763 points (13.4 ppg), 5,371 assists (6.1 apg), and 953 steals (1.1 spg) in his 18 year NBA career. Stoudamire played with Toronto for three seasons, then was traded to the Portland Trailblazers in 1998 and played with the Trailblazers for eight seasons. In 2005, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies and then waived three years later when he signed and played with the San Antonio Spurts for his final season. Stoudamire played from the age of 22 to the age of 34.

After the NBA, Stoudamire took to starting a coaching career, starting out with Rice University and moving to the NBA alongside fellow Arizona Wildcat Mike Bibby’s dad, Henry Bibby.

Next: Steve McLaughlin - Football

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Former Arizona Wildcats Place Kicker Steve McLaughlin played in the Desert Swarm era.

A native of Tucson, Arizona, Steve McLaughlin is a former University of Arizona and NFL place kicker. McLaughlin attended Arizona from 1990 to 1994 during the “Desert Swarm” era with Tedy Bruschi. In 1994, as a senior, he won the Lou Groza Award, which is awarded to the outstanding college placekicker in America as well as earning a spot on the All-Pac-10 first team and the consensus first-team All-American.

In 2010, McLaughlin’s University of Arizona football jersey was retired at the half-time ceremony of the USC game in Tucson.

Selected in the third round (82nd pick overall) by the St. Louis Rams, McLaughlin had a pretty good year making all 17 point after kicks. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 1996 and then with the Baltimore Ravens in 1997.  In 1998, he moved to the AFL and played for eight seasons for five different teams.

While in college, McLaughlin formed a band named “Pet The Fish” which actually opened for Dave Mathews Band and Weezer. While playing professional football, he put his music career on hold. After retiring, he put out a solo album titled “No More Record Stores” in 2010.

Next: Ricky Hunley Jr. - Football

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Ricky Hunley is the current linebacker coach for the Oakland Raiders.

Ricky Hunley started coaching in 1991 for the University of Southern California and remained a collegiate coach until 2002 when he transferred from the University of Florida to the NFL to coach for the Washington Redskins. From that point on he continued to coach in both at the professional and collegiate level tallying 19 years thus far in his coaching career.

He has a great coaching philosophy:

In 2007, Ricky Hunley was honored to be named to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

Hunley was drafted No. 7 in the first round of the NFL 1984 Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals but failed to reach an agreement with the team, so he was traded to the Denver Broncos. Hunley played in the NFL for seven seasons with the Denver Broncos (four seasons), the Phoenix Cardinals (one season) and the Oakland Raiders (two seasons). He was selected to start for the Denver Broncos in both Super Bowl XXI and XXII.

Hunley attended the University of Arizona from 1981-1983 and played linebacker recording ten interceptions and two touchdowns. In both 1982 and 1983, he was selected as a Consensus All-American. His brother Lamonte Hunley also played for the Wildcats and was also an All-American linebacker at Arizona, they played together for three years.

In 1998, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, he was the first player from the University of Arizona to earn this honor.

Next: A Horse Named American Pharoah - Triple Crown Winner Bob Baffert

May 16, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; American Pharoah jockey Victor Espinosa and trainer Bob Baffert celebrates winning the 140th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Bob Baffert was not an athlete at the University of Arizona, but he is an Alumni.

We had to include Bob Baffert and his horse American Pharoah as an honorable mention.

He named a horse after coach Sean Miller, and it didn’t work out too well. He also named a horse after Greg Byrne. “Lute was always so proud of me. I am representing my family, the University of arizona..it was a magical journey..Just to be around him (the horse) was pretty exceptional First race he ever saw was a Rolito park.” He had more to say, “I loved it growing up there (Tucson), it helped when I went to the University of Arizona,” he worked taking care of the horses.

His years at Arizona were the “Best years of my life,” he told AZ Desert Storm before the Utah game when he would be acknowledged for winning the Triple Crown. He explained his time at Arizona as brother in the SAE fraternity, and he remembers waiting in line for basketball seats at Beardown Gym. His son graduated from Arizona as well. He loves Arizona and feels the campus is beautiful.

BEARDOWN ARIZONA!