Arizona Athletics Produces a Video of Arizona Football Memories, Were you There?
Finally, Arizona Football’s 2016 campaign is about to begin; get yourself some tickets so you can witness firsthand plays that will someday end up in a red and blue Wildcat highlight reel.
Recently the Arizona Athletic Department put together an incredible video of magnificent game-changing plays which will give you chills while watching. “Bear Down Dream On” highlights historic teams, record-breaking plays, future NFL standouts, and walk-ons who became household names.
Readers who are new to the University of Arizona, you get a pass. Everyone else, especially fans from the Pac-10 years on, how many of these plays did you see in person?
Many of them are like a historical event; you’ll remember where you sat, who you were with, how many kids you had at the time, and how great you felt the Monday after the Territorial Cup as your ASU co-worker avoided eye-contact.
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Do you remember November 22, 1986? The Arizona State Sun Devils were the darlings of the Pac-10 as they were heading to Pasadena for a date with Michigan on New Years Day in the Rose Bowl. First, they had to head to Tucson, of course bringing roses to Arizona Stadium. Quickly the blooms wilted, not from Sparky’s fire, but from a red-hot Arizona football team who knew they could beat ASU.
Walk-on safety Chuck Cecil was told he wasn’t big enough or good enough. He persisted and in a split second put the nail in the coffin as he intercepted ASU’s Jeff Van Raaphorst for a touchdown. The Sun Devils were in the red zone, but Cecil snagged the ball and ran. He kept running while teammates protected him and cheered as he hugged the sideline all the way to the opposite end zone for six points.
You know, the guy who wasn’t good enough ran for 106 yards. David Adams, a 5’6″ also overlooked high school running back from Tucson was Cecil’s teammate on the 1986 squad. He said that play “broke ASU’s back.” Wildcat and NFL star Byron Evans, a linebacker on the ’86 team, called Cecil’s return a “once in a lifetime play.” Were you there?
Fans who have followed Arizona football have stories about special teams and in particular the place kicker. Many of Dick Tomey’s teams excelled at keeping close to a favored opponent, holding on for the opportunity to kick the winning field goal as time expired.
Who can forget Max Zendejas and his mastery over
Arizona State in the 80’s? And Nick Folk who has gone on to play in the NFL for the New York Jets? The 1990s defense became known around the country as “Desert Swarm.”
The Bear Down Dream On video highlights many jaw-dropping defensive tackles. Remember Tedy Bruschi, the saxophone player in the high school marching band who became a Super Bowl champion as a defensive lineman with the New England Patriots?
More recently, fans in Arizona Stadium were filing out as the California Golden Bears were slicing and dicing a white-clad Wildcat football team in their 2014 Pac-12 opener. Here’s a Jeopardy question: What NCAA football team won their game while never leading with time on the clock?
Admit it, if you were at the game that September night, you wanted to leave early with the rest of the disappointed fans. Then somehow, Arizona stormed back. The onside kick worked. Then it worked again. In moments there was no time left on the clock as Anu Solomon dropped back for a Hail Mary pass in the end zone.
It didn’t look good, and the ball may have been dropped, the furious comeback failed. In a split, second fans in the stadium saw the guys in white jumping up and down in the end zone. Fans near the end zone were elated and began jumping also. Austin Hill, just back from an ACL injury, somehow jumped up and grabbed the ball as it looped into the end zone. The “HillMary” was born. That play started a successful Pac-12 season which led to Arizona’s first Pac-12 South championship. Where were you sitting at the White-Out?
The 1993 Arizona football team was one of the school’s best, tying UCLA as Pac-10 Champions. Because the Bruins won the head-to-head match-up, No. 16 Arizona was sent up the I-10 to Tempe to take on the Miami Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl. It was a New Years Day Bowl, and the Wildcats took advantage of the national stage. Miami was ranked No.10 and was favored to win.
Arizona would have none of that and pounced on the Hurricanes 29-0 behind a feisty Chuck Levy. This game video brings back some great memories of one of Arizona’s best games, which took place at Sun Devil Stadium against someone besides ASU. Arizona alumni in Phoenix, did you buy a Fiesta Bowl commemorative cup?
It’s tough to make it to some of Arizona’s away games. We depend on television coverage and plan our day around kickoff time. Unfortunately for Arizona Gymnastics Coach Tabitha Yim, quarterback Ortege Jenkins has used all his eligibility. Otherwise, he may be a candidate for the floor exercises based on his game-winning touchdown at Washington on October 3, 1998. On which television set did you watch “The Leap by the Lake” as Jenkins appeared to tumble right through the screen into the end zone?
Next: Arizona vs BYU, 2016 Begins in Glendale
These names and teams are just a fraction of the faces and excitement in this must-watch video. Memories will flood your mind. As your adrenalin level rises every time, a clip of Arizona pounding ASU is shown, you’ll wonder why anyone could root for The School Up North. One day, highlights from this year’s season will be included in a highlight video. Where will you be sitting?