Chuck Cecil
Cecil, a native of Red Bluff, California, walked on at Arizona in 1984 but didn't record a stat until his sophomore season due to Allan Durden and Lynnden Brown combining for 11 interceptions at the two starting safety spots. However, Brown's departure over the offseason opened the door for Cecil to take on a bigger role in 1985.
As a sophomore in 1985, Cecil played in all 11 games and logged six interceptions, which tied Durden for the team lead and for No. 2 in the Pac-10. Cecil was one of three Arizona players to pick off at least five passes in 1985, and he added seven pass breakups to the stat sheet as well. He earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors in his first season as a starter, and it would only get better from there.
In his junior season, Cecil emerged as a true force with 19 PBUs, six more interceptions, and three forced fumbles. He was one of three people in the nation to return two interceptions for touchdowns; the second of which was a school-record 106-yard pick-six against ASU in the 1986 Territorial Cup. Cecil led the team with two blocked kicks and was a first-team All-Pac-10 honoree, but he wasn't done yet.
In his final season with the Wildcats, Cecil was absolutely dominant. He led the team with 136 tackles (80 solo) and was one of three people to lead the nation with nine interceptions. He notched 12 more PBUs as well, bringing his career total to 38. He earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors, was named a consensus All-American, and earned the 1987 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Award. He still sits No. 7 in program history in tackles (392), No. 1 in interceptions (21), and No. 2 in PBUs.
His time as an Arizona player was just a chapter in the long football story that has been Cecil's life. He went on to play in the NFL for seven seasons, featured on an iconic Sports Illustrated cover, earned Pro Bowl honors in 1992, and then moved into the coaching ranks at both the NFL and collegiate levels. Cecil is a larger-than-life figure, and he set the tone for the Desert Swarm that was brewing at Arizona.