Arizona Football

Sporting News snub aside, Arizona Wildcats’ Ka’Deem Carey unquestionably All-American

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Former Auburn coach Gene Chizik, now an analyst for Sirius/XM College Sports Nation, interviewed Carey yesterday after Carey’s selection to the Football Writers Association of America All-American team. I transcribed the interview here. Chizik did not ask Carey about not attending the Heisman ceremony or if he’s entertaining the idea of returning. Rats.

Gene Chizik

Gene Chizik

GENE CHIZIK: “You’re coming off a great year. Just tell me how you’re doing.”

KA’DEEM CAREY: “Thank you. I’m doing pretty good here in Arizona. We just got done with practice. I’m living pretty good, feeling good and looking forward to this bowl game.”

Ka'Deem Carey

Ka’Deem Carey

GENE CHIZIK: “Let me ask you now is Rich Rod keeping you guys hemmed up there? I mean does he got you in the film room and practice field all day long or is he actually giving you a little time to be free and have some fun?”

KA’DEEM CAREY: “He definitely has us in the film room and practice field working. He gave us yesterday off but that ain’t nothing. He’s got us out here just working and getting us ready for this bowl game (AdvoCare V100 Bowl vs. Boston College, Dec. 31, Shreveport, La.) really. We have a lot to prepare for.”

GENE CHIZIK: “Ka’Deem, talk a little bit about playing for Coach Rich Rod. You know, he’s a great offensive mind. He came there a couple of years ago. Your guys’ numbers have really been off the chart, and he’s so involved with the offense. You know, just talk to us a little about what it’s like playing for Coach Rich?”

KA’DEEM CAREY: “Coach Rich Rod is one of the smartest dudes ever. He recognizes football. He knows football. Just to be on the field with him and learn from him, I’m blessed. I’m blessed to have that feeling just because he goes out there and he sees the defense and he calls the play because of the defense and what they’re in. He just has different reads off of it. The offense that he runs you don’t know who’s getting the ball before the play. It’s an option. You have to read the defense just like he reads it. That has taught me a lot as a running back … I’m just learning so much from him.”

GENE CHIZIK: “When he brought the system in, Ka’Deem, did you have any it would be this fun? Everywhere he’s been he’s brought that offense with him. I don’t care if it’s Tulane, Clemson, West Virginia … players, you know, seem to love to play in that offense.”

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KA’DEEM CAREY VS. TRE MASON
The Sporting News reasoned its selection for Mason as a first-team All-American ahead of Ka’Deem Carey because of Mason’s 970 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns against six ranked opponents this season. Carey rushed for 644 yards and seven touchdowns against four ranked opponents. Mason averaged 161.7 yards a game against ranked opponents. Carey averaged about the same — 161 on the dot.
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KA’DEEM CAREY ALL-AMERICAN SELECTIONS
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Ka’Deem Carey became only the fourth Arizona football player to be a two-time consensus All-American. He would have been a unanimous selection if Sporting News stuck to its selection of Carey to its first team last year. Incredibly, the publication had SEC sophomores T.J. Yeldon (Alabama) and Todd Gurley (Georgia) as preseason first-team All-Americans despite Carey returning for his junior year after last season’s selection. In the postseason awards this year, TSN went with another SEC back — Tre’ Mason — of Auburn. Go figure.

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KA’DEEM CAREY: “Yeah, I mean it’s crazy just because me as a running back I like it so much because they spread the field and the you have four receivers and one running back. … He forces you to put six in the box. … A quarterback sees who is out of position and capitalizes off of it. You see it as a running back before the play happens it’s just good because big plays capitalize out of.”

GENE CHIZIK: “You guys got so much time, Ka’Deem, in between games obviously and you’re playing against Boston College in Shreveport (La.) in the Independence Bowl. What are you guys doing? Do the coaches do different things with you to have fun? Do you go bowling? You got all that time all day long now. Is there some fun things that he tries to incorporate for you guys as well?”

KA’DEEM CAREY: “While we’re practicing or down here (in Tucson)?”

GENE CHIZIK: “Well, just while you’re there in terms of you got all day long to prepare for these games. You’ve got practice. You can only be in practice and meetings so long. Is there any other kind of activities while you’re there in Arizona practicing that you guys are doing to pass the time?”

KA’DEEM CAREY: “Honestly, no not really. I feel like the players we kind of make it fun though. Honestly, practice is not fun but coming out here knowing we have to be out here for more days. We come out here to compete. We have fun. Coach makes sure we have some competitions. We let the young ones come out here and have some fun when we dress in full pads. So we just make the most of what we have out here. We hang out after practice and just bond. I mean, just enjoy the time with the seniors while they’re here. We just try to make it a happy experience.”

GENE CHIZIK: “You know, Ka’Deem, you’ve got so many honors since you’ve been there and well-deserved. You just got selected for the Football Writers Association All-American team. You’re the Pac-12 offensive player of the year. You’ve set so many different records at Arizona. Just talk a little bit about that and how great that makes you feel in terms of goals you set for yourself way back when you were entering into college. How great of a feeling is that to be selected by so many people on these All-American teams?”

KA’DEEM CAREY: “That means a lot. That just means so much to me growing on and off the field as a young man. That’s what is important to me and proving a lot of people wrong. I’m successful. That just shows that the program can do a lot if you just buy into Rich Rod and the strength and conditioning. You can have a lot of success out of it. I’m loving every bit of this. This is a blessing to me.”

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WILDABOUTAZCATS.net publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report, Lindy’s College Sports and TucsonCitizen.com.

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