All-Bowl Team

Arizona Wildcats All-Bowl Team: Defensive Linemen

By Javier Morales

Posted on December 17, 2015

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All week leading up to Saturday — when Arizona plays New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque — AllSportsTucson.com will continue to run an Arizona All-Bowl team comprised of players at each position that performed the best in the postseason. We’re honoring defensive linemen. Next will be the linebackers. You can access our previous selections by continuing in the slideshow (click on “Next”).

ARIZONA ALL-BOWL TEAM

Defensive Line

First Team — Tedy Bruschi, 1994 Fiesta Bowl and 1994 Freedom Bowl

Recorded a sack and was named the Defensive MVP in Arizona’s 29-0 win over Miami in the 1994 Fiesta Bowl. In the following season, Bruschi was also the Defensive MVP of the Freedom Bowl against Utah with three sacks.

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First Team — Ty Parten, 1989 Copper Bowl vs. North Carolina State and 1992 John Hancock Bowl vs. Baylor

Parten, only a freshman, prevented North Carolina State running back Aubrey Shaw from converting a fourth-and-one at the Arizona 26 with 3:03 remaining and the Wildcats clinging to their 17-10 lead (the final margin). Donnie Salum, a linebacker, was also in on the tackle. Parten later became a founding father of the Desert Swarm defense as a senior in 1992, leading a defense that limited Baylor to only 47 yards rushing on 43 carries in the John Hancock Bowl.

First Team — Jim Birmingham, 1985 Sun Bowl vs. Georgia and 1986 Aloha Bowl vs. North Carolina

Birmingham recorded seven tackles in the 13-13 tie with Georga in the Sun Bowl. The following season, he recovered a fumbled in the victory over the Tar Heels in Honolulu.