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CATCH UP ON THE COUNTDOWN BY VISITING: ARIZONA’S TOP 100 INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Only 31 days separate us from the start of Rich Rodriguez’s fifth season, when the Arizona Wildcats football team plays Brigham Young on Sept. 3 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
As is customary on this Web site, we will count down the days with an interesting element associated with each day. This year the topic is the top 100 individual records in Arizona’s storied football past.
In past years, we have counted down the top games and highlighted players and some of the top plays in Arizona Wildcats football history. A couple of years ago in our top 100 countdown, we showcased the 1914 team that was responsible for Arizona becoming the “Wildcats”.
Back to this year’s countdown of the top 100 individual records in the 117 years of Arizona football:
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Tedy Bruschi’s name is synonymous with tackles behind the line of scrimmage and he did that more than anybody in Arizona and Pac-12 history.
TACKLES FOR LOST YARDAGE
DESERT SWARM/TEDY BRUSCHI ERA (1992-95)
Notice the drastic increase starting in 1992
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No. 31
Most Tackles for Lost Yards, Career: 74, Tedy Bruschi, 1992-95
Pac-12 record: Bruschi
NCAA record: 75, Jason Babin, Western Michigan, 2000-03; Khalil Mack, Buffalo, 2010-13
Few have played with more tenacity in Arizona history than Tedy Bruschi and that showed with his ability to alter the opponent’s offensive execution by penetrating the line.
Tedy Bruschi wrecked havoc on opposing offenses in his career from 1992 to 1995 to the tune of a school-record 74 tackles for lost yardage, which is also a Pac-12 record.
Scooby Wright just finished with 42 tackles for lost yardage, including 29 in 2014. He might have challenged Bruschi’s record if he did not have an injury-marred season last year, with only 3.5 tackles for loss, and played all four years in his career like Bruschi.
Arizona junior linebacker DeAndre’ Miller is the leading returning tackler for loss with eight last season. He had only one as a sophomore.
It will be interesting to see if a defender with the impact of Bruschi and Wright will emerge under Rich Rodriguez and new defensive coordinator Marcel Yates. This season might be asking too much for that but maybe in the next few years.
ARIZONA PLAYERS RETURNING WHO RECORDED TACKLES FOR LOSS LAST YEAR
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon.
