Wacky things tend to happen when Arizona and Colorado meet to play football.
Whether it was in Boulder or Tucson, the best rushing performances in Arizona history have occurred when the Wildcats face the Buffaloes. In fact, the only 300-plus-yard rushing showings in UA history happened against Colorado.
Three years ago in Boulder, Khalil Tate rushed for 327 yards, an FBS single-game record for a quarterback.
But it wasn’t the UA single-game rushing record. In 2012, Tucson native Ka’Deem Carey rushed for 366 yards, a UA and Pac-12 single-game record, and scored five touchdowns in a 56-31 win over Colorado.
Carey finished the season with 1,929 rushing yards, the best season program history. The following year, Carey fell 45 yards shy of breaking his own record.
Following his lauded Arizona career, Carey played three seasons for the Chicago Bears and earned $1.8 million. In 2018, Carey signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League and is still with the club. Midway through the 2019 season, Carey led the Stampeders in rushing, but missed the second half of the season with a broken forearm. The CFL canceled the 2020 season for COVID-19 concerns, and Carey is training in Tucson for the ’21 season.
The Star caught up with Carey to reflect on his famous performance against Colorado, how the former Wildcat is progressing through the coronavirus pandemic — and what’s in store for his future:
Eight years later, how do you look back on your record-setting performance against Colorado?
A: “Man, I remember them leaving a whole bunch of gaps open and a lot of them being different gaps. I think anybody could have fit in those holes. That’s what I remember the most.”
What was it about that day that allowed you to play spectacularly?
A: “There was definitely a feeling. Once you bust open one big run and then you go out and bust another one, you go, ‘Oh, this is gonna be a real good game.’ Once I had a good run and then came back and opened up another run, I knew then it was gonna be a good game. I believe it was a day game, and I love day games in Arizona. One thing I always preached to my coach at the U of A was if we played more day games, other teams aren’t used to the heat. Whether we’re playing in the winter or the summer, it’s still hotter where they’re playing at, so we need to use it to our advantage. And shoot, my legs were feeling good, it was warm and we took advantage. … At that time of my career, I was due for a record-setting game. In my head, I was ready to bust for a big game. Every day I woke up like that, so when I woke up that morning with Colorado on the schedule, I was like, ‘All right, let’s see what they got for us.’ When I went out there and they kept giving us those holes, I went, ‘Take advantage, because this is your big game.’ That’s exactly what I did.”
Was the game plan all week to feed you the ball considering B.J. Denker was starting for Matt Scott?
A: “It was definitely a more run-heavy game plan, because you know Matt Scott, he was a thrower and launched it and made it easier for me. I thought Colorado was going to have eight people in the box — I don’t even think they knew how to game-plan against B.J. now that I look back on it, because they didn’t have eight people in the box. Me and B.J., as you can see from my junior year, we were a run threat. They didn’t treat us that way when they first saw us.”
Where does it rank among games you’ve played?
A: “Definitely top three. When you get to run around the yard — the gridiron — the way I did that day, it just reminds me of when I was little playing Pop Warner, and you always wanted to have that day growing up and show everyone your talent. That was a day I got to show a little bit of Ka’Deem Carey’s talent. That game was definitely top three in my head, because I had too much fun and handled business on a great day.”
Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey breaks ahead of Colorado’s Harrison Hunter and Terrel Smith for a long third-quarter run during Arizona’s 2012 win over the Buffaloes.
What are the other two?
A: “Beating Oregon (in 2013) in Arizona back when they had (Marcus) Mariota. … And then I would have to say winning the state championship (at Canyon del Oro High School in ’09), because I’ve always been a champion and love winning championships.”
The CFL canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What was your response when you heard the news in August?
A: “That was bad. They kept postponing it and pushing the season back. All I could do was train and hope for a season. When they officially announced that we weren’t having a season it was definitely crushing, because that’s what I’ve been doing since I was 7 years old. Looking back, I told my wife, ‘That’s a long time to be doing one thing.’ Taking another year off is a blessing because it allows me to heal up and go into a contract year and show the world one more time my abilities can do out there. I’m excited to move into the next year and move forward. … I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been at 28 and I feel like I’m entering my prime and now that I’m entering the final year of my contract, I can make some noise like I did at the U of A.
“Hopefully, the NFL gives me another shot after breaking every record in the CFL, and then we’ll turn the page from there.”
Did you reach out to NFL teams for this season?
A: “I did, but I sat back and thought hard and prayed about it: I want to go in there how I left the U of A. I want to go in there as a big-name running back, so I want to go out there and put it on film first before going out there and trying out for a team. Being on special teams, I don’t want to do that. I want to make my own route and show that I’m a No. 1 running back. I want to go back into the league that way and not just a special teams dude. If I would’ve reached out this year, I would’ve made the 53-man roster that way.”
How would you describe your experience in Canada?
A: “It’s definitely been a great experience for me. It’s been an eye-opening experience. Playing up there, I didn’t even know they had 12 people on the football field until I played my first game. It’s been a big experience and it’s pretty funny.”
What about the Canadian culture and lifestyle?
A: “It reminds me of home more than any other place. It has a lot of sunshine in Calgary, which reminds me of Arizona. There’s also a Western tone and there are a lot of cowboys there. It’s a Midwest type of feel and it just reminds me of home. There’s a lot of rodeos and a lot of things you can relate to, I love it. I like bringing out the family: The restaurants out here are awesome, the people are family, great environment.”
How long have you been back in Tucson?
A: “I’ve been back in Tucson since the end of the CFL season last year, so I’ve just been home, training and trying to get right. … I feel pretty great.”
Have you had a chance to watch UA football this season?
A: “I have. They gotta get it together. Just gotta go out and play with some heart. I know they can do it.”
Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey swerves around Colorado defensive back Ray Polk during the teams’ 2012 game at Arizona Stadium.
What would your message be to the current players going through this losing streak?
A: “Stay focused. Do it for the people you love and for the people in that locker room. Take it one game at a time and the city is behind you. We’ll always be behind you. Bear Down.”
