It will take at least another football season, maybe two, to put Scooby Wright’s prodigious 2014 season in proper context.
The highest compliment paid to Scooby has come from, of all people, ex-ASU quarterback Jake Plummer of the Pac-12 Networks. “If you’re a football fan, get over your hatred for the Wildcats and watch this cat play,” said Plummer. “He’s amazing.
“I find myself watching him during the whole game because the dude’s just reckless and crazy. He reminds me of Pat Tillman, a guy that played recklessly.”
Where does Scooby rank?
Just to squeeze into Arizona’s list of 10 leading defensive players now requires one to be a consensus All-American and then some. Put it this way: UA standouts of the ’60s and ’70s, Tom Nelson, Mark Arneson and Mike Dawson, all game-changers, have been surpassed by 21st century visibility, statistics, record-keeping and convenient memory.
If Scooby completes four seasons at Arizona, injury-free and productive, where would he belong on this list — my list — of Arizona’s Super 7 defensive players?
1. Ricky Hunley, 1980-83. Two-time consensus All-American. Pac-10 Defensive Player of Year, 1983. Owns the school record for career tackles, 566. He’s also the almost uncatchable leader among linebackers with 12 interceptions. His work has held up for three decades.
2. Chuck Cecil, 1984-87. Consensus All-American and Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, 1987. Holds the school interception record, 21, and has most career tackles, 392, for a defensive back. Also blocked five field goal attempts, which now seems impossible.
3. Tedy Bruschi, 1992-95. Consensus All-American 1994 and 1995. Pac-10 Defensive Player of Year 1995. Completed his career as the NCAA’s co-career sacks leader.
4. Darryll Lewis, 1987-90. Won the Jim Thorpe Award as nation’s top defensive back in 1990. Consensus All-American and Pac-10 Defensive Player of Year. Personally won the ’90 Oregon and UCLA games with a tackle at the goal line and an interception return for a touchdown in each game’s final minute.
5. Chris McAlister, 1996-98. Unanimous All-America cornerback 1998. First-team all-conference three times. Third in school interceptions, 18. Possibly the single most talented defensive player in school history.
6. Dana Wells, 1985-88. Two-time winner of the Morris Trophy as Pac-10’s top lineman and 1988 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Had 34½ tackles-for-loss in 1987-88 and helped beat Washington and ASU with last-minute sacks/fumbles in 1985 and 1988.
7. Byron Evans, 1983-86. Pac-10 Defensive Player of Year 1986. Second in school history with 552 tackles. If college football would have had the Bednarik Award (created in 1995) and the Nagurski Trophy (initiated in 1993), Evans and Hunley would have been likely winners.
How difficult is it to be included on a list like this? I couldn’t find space for Hall of Fame nose guard Rob Waldrop, Jim Thorpe Award winner Antoine Cason and three-time All-Pac-10 linebacker Lance Briggs.
Scooby’s college career is likely to continue through 2016. How high he climbs on this list, and your list, starts now.
