Tucson’s birthday isn’t for another three months, but that shouldn’t deter us from celebrating the Old Pueblo and the high-profile athletes the city has produced over the years.
So on “520 Day” this Saturday, we’ll take a look at five Tucson athletes who are impacting their sports of choice.
We’ll also list 20 who have done the Old Pueblo proud. One caveat: Our list is limited to Tucsonans, not Arizona Wildcats or local pro athletes who were born and raised elsewhere.
Here’s our list:
The 5
Texas running back Bijan Robinson poses on the NFL Draft red carpet, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo.
Bijan Robinson: Arguably the greatest high school football player in Arizona history became the highest-selected Tucsonan in NFL Draft history — and it’s not even close — after the Atlanta Falcons picked the former Salpointe Catholic star running back No. 8 overall. The do-it-all back amassed 4,215 all-purpose yards and 41 touchdowns in three seasons at Texas and received the Doak Walker Award in his final season at UT. With the blessing from former Falcons star quarterback Michael Vick, Robinson will don No. 7 for his jersey number.
Delaney Schnell of the United States competes in the women’s diving 10-meter platform semifinal at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre at the 2020 Summer Olympics,, Aug. 5, 2021, in Tokyo.
Delaney Schnell: When it’s all said and done, Schnell will go down as one of the most decorated athletes in Tucson history — and she’s just getting started. The former Tucson High Badger, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, ended her diving career at the UA with a platform national championship and was named Pac-12 Diver of the Year for the third straight season. Schnell will remain in Tucson and prepare for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Penn State's Roman Bravo-Young celebrates his win over Oklahoma State's Daton Fix during their 133-pound match at the 2022 NCAA Division Wrestling Championships in Detroit.
Roman Bravo-Young: Riding a 56-match winning streak, Penn State’s All-American was upset by Cornell’s Vito Arujau in the 133-pound wrestling national championship — Bravo-Young’s first loss since 2020. The five-time All-American concluded his wrestling career at Penn State as a two-time national champion.
Audrey Jimenez wrestles Adyn Bostick in her family’s yard during training in 2020.
Audrey Jimenez: The Sunnyside High School junior made history in January by becoming the first female to to win any weight class at the Peoria Tournament of Champions, a renowned 56-year-old tournament in the Phoenix area. Jimenez went 4-0, and all of her opponents were boys. At the U.S. Open last month in Las Vegas, Jimenez won the 50-kilogram women’s freestyle championship.
Salpointe Catholic’s Rylen Bourguet (2) celebrates her goal against Notre Dame Prep in the closing minutes of their 4A State Soccer Championship at Williams Field High School in Gilbert on Feb. 22, 2022.
Rylen Bourguet: Seven rings, three sports. Bourguet graduates from Salpointe Catholic with seven state championships as a standout for the Lancers’ soccer, volleyball and beach volleyball programs. She’s signed to play beach volleyball at Arizona State.
The 20
Detroit Lions wide receiver Stanley Berryhill (83) runs against the New York Giants during a Nov. 20, 2022, NFL game in East Rutherford, N.J.
Stanley Berryhill III: The undrafted Berryhill was waived by the Atlanta Falcons after the preseason but signed with the Detroit Lions as a special-teams contributor — specifically “gunner” on punt coverage, a role he thrived in while at the UA. Recently, Berryhill was suspended six games by the NFL for violating the league’s gambling rules; the Lions subsequently waived the wide receiver.
Alex Bowman smiles after climbing out of his car after taking pole position during qualifying for NASCAR’s Daytona 500 auto race Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Alex Bowman: Driving the 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman had four top-five finishes before suffering a fractured vertebra injury at 34 Raceway in Iowa.
Former Marana High QB Trenton Bourguet lets it fly during ASU’s loss to UA in Tucson last year.
Trenton Bourguet: From practice-squad hero to living out his dreams, the last year was one to remember for the Marana-raised quarterback. In the last few years, Bourguet ascended from walk-on to backup quarterback at Arizona State, then his number was called when ASU starter Emory Jones went down with an injury against Washington. Bourguet took over as the starter and tossed three touchdowns, leading the Sun Devils to an upset win over the Huskies. Later in the season, Bourguet returned home to Tucson to start at quarterback for the Sun Devils in the Territorial Cup and threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns in ASU’s loss to Arizona. Bourguet will compete for ASU’s starting job this season.
Although he had more prolific numbers in college than Bijan Robinson, Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey, above, lasted till the fourth round of the draft and didn't thrive in the NFL. But his work ethic has made him a star in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders.
Ka’Deem Carey: In his third season with the Calgary Stampeders, Carey led the CFL in rushing with 1,088 yards and 10 touchdowns. Carey averaged 6.6 yards per rush last season.
Former Palo Verde High School standout Bryce Cotton, dribbling the ball in an exhibition game between the Perth Wildcats and Denver Nuggets in 2018, has now won three Australian National Basketball League MVP awards, and is a six-time scoring champion. In September 2023, Cotton led Perth back to the states for an exhibition series in Henderson, Nevada, against the NBA G League Ignite.
Bryce Cotton: A three-time NBL MVP for the Perth Wildcats in Australia, Cotton is one of the greatest professional basketball players of all time in the Land Down Under. With hopes of garnering Australian citizenship, Cotton reportedly lost support from the Basketball Australia Federation for his campaign. Cotton told Fox Sports Australia: “Anything that happens at this point is beyond my control. It’s just a big waiting game, but I don’t even think about it any more at this point.”
Dominick Cruz, right, punches Henry Cejudo during a UFC 249 mixed martial arts bout, Saturday, May 9, 2020, in Jacksonville, Fla.
Dominick Cruz: Following a three-year hiatus from the UFC, the former Flowing Wells wrestler won back-to-back bantamweight bouts after his loss to Henry Cejudo. Last August, Cruz was knocked out by Marlon Vera via a head kick in San Diego.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Andre Jackson throws to the plate during the ninth inning of his three-inning save for the Dodgers in a 10-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks April 1 at Dodger Stadium.
Andre Jackson: The ex-Cienega Bobcat made the L.A. Dodgers’ Opening Day roster as a relief pitcher but has struggled this season. Jackson has a 7.98 ERA and has given up five home runs, including four in one outing against the Chicago Cubs.
Arizona signed four-star shooting guard and former Tucson resident KJ Lewis to its 2023 recruiting class.
KJ Lewis: The Tucson-born shooting guard signed with Arizona’s 2023 recruiting class and will return to his roots to play for the Wildcats under Tommy Lloyd. The 6-4, 185-pound wing, who moved to Texas in middle school, signed with the UA over Alabama, Memphis and Texas Tech.
Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Blake Martinez (54) walks the field during warm ups before an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, in Jacksonville, Fla.
Blake Martinez: The former Canyon del Oro star retired from the NFL after seven seasons to tackle another profession: Collecting and trading Pokémon cards. The 29-year-old started his own company, “Blake’s Breaks,” which has made over $8 million. Martinez sold a Pikachu illustrator card for $672,000 the week before his final game with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan takes the field during the first half of Arizona’s 43-20 win over Colorado last year.
Jordan Morgan: The three-year starter at left tackle was on track to declare for the NFL Draft until a season-ending knee injury at UCLA returned him to the UA for his final season of eligibility. Morgan was recently rated by Pro Football Focus as the third-best tackle in college football entering the ’23 season.
The Utes surround Utah’s Halle Morris (22) after she clouted a two-out, two-run pinch-hit homer in the sixth inning to push their lead to 7-4 against UCLA in the championship game of the Pac-12 Softball Tournament at Hillenbrand Stadium, on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
Halle Morris: The ex-Canyon del Oro Dorado hit a clutch two-run home run to lift the Utah Utes over top-seeded UCLA in the inaugural Pac-12 Softball Tournament in her hometown.
Salpointe Catholic High School product Lathan Ransom starts at safety for Ohio State.
Lathan Ransom: The Ohio State safety returned to the Buckeyes’ secondary last season following a leg injury in the Rose Bowl. Ransom had 74 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery during his 2022 campaign. Ransom returns to OSU in 2023 for his fourth season.
A line of little leaguers gets autographs from Arizona first baseman Kiko Romero (12) just before the Wildcats take on Oregon in a Pac 12 baseball game at Hi Corbett Field, Tucson, Ariz., March 31, 2023.
Kiko Romero: In his first season with the UA, the CDO product and Central Arizona College transfer is hitting over .350, has recorded 15 home runs and leads the Pac-12 in RBIs.
Salpointe's Elijah Rushing, right, runs down Desert View's Oscar Barraza for a sack late in the second quarter of their high school football game at Desert View High School on Oct. 15, 2021.
Elijah Rushing: The 6-6, 245-pound edge rusher is the latest Tucson football prospect to have a five-star rating. Widely considered one of the top defensive linemen for 2024, Rushing is being recruited by the hometown Wildcats, Florida, Notre Dame and Miami, among others.
Arizona's Carlie Scupin (20) flexes at second base after slashing an RBI double into the left field gap against Arizona State in the fourth inning of their play-in game in the Pac 12 Softball Tournament at Hillenbrand Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 10, 2023.
Carlie Scupin: The three-year starter at first base for Arizona dealt with a broken forearm for over a month but still produced a .337 batting average and was third on the team with 10 home runs. In the first-ever Pac-12 Softball Tournament game against ASU at Hillenbrand Stadium, Scupin went 3 for 4 with five RBIs.
2009-10 boys basketball player of the year: Santa Rita's Terrell Stoglin. Photo by Dean Knuth / Arizona Daily Star
Terrell Stoglin: Before his first season with AS Douanes in Senegal of the Basketball Africa League, Stoglin was the league’s back-to-back scoring champion, posting just over 30 points per game.
Alex Verdugo of the Boston Red Sox celebrates his RBI double against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning of the American League Wild Card game at Fenway Park on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, in Boston.
Alex Verdugo: The Boston Red Sox right fielder, via Sahuaro High, had five home runs, 18 RBIs and a .305 average entering Friday. The 27-year-old is in his fourth season with the Red Sox.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace attempts to pump up the crowd in the second half of their Sept. 18 game against New England.
Levi Wallace: The cornerback took his talents from Buffalo to Pittsburgh and signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Steelers. In his first season in Pittsburgh, the former Tucson High Badger recorded 48 tackles and four interceptions.
Trevor Werbylo hits out of a bunker during the Korn Ferry Tour’s Louisiana Open golf tournament at Le Triomphe on March 19. The former Salpointe Catholic High School and UA golfer has earned his PGA Tour card.
Trevor Werbylo: Notable Tucson golfers to make the PGA Tour: Michael Thompson, Rich Barcelo, Willie Wood, Phil Ferranti and now Werbylo, the ex-Wildcat and Salpointe Catholic graduate. In his first full season on the PGA Tour, Werbylo has competed in 18 events. His best finish finish was a tie for 27th at the Valspar Championship.
Salpointe Catholic’s Kylie Wild has the top local time and the 12th-best time in the state for the 5,000 meters this year.
Kylie Wild: The Salpointe Catholic cross-country star won her third straight Division III championship after running a 5-kilometer race in 18:40.0. Wild is signed to Boston College.
