Between homecoming and Military Appreciation Day, Arizona football head coach Brent Brennan said "there's a lot going on" at Arizona Stadium on Saturday, when the Wildcats host the Kansas Jayhawks.Β
As the Wildcats look to become bowl eligible for the first time under Brennan, the UA is hosting a plethora of ex-Wildcats, including former Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason, who will be the honorary captain for Saturday.
"This game is always a special weekend because it's homecoming," Brennan said. "We have everyone coming back. We have over 1,000 football alumni signed up to come back for a tailgate, which we're really excited about. ...Β There's so much happening this weekend here and there's so much happening around this game. It's a perfect way to spend an afternoon in Arizona Stadium."
One of the top ballhawks in Arizona history, Cason has the fourth-most career interceptions (15) by a Wildcat. The unanimous All-American and two-time All-Pac-10 cornerback won the Jim Thorpe Award for college footballβs top defensive back in 2007. Cason was also a standout punt returner for the Wildcats.
Antoine Cason is hoisted into the air by his teammates as they celebrate his punt return touchdown in the second quarter of their 2007 win over Oregon.
The Wildcats had several upset victories during Cason's time in Tucson from 2004-08, including a 52-14 win over No. 7 UCLA for homecoming in 2005, along with triumphs against No. 8 Cal in 2006 and No. 2 Oregon in 2007.
The upset over Cal was one of Cason's shining moments at Arizona. In addition to covering Golden Bears star wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Cason intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown in a 24-20 win. Cal also had NFL running backs Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane.Β
Cason was one of the players who lifted Arizona from the Pac-10 cellar to a respected team in the conference, even though he never played in a bowl game. Arizona ended its 10-year bowl drought and won the Las Vegas Bowl in 2008, and appeared in the Holiday Bowl and Alamo Bowl following Casonβs four-year career.
The San Diego Chargers took Cason 27th overall in first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He is the last UA defensive player to be taken in the first round and one of just 11 in program history to land in the first round.
The San Diego Chargers took cornerback Antoine Cason with their first-round pick in 2008.
Cason spent five seasons in San Diego, then went on to play for the Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens. A foot injury cost him the 2015 season; Cason retired after that.
Cason, who's in the Arizona Stadium Ring of Honor, was inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.Β
Cason joins Arizona greats Jonah Savaiinaea, Tyler Loop, David Adams, Marquis Flowers, Rob Gronkowski and Eben Britton as honorary captains this season.Β
As much as former Wildcats such as UA defensive line coach Joe Salave'a, wide receivers coach Bobby Wade and other current UA staffers are eager to reconnect with their fellow Arizona football fraternity brothers, "homecoming is for the families, for the fans," Salave'a said.
"Our guys are pretty much locked into our routine and our regimen," he added. "The best way to approach homecoming or any of those situations is winning the ball game β and it's all about the ball game.
"It'll be fantastic to see the alumni base and whatnot, be connected with those guys, but we're here to try and restore order to what this program meant to us and our experiences and make it better than what it was. We're right in the middle of that right now. Homecoming is more fanfare."Β
