Joey Capra was fully prepared to kickstart his post-football career in the work force as an emergency medical technician (EMT).
Just over three months later, Capra’s playing career found a pulse with the Arizona Wildcats’ offensive line and he’s recently taken over starting duties at right tackle.
Capra called his path to Tucson “kind of a crazy journey.”
Arizona senior offensive lineman Joey Capra started his first game at the UA against Houston. Capra, recruited to play guard and center, started at right tackle.
Capra grew up in Auburn, California, a “small-town vibe” in Northern California with “great football,” he said. After a standout career at Placer High School, where he played tackle, Capra committed to Oregon to follow in his older brother’s footsteps in Eugene. When Jacob Capra transferred to San Diego State and finished his collegiate career with the Aztecs, the younger Capra followed.
Capra signed with San Diego State in 2019 and played three seasons at SDSU, before transferring to Nevada for two seasons. He started 13 games in two seasons at guard for the Wolfpack. Following five college seasons at two schools, Capra entered his name in the transfer portal with one season of eligibility left.
Capra returned to California to reunite with Jacob, who helped his younger brother keep the door open for a return to football.
“He told me once spring ball was over, there’s going to be some schools that are ready to look for me, so I stayed in football shape and he ran me through workouts,” Capra said. “I was going to the gym, so I was in conditioning and lifting shape.”
While keeping football in the back of his mind, Capra became a nationally certified EMT in Anaheim, California, at Angel Stadium.
“I would look at a giant face of Mike Trout every single day while I’m eating my lunch,” Capra said with a chuckle.
Capra was two days away from a job interview in Anaheim when the Arizona coaching staff phoned him on Aug. 5 to inquire about adding depth to the UA offensive line’s interior group at center and guard.
“I was like, ‘Of course, I would love to,’” Capra said. “I got all of my clothes in a trash bag and drove on over from Orange County, and now I’m here.”
Capra previously had a beard and a mullet while playing at Nevada, but the EMT career required him to trim down the facial hair to a mustache — a look akin to a “Super Trooper,” according to Arizona coach Brent Brennan — and lose the mullet.
“I don’t know if you want an EMT pulling up to you in a mullet and a big beard,” Capra said.
Since Capra arrived at Arizona within weeks of the Wildcats’ season opener, he’s been “drinking from a firehose” to absorb the information and the verbiage of the UA offense.
“A lot of material coming at you quick,” Capra said.
Capra didn’t have the luxury of participating in the spring football practice schedule and player-run practices in the summer. He was so far behind, during a team-bonding trip to a bowling alley, “we were so pressed for time for me to learn the playbook, I would bowl and then go into the corner with my coach and study the plays until it was my turn again,” Capra said.
“We definitely found ways around me learning the playbook, but it’s been a scramble trying to get everything in,” he added.
Brennan described the UA offensive line as “musical chairs” due to injuries with starting left tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai and guard Leif Magnuson — and former starter Raymond Pulido leaving the team for personal reasons.
Coming out of a bye week, in Arizona’s 27-3 win over Houston, Capra started at right tackle, which marked the sixth different starting offensive line combination for Arizona this season. Capra is the fourth different starting right tackle for the UA this season, joining Ryan Stewart, Michael Wooten and Jonah Savaiinaea, who moved to left tackle after Tapa’atoutai’s injury. Wooten started in Arizona’s losses to West Virginia and UCF.
Capra struggled in his first start, surrendering seven quarterback pressures and three sacks against Houston, according to Pro Football Focus; he received a 44.4 pass-blocking grade by PFF. Brennan gave the 6-4, 301-pound Capra grace, “because he’s playing a little bit out of position.”
“To see him contributing in a meaningful way is awesome,” Brennan said. “He’s one of those guys who loves coming to work every day, loves being a part of the team, the guys on the team really like him. He’s just a really good dude, great energy. He just continues to work, because when we started, he was learning everything for the first time in training camp. He’s played a bunch of different spots on the O-Line, from center to guard to tackle. We felt like he gave us a little bit of stability there.”
Capra doesn’t mind the growing pains.
“I love it. They brought me in as a center. Centers have to know the whole offensive line, so it’s just flipping your technique a little bit,” he said. “It’s been a fun learning curve. ... Offensive line all works together for a common goal. Having that trust for anyone put in that position and understanding that they know what they need to do for their job is definitely important. Switching around can be stressful but when you have trust in the fellow player, it’s easy.”
Three schools in six years, along with multiple position changes on the offensive line, “it’s been a journey” for Arizona’s EMT-trained right tackle.
“It’s been fun,” Capra said. “Once I arrived at Arizona, I was nervous about being the new guy, especially coming in at fall camp, but this team has done a great job in welcoming me and everyone is really accepting.
“I’ve had a lot of fun being a part of this team.”
T-Mac, Loop semifinalists for two national awards
Arizona junior wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and senior kicker Tyler Loop were named semifinalists for two national awards on Tuesday. McMillan is one of 11 receivers up for the Biletnikoff Award, while Loop was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, an annual honor given to the top college football kicker.
McMillan has 69 receptions for 1,136 yards, which ranks third in college football, along with seven touchdowns this season. McMillan, who leads the Big 12 in receiving this season, is 112 yards away from becoming Arizona’s all-time receiving yards leader, passing UA legend and Arizona wide receivers coach Bobby Wade. McMillan’s 25 career receiving touchdowns ranks third in UA history.
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4), right, gets a helmet butt from running back Kedrick Reescano (3) after he hauled in a touchdown catch early in the first quarter against Houston in their Big 12 game on Nov. 15, 2024.
Fans can vote for the Biletnikoff Award at BiletnikoffAward.com/fan-vote.
Loop is one of 20 semifinalists up for the Lou Groza Award — joined by two kickers from the Big 12: Gino Garcia (Texas Tech) and Will Ferrin (BYU).
This season, Loop has made 16 of 20 (80%) field goals, including 5 of 7 from at least 50 yards. In the Wildcats’ 27-3 win over Houston on Friday, Loop made a program-record 62-yard field goal, beating the record by 5 yards.
Arizona place kicker Tyler Loop (33) gets congratulated after hitting a 51-yard field goal in the third quarter against Houston.
Loop also set a record with five field goals in Arizona’s loss to Texas Tech earlier this season, which earned him Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Over his five-year career at Arizona, Loop has scored 312 points, which is tied with running back Ka’Deem Carey for the third-most in UA football history. The current record-holder for most points scored by a Wildcat is kicker Max Zendejas.
