UA legend Chris McAlister 'super excited to come back and support Arizona' as honorary captain for season opener

Last year’s Arizona team was in the same breath as the 12-1 UA squad that won the Holiday Bowl in 1998.

Arizona’s three losses were the fewest losses in a season since ’98, and the Wildcats earned their highest Associated Press Poll ranking.

For No. 21-ranked Arizona’s season opener against the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday at Arizona, the UA brought back one of the faces of that ’98 Holiday Bowl in Chris McAlister, who was a standout cornerback and kick returner for the Wildcats, as an honorary captain.

“Man, I’m super excited to come back and support Arizona, being a part of the alumni,” McAlister said. “I’m excited for the season and to be a captain. I’m just glad they brought this old guy back out there.”

In three seasons at Arizona from 1996-98, McAlister carved out one of the best defensive careers in UA history. McAlister, a UA Sports Hall of Famer, was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection and an All-American in ’98.

McAlister helped Arizona to a Holiday Bowl victory to end the Wildcats’ 12-1 season in 1998, the best season in program history. McAlister’s 18 career interceptions at Arizona ranks third in program history behind Chuck Cecil (21) and Jackie Wallace (20). McAlister is one of seven players in college football history to return a kickoff, punt and interception for a touchdown in the same season.

McAlister became the 10th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft and won one Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, which had one of the best defenses in NFL history. McAlister was an All-Pro selection in 2003. In 11 seasons as an NFL player, mostly with the Ravens, McAlister recorded 431 tackles, 137 pass deflections, 26 interceptions and seven touchdowns.

McAlister joined ESPN Tucson’s “Spears and Ali” earlier this week to talk about being the honorary captain, Arizona memories, UA coaches and playing for one of the best defenses in NFL history.

How do you reflect on your time at Arizona?

A: “My time there, the coaches I had there, the teammates I had, it was the best times of my life, and it prepared to go have a good career in the NFL. ... The program over the last couple of years has been accelerating and going in the right direction. I’m just excited to see where it goes from here.”

What was it like being a part of that Ravens defense in 2000 that only allowed 10.3 points per game?

A: “The only way to describe it is magical. We had a front seven that was dominant. We had a back end that was super solid. Being a part of that generation with that dynasty and those guys — man, Ray (Lewis) is probably the best leader of men out there on the football field.

“They made my job easy. Having great talent around me allowed me to be free and have fun. It was an experience that is hard to describe in a sentence, but it’s one of those things you’ll never forget.”

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When you played at Arizona, you were under the direction of Dick Tomey, the winningest coach in UA football history. How was your relationship with him?

A: “My relationship with Dick Tomey was unique, because not only was he my coach at Arizona, but he was also my father’s coach at UCLA. There’s some deep ties. I chose to come to Arizona because Dick Tomey was there and the relationship that preexisted with my father. He was my father away from home — and he was like that with a lot of other players.

“He was the most honest and genuine man I’ve had the opportunity to play (for). There’s not enough words to say about the late, great Dick Tomey.”

How important is it to have players of your caliber return to the UA and interact with the athletes?

A: “It’s important to the current players. They see the organization and the coaching staff wants all of us who were once Wildcats and a part of the family to remain part of the family, and I think it’s the right way to go about it. It’s what is going to take Arizona to that next realm of competitiveness, is having input from current players, but also letting the older alumni be a part of the program that can positively affect it.”

Arizona defensive coordinator Duane Akina has become known for mentoring defensive backs. As a cornerback, why is Akina a good coach?

A: “He’s going to give it to you raw. The one thing he did when he was coaching me, and this is the story I always tell all the time: the first game of the season during my first year there, I had two interceptions in that game. We won, I was feeling really good about going back to watch the game tape, and I was super excited. We get into the meeting and he plays right by the interceptions like it didn’t exist and moved on to the next play. I was sitting there, like, ‘OK.’ He pointed out the things I did wrong. I sat there and realized maybe after a while, maybe halfway through the season (he’ll praise me). I noticed this in practice tapes, noticed this in game tapes, and halfway through the season he was like, ‘What do you want me to do, pat you on the back for doing your job?’ I sat there, like, ‘You’re absolutely right. I’m just doing my job.’

“He’s a coach that demands you to pay attention to the little details in your job — and he wants you to be good at every aspect of it. That’s why he’s had such great success as a coach — especially DBs — his entire life.”

Why do you think that 1998 Arizona team was so successful?

A: “I think it’s because we all came in around the same time. I might’ve gotten there a year later, but that group had played together for three years. That third year, there were a lot of things off the field we did together. We didn’t have the transfer portal like the guys now. We spent the offseason together, we worked out together, we had our little cookouts and barbecues.

“We played basketball in the offseason, trained and went back to each other’s houses in California. It was like a family. That’s what made it easy for us to stick together. That’s why it was so much fun playing for each other, because we were committed to each other; not just on the field, but off the field.”

What are your expectations for this year’s Arizona team?

A: “I think there’s a lot of potential. I don’t want to jinx anything, but moving into a different conference will give us a another opportunity to go out here and prove teams exactly how good we are. I think the sky’s the limit. I think they can accomplish anything they put their mind towards. I think the coach has them heading in the right direction.”