In 1956, UA freshman receiver Willie Peete of Mesa High School started the Wildcats’ opening game against Montana, played both ways, and for the next four seasons became the second Black football player (behind UA Hall of Famer Ed Brown) to letter four seasons at Arizona.
Willie Peete, University of Arizona football player in the mid-1950s, was recruited from Mesa High School.
That was just the beginning of Peete’s legacy. He became the UA’s first Black football assistant coach in 1971, coaching the Wildcats for 12 seasons. His two sons, Skip and Rodney, became all-City players at Sahuaro High School, Willie then went on to a 15-year NFL coaching career.
Sadly, Peete died last week at age 87. He was soft-spoken, a classy gentleman who earned his master’s degree from the UA before going full-time into coaching.
On my first day as a football beat writer at the Star, my managing editor assigned me to interview Peete and ask him about the in-progress NCAA investigation of the UA football program for transgressions of the Tony Mason years, 1977-79. I was to ask Peete if he was aware of any illegal payments made to players he had helped to recruit. I dreaded the assignment.
After I introduced myself, Peete politely answered my questions, denying any involvement in illegal payments. He then shook my hand and said “it’s nice to meet you’’ and until he left for the NFL two years later, would walk up to me at practice sessions almost every day and ask how me and my family were doing.
The UA inducts football players with 10 or more years of NFL service into the Ring of Honor at Arizona Stadium. Notable alumnus Willie Peete coached in the NFL for 15 years. Isn’t he overdue for induction?
Willie Peete was a University of Arizona football star who returned to coach under four Wildcats head coaches.
