Arizona Head Coach 'Excited' to Welcome Back Program Legend as Honorary Captain
There is just one day until Arizona gets their highly-anticipated season underway.
By now, Wildcat fans everywhere are ready to stop reading and hearing predictions about how this group might look in the first year of Big 12 action led by new head coach Brent Brennan.
While playing New Mexico isn't anything that will determine their viability for a conference title one way or another, it still is the first opportunity to see how they might perform with Noah Fifita beginning this campaign as the starting quarterback.
Expectations are high for Arizona, something that is foreign to this program.
Winning 10 games and beating Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl will certainly do that, but Brennan has been sure to remind the team that last season is in the past and won't help them on the field this year.
However, that doesn't mean they won't call upon one of their program legends to be an honorary captain.
Super Bowl XXXV Champion, All-Pro & First Round Draft pick, Unanimous All-American and 3x First Team All-Pac 10 and your Honorary Captain against New Mexico!
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) August 29, 2024
Welcome back Chris McAlister🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/qwiZe5QgVH
Chris McAlister is undoubtedly one of the best players to ever suit up for Arizona.
The unanimous All-American and three-time First Team Pac-10 selection finished his career third on the program's all-time interception list with 18, trailing only Chuck Cecil (21) and Jackie Wallace (20).
He also had 122 total tackles and was an elite weapon in the return game, wracking up over 1,000 yards on 43 kick-off returns while taking two back for scores.
McAlister was selected No. 10 overall by the Baltimore Ravens in 1999 and became a huge reason why they won their first-ever Super Bowl when he took a missed field goal back 107 yards for a touchdown in what was a then-NFL record.
While it will be great to have the program legend in Arizona Stadium as honorary captain, Brennan is also excited to have the star defender back because of a connection they had during McAlister's playing days.
"What an incredible player he was. I kind of got a chance to see him firsthand because my brother was on those teams, and just what a brilliant player. Actually, I was a graduate assistant, my first college game as a graduate assistant at the University of Hawaii, and Chris McAlister housed the opening kickoff like 140 yards," the head coach said per Jason Scheer of 247Sports. "I remember watching him run down the field. He was so impressive. We're excited to have him back. Obviously a legendary Wildcat, a great person, a great NFL player. Any time we can get our former players to come back, we want them here."
Brennan eventually served as a graduate assistant for Arizona in 2000 before taking the wide receivers coaching position at Cal Poly a year later.
Fast forward to now, the former GA is on the sideline leading this program, something he noted feels different compared to openers in the past.
"I think it has to be different. This is the first game here. I have different connections to Arizona than I had at San Jose. Both places are really special to me. That part of it is cool, but there is always a little bit of nervous enthusiasm for the start of the season. Just to get started because there's been so much work and time put in the last seven months and we finally get to play football," he said.
This comes on the heels of Arizona naming their captains after a team vote.
One thing is certain, there is a lot of excitement heading into the opener with McAlister back in the stadium and a new era of Wildcats football getting underway.
BRAD WAKAI