1899 — Coach Stuart F. Forbes fields the UA's first football team. The Varsity goes 1-1-1, its one loss coming to Tempe Normal School — later known as Arizona State.
1926 — UA quarterback John "Button" Salmon dies Oct. 18 from injuries sustained in a car accident 12 days earlier. Salmon's last words — "Tell them … tell the team to bear down" — become part of UA lore. The Cats defeat New Mexico State 7-0 within days of his death.
1935 — Ted Bland becomes the first Cat to be named an All-American. Bland's "Blue Brigade" teams go 19-7-1 during his three years (1933-35) as starter. The QB was a three-time All-Border Conference pick.
1944 — Bland is killed in France during World War II. He is 29.
1947 — Fred W. Enke leads the nation with 1,941 total yards, and is named a third-team All-American by The Associated Press.
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1948 — The NFL's Detroit Lions make Enke the 47th overall draft pick. Enke signs with the club for $13,000, bypassing his final two years of eligibility. The contract is drafted by Mo Udall, the quarterback's friend.
1954 — Fred Schuh represents the Border Conference in the annual Border vs. Skyline Conference All-Star Game in Phoenix.
1958 — Ralph Hunsaker sets school records with 191 passes and 1,129 yards.
1961 — Eddie Wilson finishes fifth in the nation with 1,377 yards of total offense. The Associated Press names him a third-team All-American.
1962 — Wilson is selected by the NFL's Lions and AFL's Dallas Texans; he signs with Dallas, and spends four seasons in the AFL.
1966 — Marc Reed throws 20 touchdown passes, a single-season record that stands until 2007.
1972 — The Buffalo Bills draft backup Brian Linstrom in the 16th round of the NFL Draft.
1973 — Coach Jim Young names Bruce Hill the starter after convincing the speedy QB not to transfer. Hill runs for 1,529 yards and nine touchdowns in his first season under center.
1973-74 — Undrafted Bill Demory makes the New York Jets roster as a backup. He is the third — and most recent — Wildcat QB to appear in a regular-season game.
1975 — Hill leads Arizona's "1,2,3" offense to a 9-2 season. The quarterback finishes with 1,747 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, and is intercepted just three times.
1978 — Jim Krohn attempts one pass, the fewest in a game in school history, in a 24-3 win.
1980 — Kevin Ward, one of the most heralded recruits in UA history, starts under center following an injury to Mark Fulcher. Three weeks later, Ward is moved to wide receiver.
1980-83 — Tom Tunnicliffe throws for 7,618 yards and 46 touchdowns, school records that still stand.
1983 — Tunnicliffe leads the Cats to a 7-3-1 record and is named second-team All-Pac-10.
1985 — The Seahawks take backup John Conner in the 10th round of the draft.
1986 — Alfred Jenkins is named Aloha Bowl MVP after throwing for 187 yards and a touchdown in the Wildcats' 30-21 win over North Carolina.
1987 — The Washington Redskins draft Jenkins as a tight end, even though he has never played the position.
1987 — Starter Bobby Watters fractures his thumb in Week 3, forcing safety Jeff Hammerschmidt to move to offense. "Hammer" plays in six games.
1989 — Chuck Levy becomes the first Parade All-America quarterback to sign with the Wildcats. He goes on to star — as a running back.
1992 — Safety Heath Bray starts at quarterback against top-ranked Miami. The Wildcats lose 8-7.
1993 — Arizona does not complete a pass in a 31-10 win over Oregon. The reason: Levy is playing quarterback.
1995 — Dan White throws for 2,181 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior — but the Wildcats finish just 6-5.
1997 — Coach Dick Tomey tabs Brady Batten to start the Insight.com Bowl; the fifth-year senior delivers, completing 7 of 17 passes for 89 yards in a 20-14 win over New Mexico.
1998 — Keith Smith and Ortege Jenkins combine to lead the Wildcats to a 12-1 record, the best mark in school history. Jenkins makes the highlight reels with his "Leap at the Lake" against Washington, but Smith is named second-team All-Pac-10.
2001 — John Rattay transfers to the UA from Tennessee. He throws just 59 passes before his career is cut short by injuries.
2002 — Jason Johnson thrives in coach John Mackovic's passing attack, putting up 3,327 yards and 16 touchdowns.
2003-05 — The Wildcats employ Ryan O'Hara, Nic Costa, Kris Heavner, Richard Kovalcheck and Adam Austin under center. All but Austin eventually transfer, although Heavner eventually returned.
2005 — Freshman Willie Tuitama is named Wildcats starter in midseason.
2006 — Injuries force WR Anthony Johnson to start at quarterback against Oregon State. He goes three-and-out on his first and only possession. Kris Heavner replaces him, and the Wildcats lose.
2007 — Tuitama sets 10 school records, including most passing yards in a game (510) and in a season (3,683) and most touchdown passes in a season (28). Arizona's 308.5 passing yards per game are second in the Pac-10, behind Washington State.
