The more I research the life and death of 1920s Arizona quarterback John “Button” Salmon, the more I suspect he was fatally injured in an automobile accident near Florence because his friend, driving the car, was going too fast on substandard roads after dark.
Sadly, they were going too fast because Salmon reportedly was trying to get back to the UA campus to meet the football team's 10:30 p.m. curfew.
Salmon died 100 years ago this weekend; the night before his death, he told coach Pop McKale, “Tell the team, tell them to Bear Down.”
Now, a century later, “Bear Down” is one of the leading slogans in college athletics, in my opinion. Here's my list of the best, in no particular order:
“Roll Tide,” Alabama.
“Hook ‘Em,” Texas.
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Arizona players touch the bust of John “Button” Salmon at the end of the Wildcat Walk prior to the game against Baylor, November 22, 2025, Tucson, Ariz.
“Bear Down,” Arizona.
“Rocky Top,” Tennessee.
“Fight On,” USC.
“Rock Chalk, Jayhawk,” Kansas.
“Boomer Sooner,” Oklahoma.
“Woo Pig Sooie,” Arkansas.
“Hotty Toddy,” Ole Miss.
That's quite a legacy from the 23-year-old quarterback from Bisbee.
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