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RANCHO RESORT MAINTANANCE POSITION General A1 Communications Cable Techs Health Care Sierra Tucson Eating Disorders Program Coordinator UA SportsWILLIE TUITAMA SEEKS PLACE IN ua HISTORY
Will he be the one?Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.24.2008
Willie Tuitama spreads his right hand wide open, the one he uses to launch footballs down the sidelines and into tight spaces, and rattles off his keys to excellence. There are three of them.
"I want to throw for 5,000 yards this year. I want to throw 35 touchdowns," he says, ticking his goals off on his fingers. "And picks — I don't want to throw any picks."
The Arizona Wildcats star quarterback embraces the numbers heading into his final season, in part because he is defined by them:
● Jersey number: 7.
● Career passing yards: 6,123.
● Career touchdowns: 44.
● School records broken: 10.
● Winning seasons under center: zero and counting.
"That's something I think about every day," Tuitama said. "The numbers are really all we have now. I hope by the end of this year, we'll go down as a team that went through a lot through our first three years but made the most of our last chance."
Tuitama, 21, posted arguably the greatest season in UA quarterbacking history as a junior in 2007.
A repeat performance this season would move him squarely to the forefront of Arizona's great quarterbacks.
The list is not long.
The UA has not produced a first-team all-conference quarterback since joining the Pac-10 Conference 30 years ago. During that time, only two quarterbacks — Alfred Jenkins and John Conner — have been taken in the NFL draft. And Jenkins was promptly moved to tight end.
The last UA quarterback to take a snap in the NFL was Bill Demory, an undrafted free agent who started three games for the New York Jets in 1973.
"That was a long time ago," Demory said. "It's hard to believe that in all that time, the U of A hasn't had somebody stumble into the NFL and take a snap."
Tuitama could change that if his 2008 numbers are similar to last year's 3,683 yards and 28 touchdowns.
If Tuitama can reach his 2008 goals, he will finish his UA career with more than 11,000 passing yards — nearly 4,000 more than all-time leader Tom Tunnicliffe.
Some brand Tuitama as a "system quarterback" because of the pass-happy attack run by the Wildcats. Tuitama may finish with the most completions, yards and touchdowns of any quarterback in Arizona history — but he also will have the most attempts, incomplete passes and sacks.
There's a fine line between being the busiest quarterback in Arizona history and being the best.
Many believe Tuitama's legacy will hinge on whether he can carry the team into the postseason for the first time since 1998.
The Wildcats haven't finished with a winning record in nine years.
With Tuitama at the helm, Arizona has posted marks of 3-8, 6-6 and 5-7.
"I have goals. And I know if these goals are reached, that means our offense is going to be on top," he said.
"We'll be putting points on the board and I'll be leading this team somewhere we should have been a long time ago."
Back to the 70s
The last Arizona Wildcats quarterback to take a snap in the NFL is 57 years old now, an economics professor who remembers his playing days with a heavy dose of perspective.
After all, Demory has been out of pro football since 1975.
"If people ask and want to talk about it, I do," he said. "If not, I'm not going to bore them."
But Demory is, depending on your interpretation, either a key piece of University of Arizona history or a sad reminder of the football program's history under center.
The Wildcats have started 42 quarterbacks since Demory signed with the New York Jets in 1973. None has done well enough to warrant a snap in a National Football League regular-season game.
Since Demory retired in 1975, every other Pac-10 team has produced at least two quarterbacks who have taken snaps in the NFL.
"For some reason or another, we haven't been to a Rose Bowl and haven't had a quarterback drafted," said former UA quarterback Keith Smith, 32.
"Who knows? Maybe that's the reason we haven't been to a Rose Bowl. I don't know. But it's weird."
Arizona claims three quarterbacks with major professional football experience: Fred W. Enke, Eddie Wilson and Demory. Enke is the only one to start a full season in the NFL.
"Kind of odd, isn't it?" Demory said. "It's kind of embarrassing, actually, when you look at the competitor up in Tempe and what they've been able to do."
The bottom line: Win games, Willie
The Star talked with many of the UA's greatest quarterbacks and coaches about Tuitama's place in history; nearly all gave the quarterback an incomplete. Some even passed on judging, knowing so much has yet to be written.
Former UA coach Jim Young, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, said Tuitama will be defined by his senior season.
"He's certainly a great talent, but his rankings won't be determined until this fall," Young, 73, said. "All the other great quarterbacks were winners. That's what he really needs to do this fall: win."
Tuitama has posted impresive numbers, but questions remain. How the quarterback answers them will determine both his place in program history and whether Arizona can qualify for a bowl game this season.
● Can he stay healthy?
Tuitama suffered one massive concussion in early 2006 and "aftershocks" in three other games. He stayed healthy as a junior and said he doesn't consider the possibility of another head injury heading into his final year.
"I don't worry about getting hit," he said. "They are something that happened, I recovered from it and I'm fine."
● Can he handle expectations?
Tuitama has been at the helm of the offense since 2005, when coach Mike Stoops broke the freshman's redshirt season to spark a stagnant offense. Though he's been productive as a Wildcat, Tuitama really began this summerto embrace his role as team leader. He planned early-morning 7-on-7 drills, and has taken an active role in Stoops' team council.
"I think I've grown 10 times," he said. "I'm not the same kid I was when I came in here the summer before my freshman year."
● Can he deliver under pressure?
The Wildcats' quarterback has led upsets over No. 7 UCLA (2005) and No. 2 Oregon (2007), but has struggled with Arizona's season on the line. Tuitama has not beaten Arizona State in three tries. In two of those games, a win would have assured Arizona of a bowl berth.
The Stockton, Calif., native has a mixed record with the game on the line. He led the Cats on game-winning drives against BYU in 2006 and Washington in 2007, but has fallen short in other games. In 2007, Tuitama had five chances to engineer a game-winning or game-tying drive in the fourth quarter.
In four of those games — New Mexico, Stanford, USC and Arizona State — Tuitama did not succeed, and Arizona lost.
"Players are so much better today — and better coached," Enke, 83, said. "It's really about putting together a winning attitude more than anything. There's competition all the time."
There's no doubting Tuitama — tall, strong and talented — has the skills needed to succeed as a college senior and move on to the pros. No quarterback in the Pac-10 throws a better deep ball, and few are better at hitting wide receivers either in stride or on precise routes.
Tuitama's problem has been inconsistency: While he finished second in the Pac-10 in total yards a year ago, his quarterback rating was fifth. He completed 62.3 percent of his attempts, even though most were short, high-percentage passes.
"I think he's got the ability to go the NFL," said Wilson, 68. "But obviously, the No. 1 stat everybody looks at from a QB is wins and losses as a starter. You can throw for 500 yards a game. But if you lose 50-36, does that really matter?"
Tuitama insists he's not concerned with breaking records or posting eye-popping stats. The statistics are a means to an end: a winning season and bowl game.
Tuitama's legacy depends on it.
"Turning this program around will take more than numbers — those are going to come," Stoops said. "The biggest goal for Willie is to win."
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