Richards is a 6-4, 213, redshirt Senior from Palmdale, CA. Statistically Richards had his best years as a RS Freshman when he caught 29 passes for 298 yards (10.3 ypc) and 3 TDs. In the last 2 years he has totaled 38 catches for 359 yards (9.45 ypc) and 2 TDs.
If you have seen Richards in person the first thing you would notice is that he is significantly bigger this year. Having old weights on the official roster my be an oversight or some diabolical plan by Coach Rod, but the first small DB who tries to tackle Richards by themselves will tell you how hard Richards has worked in the off season. Richards will be starting opposite Cayleb Jones on the outside and he is going to provide a mismatch most teams will not be able to handle.
I'm always drunk on kool aid this time of year, but I expect Richards to have his best year as a Wildcat. With focus on Jones, Grant and Phillips, Richards is going to be the most overlooked of the starting receivers which may make him the most open.
Smothers is a 6-2, 232, Senior linebacker from Chicago, IL. A JC transfer from Scottsdale CC Smothers played in 9 games last year as a reserve linebacker and on special teams, but had no tackles on the year. He is not on the opening day depth chart, but will likely be a reserve linebacker and special teams player this year.
Darryll Lewis played running back and cornerback at Arizona from 1987-1990. As a senior, Lewis shared the P12 Defensive POY award with some guy named Emtman from Washington and won the Jim Thorpe Award at the nation's best defensive back. Here's Anthony Gimino on why Lewis is the #8 player in Arizona football history:
4 is the number of Arizona players in the College Football Hall of Fame: Ricky Hundley, Chuck Cecil, Rob Waldrop, and Tedy Bruschi.Darryll Lewis started 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 1987 — at running back — and coach Dick Tomey at the time called him “our best all-around back.” The coaches, especially secondary coach Duane Akina, also saw something else in Lewis, moving him to cornerback in 1988.
“He was a spectacular competitor,” Tomey said this month. “He made play after play.”
“D-Lew” wasn’t a blazer, but he was plenty tough at 5 feet 9 and 186 pounds, excelling in bump-and-run-coverage.
“I told our guys, I don’t want the ball thrown on the same side of the field as Darryll Lewis,” Washington State coach Mike Price said in a 1990 USA Today story.
He said that a few weeks after Lewis had defeated UCLA with a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final minute, lifting the Wildcats to a 28-21 win in Pasadena. Bruins quarterback Tommy Maddox had been trying to connect with split end Reggie Moore along the sideline.
Lewis’ overall performance in the third game of the season was even more remarkable. He intercepted two passes, returning one 52 yards for a touchdown, and made the game-saving tackle in a 22-17 victory over Oregon.
On a fourth-and-goal play from the 1, Ducks quarterback Bill Musgrave rolled to his right and made a dash for the corner of the end zone. Lewis came from the back of the end zone, and leveled a hit on Musgrave that turned the quarterback sideways and out of bounds inside the 1.
“It’s absolutely the last play of the game, it’s absolutely do or die … I mean, what a play,” Tomey said.
(Check out both game-winning plays in the video below.)
Lewis led the Pac-10 with seven interceptions that season, also ranking fourth in punt returns with a 10.0-yard average. His 14 career interceptions rank fifth in school history. He was the second first-team AP All-American in school history.
It's like Javier has given up on daily trivia. I must of been the only one who liked it. Well, here is more info on Lewis and some Chuck Levy.NO. 4
Desert Swarm and UA’s offense too much for Miami in historic Fiesta Bowl shutout
SCORE: No. 16 Arizona Wildcats 29, No. 10 Miami Hurricanes 0
DATE: January 1, 1994
