"Tell them … tell the team to bear down"

Saints RB Mike Bell lone UA player in game

Some links of interest regarding Mike Bell, who rushed for 3,163 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Cats from 2002-2005:

• Bell’s New Orleans Saints’ bio page
• Bell highlight reel at NFL.com
• Anthony Gimino included Bell in a TucsonCitizen.com poll regarding the UA’s top offensive players last decade and the former Cats running back finished fifth out of five choices
• Indianapolis Star reports that New Orleans is performing well with Bell part of its running back by committee
• The Denver Post reports that Bell gets back in business with Saints’ backfield
• Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reports that Bell, also formerly of Phoenix Tolleson High School, heeds wake-up call
  

ARIZONA PLAYERS IN THE SUPER BOWL

1. Tedy Bruschi, LB. >>Five (1997, 2002, 2004-05, 2008, Patriots)
2. Glenn Parker, OL. >>Five (1991-94, 2001, Bills and Giants)
3. Vance Johnson, WR. >>Three (1987-88, 1990, Broncos)
4. Randy Robbins, S. >>Three (1987-88, 1990, Broncos)
5. John Fina, OL. >>Two (1993, 1994, Bills)
6. Ricky Hunley, LB. >>Two (1987-88, Broncos)
7. Mike Freeman, C. >>Two (1987-88, Broncos)
8. Theo Bell, WR. >>Two (1979-80, Steelers)
9. Jackie Wallace, CB. >>Two (1975, 1980, Vikings, Rams)
10. Michael Johnson, DB. >>One (2008, Giants)
11. Antonio Pierce, LB. >>One (2008, Giants)
12. Mike Bell, RB. >>One (2010, Saints)
13. Lance Briggs, LB. >>One (2007, Bears)
14. Joe Tafoya, DE. >>One (2006, Seahawks)
15. Josh Miller, P. >>One (2005, Patriots)
16. Frank Middleton, OL. >>One (2003, Raiders)
17. Trung Canidate, RB. >>One (2002, Rams)
18. Brandon Manumaleuna, TE. >>One (2002, Rams)
19. Edwin Mulitalo, OL. >>One (2001, Ravens)
20. Chris McAlister, CB. >>One (2001, Ravens)
21. Joe Salave’a, DT. >>One (2000, Titans)
22. Jose Portilla, OL. >>One (1999, Falcons)
23. Brad Henke, DT. >>One (1990, Broncos)
24. Mitch Hoopes, P. >>One (1976, Cowboys)
25. Ron Gardin, WR. >>(1971, Colts)

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Lower-rated Mayes played well against 5-star Lamb

By Javier Morales and Anthony Gimino

If basketball was played in accordance to Rivals.com ratings, Arizona commit Jordin Mayes of Los Angeles Westchester would have struggled mightily a couple of months ago against another recruiting target for UA coach Sean Miller and his staff. Mayes, a combo guard, was matched against Doron Lamb of Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy in the Les Schwab Invitational in Hillsboro, Ore., and the Rivals.com three-star player held his own against the five-star Lamb. Westchester defeated Oak Hill 52-47 and Mayes equaled Lamb with 16 points. Mayes also had three rebounds, two assists and one turnover in 30 minutes. Lamb fouled out and had four turnovers with one assist in 32 minutes. “I really don’t pay attention to anything else except what I have to do on the court for my team,” Mayes told us this week when asked about being rated No. 106 by Rivals.com. “My game speaks for itself. I know I can go in there and help Arizona in a lot of ways as a point guard and shooting guard.”

Mayes, credited for his basketball IQ by recruiting experts, grew up playing basketball under the guidance of his father Darryel Mayes, who played under Jerry Tarkanian at UNLV in 1979-80. The younger Mayes, who was raised in Portland in the same neighborhood of Damon and Salim Stoudamire, has watched plenty of video of his close family friends. “I didn’t get to really see Damon play when he was at Arizona because he’s a little older than me, but I remember seeing Salim play,” Jordin Mayes said. “I have a lot of respect for them and how they played the game.” When Damon Stoudamire led the UA to the Final Four in 1994, Jordin Mayes was almost 1. … Despite Rivals.com’s rankings, Jordin Mayes’ harshest critic is probably his father. “Jordin has to learn more about managing the game and getting better at that,” the elder Mayes said unprovoked. “He has the skills to score big points when he needs to. As a point guard, he has to get others involved. But as he matures, he will understand more that he must keep the defense on its heels. Sean and his staff can see the ability of Jordin scoring when the opportunity presents itself. When the play calls for a bucket, get that bucket. Don’t pass up that shot. That’s called playing too nice.”…

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Dean says QB’s quick style in pocket is different

By Anthony Gimino and Javier Morales

Delashaun Dean

Former Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama was productive in coordinator Sonny Dykes’ spread offense in the past two years, and Tuitama played long enough and well enough to become the career passing leader at Arizona and set various other throwing records. But Tuitama’s background wasn’t in the spread offense. He wasn’t hard-wired to instinctively make the kind of reads that many other quarterbacks — such as UA sophomore Nick Foles — do as a matter of habit because that’s what they did throughout their high school days. With Tuitama, it was a bit of a matter of fitting a square peg into a round hole. Arizona senior receiver Delashaun Dean was asked this week about the differences between Tuitama and Foles, and Dean said that Foles plays with a greater pace. “His style is pretty much get it and go. It’s a lot quicker than Willie was,” Dean said. “They’re both great quarterbacks. They’re both great in the pocket, but I think he gets the ball out a lot quicker than Willie. Willie was more of ‘read down the field.’ Nick is more ‘OK, I’m going to take what I can get, whether it be a shot or it be 5 yards. He just puts more trust in us on the outside because we run a lot of screens. That’s pretty much been our bread and butter all year. For that to be a success, you have to get the ball out quick, and I think that’s what he brings to the table that Willie probably didn’t.” …

Foles does have a knack for saying the right things. Take, for example, his response to the Cats being nationally ranked: “It’s great for our program, but I think we have gone about it really well. We know we have a lot of games ahead of us. We still have a lot of tough games, and we’re haven’t proven anything yet. If we’re still there at the end, we’ll enjoy it then.” …

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    Eben Britton

It was an eventful training camp for players with Arizona ties.

Fan favorite Tedy Bruschi retired from the Patriots and joined ESPN as an analyst. Rookie free agent safety Nate Ness was cut three times — from the Browns, Jets and Saints. Wide receiver Bobby Wade, entering his eighth season in the league, was cut Thursday from the Vikings despite 107 catches in two years with the team. He won’t be catching passes from Brett Favre.

Elsewhere, the Browns plucked running back Chris Jennings — who arrived at Arizona as a junior college walk-on — from the Canadian Football League. He didn’t survive the final cut, but was re-signed to the practice squad.

Meanwhile, former All-Pro cornerback Chris McAlister is looking for work, trying to come back from two seasons of knee problems. He tells the L.A. Times he’ll be back next week. And, oh yeah, his Beverly Hills-area home is for sale at $7.9 million.

For now, 14 ex-Cats are on active NFL rosters. Here is the list:

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