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Dec 21, 2013; Albuquerque, NM, USA; Washington State Cougars defensive line coach Joe Salave'a reacts against the Colorado State Rams during the Gildan New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona Training Camp Day 5: Joe Salave'a

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Nathaniel Martinez | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 6:00 AM ET

Associate head coach/defensive line coach Joe Salave'a took to the stand after day 5 of fall training camp to answer questions from the media.

Salave'a returned to Arizona after 14 years of coaching at other universities. Those schools include Washington State, Oregon and Miami.

Salave'a brings nine seasons worth of NFL experience to the Wildcasts for head coach Brent Brennans second year.

The process on how to develop players

"I think that the big thing is you have to dive into the mental state of the young man. Does he really love football, or does he like football? There's two differences in those approaches. Part of that in your vetting process is you got to put those young men in specific situations, whether it be in the classroom, on a board talk. What kind of football awareness IQ do they have, but also on the work on the grass. Do they have what it takes to be coachable? And then you got to look at their traits. Do they have any kind of athletic traits? Because that's the other piece of it all, you like the perfect one. But so long as a kid has tenacity, physicality, mindset, a good football understanding, you have a chance, but you have to coach those little things. Are they dynamic enough? You can't have a powerful young man that cannot go from zero to 60 because they're so heavy for them. So as a coach, you've got to create some drills and things that address those things while you're still working.

Process of how to evaluate defensive line prospects

"You got to look at the kid's frame, does he have growth potential? You got to see that first, because certain frames are not going to grow any bigger than what they are. So there's a little bit of that size, that medical piece to it. Again, does he also fit what we do? Some body types are probably not suited for certain schemes, but obviously, those are the things that I'm looking for. You really got to hone in on the young man's frame, Does he have the frame that can put on, or is he going to be tapping out at a certain point? So, those are the things that we kind of look at."

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Dick Tomey and his legacy with Arizona and Hawaii

You're talking about people-driven Coach Tony had a way with everyone, no matter what their racial background was, and you see it in the way people respond to him. If you didn't know Coach, you probably thought he grew up in the islands, because you go around the islands and everybody still acknowledges him to this day because of what he is, and what he brings to the table, and how he treated everyone. It's a big deal to know that both programs have had the honor and pleasure to have Coach represent each organization, so excited for the opportunity."

Impressions of Chase Kennedy, who switched to the offensive line

I think that's the beauty of the system. When you have those types of players that have dual ability to not just off the ball, but online distributors, you know, then you would have the chance to really miss and match and dial it up...But it's an exciting thing about it, you know, it just gives you another extra speed on the field, you know, to having those guys on the line streaming. So they've been cross training with us, so, but we'll continue to build again. It's still early."

Secondary linemen and their elevation at Arizona

"Bear, Jarra is doing some good things. He's flashy. I'm proud of him. He's a young man that was injured a year ago and just hadn't really caught a good break. So he's finally healthy and he's doing some things and showing good twitch and vertical movement. So excited for him. Leroy, he's starting to put things together. He's a young man from Cerritos and I'm excited for him. He's got, good physical presence, and he's going to continue to grow. He's pushing for a position and playing time. Julian is one man that's very instinctive, really got good awareness, just hadn't had an opportunity up until now to get on there and he's starting to push for more reps. Eduwa put on some pounds. It's good to see his transformation from a year ago to the spring to now fall. I think Eduwa, if he continues to put on some of that muscle tissue and mass on his frame, he's a young man that has really, really quick twitch speed. So he's also showing that with that added muscle on his frame, he's able to take on the blocks. It's good to see him perform. Malachi off of the edge, he's accumulated a lot of playing time and from his previous stop, he's going to have a chance with us."

This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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