Arizona Football Top Five All-Time Safeties

Throughout its history, Arizona football has seen many ups and downs with the program making 22 bowl games and recording four 10-win seasons. In 1998, the Wildcats finished with a school-record 12 wins capped off with a 23-20 win over Nebraska.

As the program gears up for its 122nd season with head coach Brent Brennan entering his second season at the helm, we will be ranking the top five players at each position to get you ready for the 2025 season.

As we continue throughout this position process of breaking down the top five players of all-time, we have arrived at safeties, which is a deep and rich position filled with high-level talent and players that made it to the next level:

5. Jeff Hammerschmiidt (1987-90)

During his playing career at Arizona, safety Jeff Hammerscmidt was a four-year letterman and three-year starter on the defensive unit. Hammerscmidt was named to the first-team All-Pac-10 team and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.

4. Brandon Sanders (1992-95)

When everything was said and done for Brandon Sanders at Arizona he ranked third in school history in pass breakups while racking up 199 total tackles, five sacks and nine interceptions in 46 career starts.

Sanders was a key piece to one of the most historic defenses in college football history, the “Desert Swarm” defense established Arizona as a defensive minded school. While playing safety, he was part of the 1993 season where UA went 10-2 capping off the year with a dominating 29-0 win over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

3. Dave Liggins (1978-80)

After playing a season at Cincinnati, safety Dave Liggins transferred to Arizona following then-head coach Tony Mason to Tucson. Liggins was able to become an important piece to UA’s defense starting in 33 career games with the Wildcats.

During his career with Arizona, Liggins was a ballhawking safety snagging 13 interceptions, sitting seventh all-time in program history. 

Two of those interceptions came in the 1979 Fiesta Bowl where he picked off future hall of fame player Dan Marino and won defensive MVP despite the 16-10 loss.

In his senior season, Liggins received the honor of being selected as an All-Pac-10 player.

2. Tony Bouie (1991-94)

One of the most awarded safeties in program history is Tony Bouie, who was one of the leaders of the “Desert Swarm” defense. Bouie was named an All-Pac-10 first-team selection twice and an All-American during the 1994 season.

For his career, Bouie has 13 interceptions which puts at a tie for seventh in program history. In his senior season, he totaled 54 tackles.

1. Chuck Cecil (1984-87)

When talking about the greatest Arizona players of all-time and not just at a single position, the name Chuck Cecil is always brought up and must come about, or it's just not an accurate conversation.

The College Football Hall of Fame player was the face of the program known for his gritty play and hardnose hitting. Cecil was a two-time Jim Thorpe Award finalist,a two-time All-Pac-10 First Team player,  the 1987 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year winner, an All-American the same year. 

The list goes on and on with his honors, awards and accomplishments. 

Cecil managed to record a program-record 21 career interceptions to go along with 38 pass breakups and 392 total tackles. His legacy moment came against in-state rival ASU where he picked off Jeff Van Raaphorst for a 106-yard touchdown return, which still stands as a school record.

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