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Unsung hero

Junior defensive end Joe Tafoya has been on a tear lately.

Against UCLA, Tafoya had six tackles, including three sacks. On Oct. 23, in a loss to Oregon, Tafoya sustained a shoulder injury in the first quarter, but remained in the game despite a nagging deep muscle pull. On Oct. 15 against the USC, Tafoya spearheaded a defense that held the Trojans to -20 yards rushing and sacked the Trojan's quarterbacks nine times.

Doubly impressive, Tafoya has done all this at a new position - defensive tackle.

The Wildcat defense began the season with nine starters returning from the 1998 team. But the lineup has been shuffled, with new players filling veteran spots and veterans assuming backup roles.

Defensive coordinator Rich Ellerson said the decision to move Tafoya from defensive end to tackle has long been coming.

"We've known from early on that we wanted to experiment with Joe playing inside in passing situations," Ellerson said. "We've been thinking about this move since last spring because he's an extraordinary pass rusher if we can get him in close enough proximity to show up."

Initially, Ellerson and the UA coaching staff wanted to move Tafoya to tackle solely on passing situations, but Tafoya's success at the position has ensured that he will stay there.

Tafoya accepted the position change after realizing that individual sacrifice is a necessity to the team's mentality.

"I looked inside and it looked like we needed a little bit of help, and I can't be selfish because that's what our team is built on," Tafoya said.

The move, though, has not turned out to be a sacrifice. Rather, Tafoya has excelled at his new position, sliding by bulkier offensive lines on opponent's interiors and using his athleticism and speed to get to opposing quarterbacks.

"Ever since I've moved to tackle I've been making a lot of plays," Tafoya said. "The guys on the interior aren't as fast and they underestimate my strength. I come off the ball and hit him in the mouth before they know what's going on."

Tafoya became a permanent fixture as defensive tackle beginning with the Washington State game, and he's been there since. Ellerson said that Tafoya has made his presence felt all season long, but lately he has excelled statistically.

"I really felt like he was showing up whether he showed up statistically the whole year or not," Ellerson said. "It was not a slow burn, somebody through a match in some gasoline as soon as he went in there."

Although the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Tafoya is only a junior on a defense littered with seniors, he still classifies himself as a leader.

"I'm one of the leaders that lead by example," Tafoya said. "I'm not very vocal, but other players can look at the films and see that I do everything with 100 percent effort."

And his teammates have reason to respect Tafoya. He's been on the Arizona Stadium gridiron since 1997, and started every game this season despite injury. He sat out only two games last year due to a back injury and in the 1997 season, he played ten games and started five.

Head coach Dick Tomey holds Tafoya in high regard.

"Joe is a good football player and continues to work hard and get better. He's somebody we're really proud of," Tomey said.