What it really means to ‘Bear Down’

Bear Down. If you walk around the University of Arizona’s campus you might hear or see one simple phrase everywhere, “Bear Down”.

John Byrd “Button” Salmon, 22, was the student body president at UA, quarterback of the football team, and a baseball catcher in 1962 – a big figure around campus. Salmon and his friends were driving back from a visit in Phoenix when they got into a brutal car accident in north Tucson which left the young athlete in critical condition.

The head coach of the football team at the time was J.F. “Pop” McKale would regularly visit Salmon before his death. On Oct. 18 Salmon went to rest and his last words to McKale was, “tell them…tell them to bear down.”

Bear Down is the phrase that makes the University of Arizona what it truly is. It is what makes the entire city of Tucson a true community. You hear it from a distance and you automatically know what that person is talking about. Someone is able to wear a U of A t-shirt or hat around the world and there is always that one person that will yell, ‘bear down’ from a distance.

Step inside the football stadium and be a part of UA’s infamous “ZonaZoo” and experience how they bear down. The phrase is full of spirit and passion that really makes football and basketball games what they are today.

A simple phrase has allowed a small city like Tucson create an atmosphere in which everyone can bond because they know the true meaning of it. Salmon left behind a legacy at the University of Arizona. Students from the past, present and future will always remember to bear down and know what that means.