"Tucson is all about the university. You can really feel that right away. I wanted to make them as proud as possible of me while I was here. I wanted to make sure I used every tool I had to make that happen, and did that with C.A.T.S. Academics in particular."

Cody Creason
Sport: Football
Major: Accounting (Graduated in Summer, 2019)
Hometown: Folsom, Calif.
 
TUCSON, Ariz. -- For former Arizona Wildcats offensive lineman Cody Creason, it's clear and concise what living the Wildcat Way means.
 
"I think it's acting in good character both on and off the field, and working hard especially in times of adversity," Creason said. "It's persevering when times get challenging."
 
For five years as a student at the University of Arizona, that's how Creason lived his life. The son of Scott and Kathleen, Cody comes from a long family line of engineers. But when he started to zero in on Arizona during his football recruitment, he became enamored with the Eller College of Management
 
He pursued an undergraduate degree in accounting once accepted into Eller and graduated last summer. He's currently pursuing a master's degree in accounting and will graduate this summer. Creason will then start a full-time job at an accounting firm in Sacramento in October.
 
During his time at Arizona, Creason was a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention selection and this past fall was chosen as a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy Award, which is considered the "Academic Heisman Award" of college football. He thrived in Eller and on the football field, playing in 44 career games with 26 starts on the offensive line.
 
While serving as a student-athlete for the Wildcats, it was Creason's desire to be at his very best.
 
Because of that, Creason took advantage of several of the tools mentioned in the Arizona Strategic Plan. He embraced C.A.T.S. Academics and used every resource they offered. He also strived to give back to the Tucson community as they took such good care of him while he donned the cardinal and navy.
 
He inhibited many of the values the University of Arizona stands for in the strategic plan such as integrity, exploration, compassion and determination.
 
"When I was on my recruiting visit, one of the very first things that stood out to me is that everybody in the community is all about Arizona," Creason said. "Tucson is all about the university. You can really feel that right away. I wanted to make them as proud as possible of me while I was here. I wanted to make sure I used every tool I had to make that happen, and did that with C.A.T.S. Academics in particular.
 
"When I first got here, they helped me build a structure that allowed me to be successful, and I'll be forever grateful for that."