Arizona State gathers 1986 team for 30th anniversary of Rose Bowl win

PHOENIX – Homecoming week is the perfect time to reflect on the past, which at Arizona State includes the 1986 Sun Devils, still the only team in school history to win a Rose Bowl.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of ASU’s 22-15 victory over the Michigan Wolverines on New Year’s Day in 1987, the Arizona State Alumni Association gathered players from that team at a Legends Luncheon held at the Arizona Grand Resort on Friday.

Christine Wilkinson, president of the Arizona State University Alumni Association, helped organize the event for the team with the idea of rekindling memories of that magical season for them.

“When you go into that room, all those memories are going to flood back,” Wilkinson said. “You’re going to see the banners and everybody cheering. We can’t wait.”

Wilkinson talked to the former Sun Devil players about how their run to the Rose Bowl didn’t just happen overnight, and that there was a lot of time and energy put in by a number of people.

“It always takes many different people to put it all together,” she said. “Your coaches also knew about you, your potential. And you’ve probably shared so many stories together.”

The camaraderie of that team can still be felt 30 years later.

Jeff Van Raaphorst was the quarterback of the 1986 team and was named the Rose Bowl’s Player of the Game. He completed 16-of-30 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan’s defense.

The opposing quarterback that day was Jim Harbaugh, now coach of the Wolverines.

Van Raaphorst said that the Sun Devils haven’t skipped a beat since the last time they were all together, but that there is one big difference.

“When you hug them, it’s different,” he said. “It’s a lot wider than it used to be.”

Joking aside, Van Raaphorst has been looking forward to this time with his former teammates and has fond memories of their days together in the football program.

“It’s the hugs, it’s the friendship,” he said. “We may be apart, but we are still together. We went through so much. We became so close, we knew each other’s weaknesses. People from different backgrounds, ethnicities and religions all got together with one common goal.”

The Sun Devils returned to the Rose Bowl 10 years after that 1986 team won it, but came up short against Ohio State, despite the efforts of players such as quarterback Jake Plummer and defensive standout Pat Tillman.

Now, winning the Rose Bowl is a goal for ASU coach Todd Graham and today’s Sun Devil football program.

“Your Rose Bowl championship game is probably seen more than anything in our locker room,” Graham told the 1986 team. “We run (the film) most of the time in the offseason hoping that it will be a subliminal message.”

The celebration for the Rose Bowl winners continues Saturday when the team will take part in the homecoming parade down University Avenue in Tempe beginning at 3 p.m.