"Bear Down" is UofA's official motto. Photo: Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
UofA's "Bear Down" rallying cry turns 100 this year, and the university is giving it a national platform.
Catch up quick: In 1926, student body president and quarterback John Byrd "Button" Salmon was in a fatal car crash.
As the story goes, his final message for his teammates was, "Tell them…tell the team to bear down," and the university immediately adopted the phrase as its official motto.
The latest: To celebrate the 100th anniversary, the university has launched an ad campaign to showcase student and faculty "Bear Down" moments through the decades — from creating the Center for Creative Photography to developing the first FDA-approved total artificial heart.
What's next: Catch the commercials during the upcoming Big 12 and NCAA basketball tournaments, where the UofA men's basketball team is expected to make a big splash.
