UCLA football players Jeff Baca and Johnathan Franklin visit children every week at Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA. Fox Sports West came along during one of their recent weekly visits:

Punter/Kickoff specialist Jeff Locke has been honored for his play against Arizona by the College Football Performance Awards. The junior was named National Kickoff Specialist of the Week and earned Honorable Mention Punter of the Week accolades. Against Arizona, Locke had six punts for a total of 300 yards, averaging 50.0 per punt. He had a long of 53 and had two punts downed inside the 20-yard line. On kickoffs, Locke tallied three touch backs.

 College Football Performance Awards - Week 8

Twenty UCLA alums are on NFL Opening Weekend active rosters, including three each on the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans.

In addition, there is one player on the injured reserve list and one on the reserve/non-football injury list.

Arizona Cardinals

David Carter                                  DT

Baltimore Ravens

Brendon Ayanbadejo                     LB

Chicago Bears

Kahlil Bell                                       RB

Dallas Cowboys

Kenyon Coleman                           DL

Kai Forbath                                    PK (Reserve Non-Football Injury)

Denver Broncos

Rahim Moore                                 S

Matthew Willis                               WR

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kyle Bosworth                                LB

Maurice Jones-Drew                      RB

Marcedes Lewis                             TE

Minnesota Vikings

Chris Kluwe                                    P

New England Patriots

Bret Lockett                                    DB (Injured Reserve)

Matt Slater                                      WR

Oakland Raiders

Bruce Davis                                     LB

Philadelphia Eagles

Jarrad Page                                     S

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Brian Price                                       DT

Christian Yount                                 LS

Tennessee Titans

Akeem Ayers                                    LB

Dave Ball                                          DE

Alterraun Verner                               CB

Washington Redskins

Terrence Austin                                WR

Logan Paulsen                                  TE

The College Football Hall of Fame's signature event is the annual Enshrinement Festival. Join us July 15-16 in downtown South Bend as the community gathers together with football fans from across the country to honor college football's gridiron legends.

Fans have a variety of opportunities to meet and mingle with the Enshrinees during this spectacular event. The 2011 Class features UCLA's Randy Cross, Desmond Howard, Mark Herrmann, Barry Alvarez and Gene Stallings among others who are being enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

South Bend and the College Football Hall of Fame will play host to a jam-packed weekend of fun-filled events. During the various events, families and fans of all ages, will celebrate the induction of these football legends into the College Football Hall of Fame.

To read about the Enshrinement festivities, click on the pdf link at the bottom of the page.

To read a story about UCLA inductee Randy Cross, click here.

To check the Enshrinement website, click here.

For the second consecutive year, Rivals.com has put together a formula to determine which schools have enjoyed the most combined success in football and men's basketball since the 1998-99 school year, which is when the "BCS era" began.

UCLA is ranked among the Top 10 schools in this ranking.

To read the story, click here.

UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel announced today that senior cornerback Courtney Viney and junior tight end Morrell Presley have been granted their release from the program and will transfer.

Viney will graduate in June and be eligible to compete at another FBS school without having to sit out a season.

"I know that both Courtney and Morrell want to go where they can be starters and I certainly wish them both well," said Neuheisel. "I am happy that Courtney will earn his UCLA degree prior to his departure."

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the members of the 2011 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a 3.2 GPA or better. A total of 671 players from 241 schools qualified for membership in the society's fifth year, showing a steady increase in membership each year since the inaugural class in 2007.

UCLA senior holder/punter Danny Rees is UCLA's representative in the 2011 Hampshire Honor Society. He earned a GPA of 3.501 while majoring in History and graduated following the Fall quarter.

"In just the fifth year of this initiative, it gives the NFF great pride to honor so many qualified and accomplished collegiate players as members of this year's Hampshire Honor Society," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The number of players we are able to recognize has nearly doubled since the first year of the program, showing that you can play football at the highest level and still be a standout student."

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's current National Scholar-Athlete program, greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year and further strengthening the organization's leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes who play football at the more than 700 college and universities with football programs nationwide. Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided an endowment to launch the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2007. He made the contribution as part of his legacy to the organization after serving as NFF chairman from 1994-2006. Each of the 671 players awarded with membership in this year's Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating the achievement.

"We encourage every football-playing school in the country to get involved in this most important initiative," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, "Thanks to the generosity of Jon F. Hanson, we have honored nearly 3,000 of our nation's best and brightest college players over the past five years. This program truly shows the power of football in building tomorrow's leaders."

Qualifications for membership in the NFF Hampshire Honor Society include:
• Being a starter or a significant substitute in one's last year of eligibility at an accredited NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, or an NAIA college or university;
• Achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and
• Meeting all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements and graduation.

The Hampshire Honor Society represents a powerful component in the organization's rich history as an innovator in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal. Launched in 1959 with a donation from Hall of Fame coach Earl "Red" Blaik, the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete Awards program became the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on a player's combined academic success, football performance and community leadership. And, since its inception, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards program has awarded $9.5 million to 740 top scholars and community leaders.

Currently, the NFF distributes more than $300,000 a year at the national level through the program to 15 individuals. Each winner of a National Scholar-Athlete Award receives an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. Additionally, the William V. Campbell Trophy, endowed by HealthSouth, is given to one member of each year's class as the absolute best. The winner of the Campbell, claimed by Texas defensive end Sam Acho in 2010, receives a total scholarship of $25,000 and a 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy. Through, its chapter network, the NFF also awards an additional $1 million to local high school student-athletes, bringing the NFF's annual scholarship distribution total to more than $1.3 million. A record-high nine NFF National Scholar-Athletes were selected in last week's NFL Draft.

On Tuesday evening, UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel was honored as the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation's Sportsman of the Year.

To read a Daily Pilot story about the evening's festivities, click here.

The Spring Football Special of Prime Ticket's Rick Neuheisel  UCLA Football Weekly will make its debut this Sunday, May 1, at 4:30 pm on Prime Ticket.

Among the segments on the 30-minute show are interviews with new offensive  coordinator Mike Johnson and new defensive coordinator Joe Tresey, a feature on Alterraun Verner's return to campus to earn his degree and Coach Neuheisel and James Washington reviewing video from Spring.

The show, hosted by Bill Macdonald, also includes a feature with quarterback Richard Brehaut wearing a helmet-cam in practice and talking about the experience. In addition, Washington and Scout.com's Tracy Pierson give their thoughts on Spring Practice and there is a video of sights and sounds from the Spring Game.

The Spring Football Special will air 17 times on Prime Ticket during May. Here is the schedule:

May 1, 4:30 pm
May 3, 10:30 pm
May 5, 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm
May 6, Noon
May 7, 5:30 pm and 10:00 pm
May 8, 1:00 pm
May 9, 2:00 pm
May 10, 10:30 pm
May 12, 11:30 pm
May 14, 10:30 pm
May 21, 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm
May 24, 10:30 pm
May 26, 10:00 pm
May 31, 10:00 pm

UCLA junior offensive guard/tackle Jeff Baca is out indefinitely following surgery to repair a fracture of his left ankle.

Baca was injured during Thursday's practice when a teammate fell on him during a team drill. X-rays revealed the fracture and he had surgery Thursday night.

His status for Fall camp will be determined at a later date.

UCLA alum Rahim Moore, who started every game at free safety during his three years (2008-10) with the Bruin football program, will be profiled on NFL Network on Thursday, March 17 at 3:00 PM PT.

Moore will be featured during the "First Draft" segment on NFL Network's Path to the Draft, which airs Monday-Friday at 3:00 PM PT up until the NFL Draft on April 28-30.

Below is a video link to the profile and select quotes:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-first-draft/09000d5d81ec6eb5/First-Draft-Rahim-Moore?module=HP_video

On playing football"
"When I'm on that field, I feel like all of the trials and tribulations I've been through, they're all just out of my head and I feel free. I feel like I'm in heaven."

On what type of player he is:
"A physical player, a hard-nosed player. A guy that is going to give you 105% every play. I'm going everywhere that ball is. I tell all of my teammates 'Meet me at the ball, because if you look to your left and your right, Rahim is going to be somewhere in that picture right by that ball.' If it leaks out, I'm picking it off. If it's in the air, I'm going to get it. If somebody has it, I'm going to get him down, I'm going to hit him. That's my style of play."

On Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed:
"Ed Reed is my favorite athlete of all-time. He's my mentor as well. He plays the game exactly as how it's supposed to be played. To watch him play and to be able to have conversations with him and learn some things from him, it makes me want to talk to the guy every day."

Path to the Draft features exclusive news reports, one-on-one interviews, mock drafts and player rankings, and includes analysts such as Mike Mayock, Charles Davis and Michael Lombardi.

Finally, Moore is rated the No. 1 safety according to Mayock, whose complete list can be seen here: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81dd8ff0/article/underclassmen-prevalent-among-top-five-per-position

Three UCLA football players have been granted a substitute season of eligibility due to injuries suffered during the 2010 season. The waivers were granted by the Pac-10 Conference Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee.

Defensive end Iuta Tepa played in only the first three games prior to his season-ending shoulder injury. He will again be a sophomore for the 2011 season.

Linebacker Jarad Koster played in the first three games prior to his shoulder injury. He will be a second-year freshman in 2011.

Cornerback Anthony Jefferson played in just three games before breaking his ankle during the California game and will also be a second-year freshman in 2011.

In order to qualify for the substitute year of eligibility for medical reasons, a player cannot have appeared in more than four games during the first half of the schedule and the injury must sideline the player for the remainder of the season.

Here is a Spring Practice injury update. Spring Practice begins on Thursday, March 31. UCLA's Pro Day is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29.

Here are injured players from last season who have been cleared to participate in Spring Practice.

DE Derrick Bryant: Right shoulder
F-back Robert Franco:  Left shoulder
LB Todd Golper: Back
DE Datone Jones: Foot
C Kai Maiava:  Left ankle
DB Brandon Sermons: Leg
DE Iuta Tepa: Right shoulder
F-back Damiem Thigpen: Right shoulder
TE John Young: Left shoulder.

The following players will not be participating in Spring Practice while rehabbing from surgery/injuries. All are expected back for Fall camp.

QB Darius Bell: Off-season surgery on left shoulder (labrum).
DE Keenan Graham: Off-season surgery on left hip.
OG Casey Griffiths: Back issues.
S Dalton Hilliard: Off-season surgery on right knee to remove loose body.
CB Anthony Jefferson: 2010 surgery broken left foot.
WR Jerry Johnson: 2010 surgery on left ankle fracture.
LB Patrick Larimore: 2010 surgery on left shoulder (labrum).
P Jeff Locke: Off-season surgery on right hip (labrum).

Here are the players who will be limited to non-contact participation. All are expected back for Fall camp.

QB Nick Crissman: 2010 right shoulder surgery (labrum)
WR Shaquelle Evans: 2010 season surgery on left shoulder.
LB Jared Koster: 2010 season surgery on right shoulder
QB Kevin Prince: 2010 right knee surgery (individual drills only)

The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation will celebrate the 33nd annual Ed Block Courage Awards March 8 at Martin's West. One player from every NFL team will be honored for his commitment to the principles of courage and sportsmanship while serving as an inspiration in the locker rooms and community.

The honoree from the Arizona Cardinals is UCLA alum Matt Ware. To read Matt's story, click here.

Current UCLA football season ticket holders should have received an email yesterday regarding the 2011 renewal process. If you have not provided UCLA an email address, you will receive notificiation though the mail by the end of next  week.

Renewing your season tickets online is the easiest and quickest way to guarantee your seat location at the Rose Bowl for next season.

All accounts that renew online before the April 1st deadline will be entered into a sweepstakes to win: a signed football by Head Coach Rick Neuheisel, a pair of sideline passes to a football game, a game worn football jersey, or a diamond pendant valued at almost $900 from Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers.

Also, if you renew by the April 1st deadline, your credit card will not be charged until July 1, 2011.

2011 is going to be a great year for the Bruins. The UCLA football team has 18 starters returning on offense, defense and special teams plus three players who missed all of last year after starting throughout the 2009 season.

To renew your tickets, click here.

If you are not a current season ticket holder and wish to become one, you click here or call the Central Ticket Office at 310/UCLA-WIN to put down a deposit for 2011 season tickets.  

Today's Pasadena Star-News has a new article regarding the Rose Bowl renovation project. It contains a lot of information on various aspects of the project, especially from the angle of preservation of the look and atmosphere of the iconic venue.

To read the article, click here.

UCLA freshman quarterback Brett Hundley was featured on ESPNU's Signing Day Special on Feb. 2.

The network followed in on campus for a day and put together a segment of almost four minutes that featured the Bruins' early-morning workouts, a visit with his academic counselor, talking while going to class and throwing late in the afternoon. The piece was just under four minutes.

To watch the segment, click here.

This morning, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune ran a story on the latest information about the Rose Bowl renovations.

Monday was the last day the old scoreboards were in place at the Rose Bowl. When Bruin fans enter the stadium for the season's first home game (Sept. 10 vs. San Jose State), they will be greeted by a state-of-the-art LED video board measuring 30 feet by 78 feet.

Phase I of the renovation also includes wider tunnels and additional aisles in the seating area in the South end zone among other improvements.

To read the story, click here.

UCLA offensive tackle Sean Sheller has been granted an additional season of competition by the NCAA.

Sheller, who started 11 games at offensive left tackle in 2010, missed the entire 2006 season due to a knee injury and the 2008 season due to knee and ankle injuries.

The Bruins now have two returning starters from this season's offensive line (tackles Sheller and Mike Harris) plus two returning starters from the 2009 season - center Kai Maiava, who missed 2010 due to injury, and guard Jeff Baca, who missed the year due to eligibility issues.

The Pasadena Star-News rans a story today on the latest information regarding the renovations at the Rose Bowl, including a new video board and vintage scoreboard.

There is an official groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for next Tuesday.

To read the story, click here.

The Pac-10 Conference and FOX Sports have reached a one-year agreement for FOX to broadcast the inaugural Pac-12 Football Championship Game, and to market the corporate sponsorship for the game.  Additionally, as part of the deal, Fox Sports Net (FSN) increases its 2011-12 regular season telecast package with the conference by up to six football and 10 men's basketball games, taking into account the additions of Colorado and Utah and expansion to 12 teams.

"This is an historic time for the conference as we expand to the Pac-12 next season and we are thrilled to be working with FOX Sports and their award-winning production team," Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott said. "FOX has demonstrated its ability to drive new innovation into sports broadcasting and we look forward to seeing how they will help us take our Championship Game to the next level of interactive entertainment for our fans."

"FOX has enjoyed a successful and mutually beneficial relationship with the Pac-10 for many years," FOX Sports President Eric Shanks said.  "It's an honor to have the first-ever Pac-12 championship football game on FOX and available to the widest possible audience. We're excited to take our relationship with the Pac-12 to an entirely new level."

The Pac-12's first-ever football championship game is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 3, 2011 at the home stadium of the team with the best conference record, with kickoff planned at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Seven UCLA alumni are on the rosters of teams in the NFL playoffs.

Safety Jarrad Page and wide receiver/special teams performer Matt Slater are playing for the New England Patriots, who compiled the best record (14-2) in the league.

Linebacker/special teams performer Brendon Ayanbadejo is playing with the Baltimore Ravens and running back Kahlil is on the active roster of the Chicago Bears.

Green Bay Packer linebackers Brandon Chillar and Spencer Havner are on injured reserve, as is New England Patriot safety Bret Lockett.

Here is how the Bruin alums did during the regular season:

Ayanbadejo played 10 games for the Ravens and made six tackles and forced one fumble.

Bell did not appear in a regular-season game in 2010 for the Bears after playing during the exhibition season.

Chillar finished the season on injured reserve. He appeared in eight games (one start) for the Packers and made 16 tackles prior to going on IR.

Havner finished the season on injured reserve. He appeared in six games with Detroit and Green Bay prior to going on IR and made nine tackles.

Lockett was on injured reserve for the Patriots all season.

Page appeared in 10 games (one start) for the Patriots. He made 12 tackles and two interceptions.

Slater appeared in 15 of 16 games this season for the Patriots. A special teams, standout, he made 16 tackles on kick coverage.

Two Bruins have been selected to the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl, it was announced on Tuesday..

Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars has established himself as one of the best running backs in the National Football League. Despite missing last Sunday's game (knee), he ranks fourth in the league in rushing with 1,324 yards and his average of 94.6 yards per game ranks second.

Tight end Marcedes Lewis has enjoyed a breakout year with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has made a career-high nine touchdown receptions, tying him for No. 10 in the NFL in that category. On the year, he has made 54 receptions.

Congratulations to two great Bruins.

UCLA alum Maurice Jones-Drew, the second-leading rusher in the NFL, will be featured on the NFL Network's Sunday pre-game show, NFL GameDay Morning, which airs between 6:00-10:00 am PT.

Jones-Drew sat down with Michael Irvin for a one-on-one interview earlier this week which will air this Sunday.

Here are some quotes from the interview:

On critics doubting his ability to be effective given his small stature:
"That's what drives me. I think that and obviously being slighted in the draft because I was 5-7 was something that was going to continue to drive me every day. Every day I wake up and come out to be the best I can be. At the same time, how you prove people wrong is by winning." 

On being a playmaker:
"You putting your body on the line, that's showing everybody else how much you care about winning. That's what makes you a playmaker."

On the Jaguars:
"We don't care about how many guys you put in the box. You could put 13, you can bring the fans out and put them in if they want to, but we're going to run the ball. That's just what we're going to do and you have to stop us."

Here is how UCLA alums in the NFL performed this past weekend (Dec. 9-13):

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew ran for over 100 yards for the sixth straight game in Jacksonville's 38-31 win over Oakland. His 30-yard TD run with 1:34 remaining won the game. He finished with 101 yards. Jones-Drew's 1,278 yards ranks No. 2 in the NFL through play on Monday.

Tight end Marcedes Lewis made four receptions, including his ninth touchdown reception of the season, for the Jaguars. Lewis is tied for fifth in the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns.

Alterraun Verner, a candidate for Rookie of the Year, led the Tennessee Titans with 12 tackles in their 30-28 loss to Indianapolis. On the year, he has started nine of 13 games and has made 71 tackles and two interceptions with 10 defenses. He celebrated his 22nd birthday on Monday.

Tight end Logan Paulsen made his first career touchdown reception in Washington's loss to Tampa Bay. 

Punter Chris Kluwe averaged 45.8 yards on 10 kicks against the New York Giants. He ranks 14th in the league with his 44.3 average and third in net punting (40.9). 

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Kenyon Coleman made six tackles against Buffalo. 

Linebacker Bruce Davis made two special teams tackles for Oakland its seven-point loss to Jacksonville.

Safety Matt Ware had a special teams tackle in Arizona's win over Denver. 

Safety Jarrad Page made one tackle  and wide receiver Matt Slater made a special teams tackle in New England's win over Chicago. 

Linebacker/special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo made one tackle against Houston. 

Running back Kahlil Bell (Chicago), wide receiver Terrence Austin (Washington) and defensive end Dave Ball (Tennessee) were inactive.

Ten Bruins have earned 2010 All-Pac-10 acclaim from Phil Steele magazine, it was announced today.

Junior linebacker Akeem Ayers and junior safety Rahim Moore earned spots on the first team.

Senior place kicker Kai Forbath, junior linebacker Sean Westgate and sophomore punter Jeff Locke were named to the second unit.

Sophomore running back Johnathan Franklin and senior defensive tackle David Carter were named to the third unit while junior safety Tony Dye, senior center Ryan Taylor and junior kick returner Josh Smith were selected to the fourth team.

UCLA nominated Daniel Rees for the FOURTH ANNUAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL RUDY AWARDSâ„¢, it was announced today by The Rudy Foundation. 

A record 55 of the 120 Division I football programs submitted a nomination, and every Division I conference was represented for the Award, which honors student-athletes who demonstrate exemplary CHARACTER, COURAGE, CONTRIBUTION and COMMITMENT as members of their collegiate football teams. These same traits were immortalized in the blockbuster film "RUDY" in 27 seconds and against all odds on a gridiron in South Bend, Indiana, enabling Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger to carve his name into college football lore.

Three RUDY AWARDSâ„¢ finalists will be chosen by the Selection Committee, as well as through fan voting, and honored at the Priority Payment Systems Awards Ceremony to be held in conjunction with the American Football Coaches Convention on January 11, 2011, at the Hilton Anatole, in Dallas, Texas.  Rudy Ruettiger will personally present the awards. 

Each finalist will be presented with a classic finalist award and have an academic scholarship made in his name to the general scholarship fund of his college or university, as well as have travel expenses paid to the event.  An overall winner will be chosen and presented with the top scholarship and  bronze RUDY AWARD trophy.

Fans can review nominations and place their votes from December 1-13 for the most deserving player at www.CollegeRudyAwards.com.  

Daniel Rees, it was stated in the school's nomination materials, has been a hard-working member of the team for five seasons despite not being on scholarship.  For the past two seasons he has been the holder for All-America place kicker Kai Forbath.  He was nominated for the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete award in 2010. 

Danny is always upbeat and has contributed to the football team as the backup punter and for the last two years has been the holder on place kicks.  He also does some radio work on UCLA baseball internet broadcasts.  He has been on the Director's Honor Roll (3.0 GPA and higher) 10 times and volunteers at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.

"We established this award as a special way to honor and recognize college football players for the size of their hearts instead of the enormity of their stats," said Rudy Ruettiger.  "I am so excited to see how this award has grown into one of the top collegiate honors for kids who weren't born with tremendous athletic talent, perhaps, but have overcome the odds and persevered because of their heart.  The fact that we again had more than 40% of the Division I football programs submitting nominations, with every conference represented, speaks volumes about the importance of CHARACTER, COURAGE, CONTRIBUTION and COMMITMENT in sports and in our society."

The 2010 Award Selection Committee includes football coaches Barry Alvarez, David Bailiff, Gary Barnett, Fisher DeBerry, Dennis Franchione, June Jones, Chuck Knox, Gary Patterson, Buddy Pough, Jackie Sherrill and Dick Tomey, as well as former Washington Redskins Quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams.  Prominent businessman Peter Murphy, Jr., again serves as Chairman.  Fan votes for the RUDY AWARDSâ„¢ also will contribute to the Selection Process.  Finalists will be announced December 14 and listed on www.CollegeRudyAwards.com.

Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club

Bruin fans welcome

Beat SC breakfast

Friday December 3rd--7 am

Olympic Collection
    11301 W Olympic Blvd (at Sawtelle)

UCLA Coach Wayne Moses
UCLA Coach Todd Howard
UCLA Football Players
    Richard Brehaut, QB
    Taylor Embree, WR
    Sheldon Price, CB
    Eddie Williams, OG
    Jordan Zumwalt, LB
UCLA Cheerleaders

Cost: $25 includes breakfast buffet, program, and free parking

For reservations contact Claudia Hart @ 310-348-UCLA or email her at www.claudia4ucla@yahoo.com

Go Bruins!

Here is how the various Bruins in the NFL did this week:

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 113 yards and also made four receptions for Jacksonville.

Tight end Marcedes Lewis made three catches for 36 yards for the Jags.

Cornerback Alterraun Verner made eight tackles for Tennessee.

Defensive end Kenyon Coleman made four solo tackles for Cleveland.

Punter Chris Kluwe averaged 43.7 yards on seven kicks for Minnesota.

Wide receiver Terrence Austin made his NFL debut with Washington today. Logan Paulsen also played for the Redskins today. Other Bruins who saw action this weekend include receiver Matt Slater (New England), special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo (Baltimore) and linebacker Brandon Chillar (Green Bay)

Jarrad Page (New England) did not play this week and linebacker Bruce Davis (Oakland) and running back Kahlil Bell (Chicago) were not active.

Safety Matt Ware's Cardinals play San Francisco on Monday.

Several other Bruins are on injured reserve, including defensive tackle Brian Price (Tampa Bay), safety Chris Horton (Washington), wide receiver Matt Willis (Denver), defensive back Bret Lockett (New England) and linebacker Kyle Bosworth (Jacksonville).

The annual Beat 'SC Bonfire and Rally is scheduled for this Wednesday, Dec. 1. The event, which will take place at Wilson Plaza (near Janss Steps), is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm.

Head coach Rick Neuheisel and former UCLA All-American James Washington are among those scheduled to participate. The event is sponsored by the UCLA Student Alumni Association.

For more information, go to http://www.uclalumni.net/CalendarEvents/beatsc/2010/home.cfm, call 310/UCLA-SAA or email SAA@UCLAAlumni.net.

UMOM New Day Centers wants to thank the UCLA Football Athletics Department, Football Team, Parents, and Alumni for their support this Thanksgiving Holiday. UCLA is providing food boxes for families in UMOM's Next Step Housing Program. These families have recently lived at UMOM New Day Centers and now have moved to low-income housing in the Phoenix area. UMOM, with UCLA's partnership, will be able to provide over 40 families with a much needed Thanksgiving meal. Thank you, UCLA Football, for supporting our community!

If you would like to donate to UMOM New Day Centers, Arizona's Largest Shelter for Homeless Families, please call 602-275-7852 or visit their website at www.umom.org

About UMOM New Day Centers

UMOM New Day Centers, Inc. (UMOM) is a 501 (c)(3) nonsectarian, nonprofit organization serving homeless and low-income families.  UMOM is the largest homeless shelter for families in the State of Arizona and has served the Greater Phoenix area for more than 40 years.  UMOM serves more than 550 individuals each day through a continuum of services that include: shelter, food, case management, transportation assistance, child development, teen programs, education, housing, job search, relocation assistance and medical care.

On Thursday evening, the UCLA players, coaches and staff, as well as families on the road, will participate in a Thanksgiving Dinner at the team hotel prior to Friday's game at Arizona State.

The centerpieces (approximately 40) for that dinner will be gift baskets that contain canned and non-perishible goods, as well as Safeway gift cards to be used for turkeys and other groceries.

Follwing the team function, the baskets will be collected and donated to UMOM New Day Centers, which provides temporary housing for homeless families in the Phoenix area. UMOM will distribute the baskets to families in their program so those families may also enjoy a holiday dinner.

UCLA also did this two years ago when it played at Arizona State on the day after Thanksgiving.

Did you miss Monday's debut of episode #11 of the Rick Neuheisel UCLA Football Weekly show on Prime Ticket?

It will air several more times this week, but if you prefer, we are providing a link to FoxSportsWest.com, where you can view each segment of this week's show, including a tour of Coach's office, a Pauley Pavilion update and a new "Where Are They Now."

Here is the link:

http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/neuheiselweek11

It's Monday night, so that means a new episode of the Rick Neuheisel UCLA Football Weekly. The show will air tonight at 10:30 pm on Prime Ticket and will be replayed throughout the week.

Here are previews for some of tonight's segments:

Bruin coaches illustrate the importance of video in teaching their players.

http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?PID=64toLS0br3akKLMZ_OSqtg87Ezag8jH3

James Washington interviews UCLA's leading rusher, Johnathan Franklin

http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?PID=X_AyJPDcYkCQvDLFvsAzpOny9xMnmsTL

Head Coach Rick Neuheisel gives a tour of his office.

http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?PID=BJwgv5t8Q53tz7A5J_Y3nO7SVZ9W4WQw

Update on the renovations to historic Pauley Pavilion

http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?PID=rgmUrBFQbcSSQbO_kVYXcH8BPGx136pu

UCLA had another spirited practice on Wednesday.

Young Tyler Cordova, a young man fighting cancer, was a special guest at the practice. At the end of practice, Tyler was invited into the team huddle where Coach Rick Neuheisel asked him his assessment of the practice. He also had Tyler run announcements and then told him he was an Honorary Bruin and presented him with a jersey.

Following the huddle, Neuheisel brought Tyler who his post-practice meeting with the media and had Tyler tell the media what he tought of practice.

To watch Neuheisel's conference with the media, including the beginning with Tyler, click here.

At Saturday's football game against Oregon State at the Rose Bowl, several Bruin alums now in the NFL were on the UCLA sidelines.

Tight end Marcedes Lewis, who has made seven touchdown receptions this season, served as Honorary Captain for the contest.

During the game, Marcedes spent a few minutes with BruinTV's Ralph Irvin.

To watch the interview with Lewis, click here.

At Saturday's football game against Oregon State at the Rose Bowl, several Bruin alums now in the NFL were on the UCLA sidelines.

One of those was Washington Redskin safety Chris Horton, who spent a few minutes with BruinTV's Ralph Irvin.

To watch the interview with Horton, click here.

UCLA's final regular-season football game versus USC at the Rose Bowl on Dec. 4 will be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Each of UCLA's final three games will be nationally televised.

The Nov. 18 game at Washington will be televised by ESPN, beginning at 5:00 pm. The Nov. 26 game at Arizona State will be televised by Fox Sports Net at 12:30 pm PT and the Dec. 4 USC game will also be televised by FSN (7:30 pm).

All 12 Bruin games this year will be televised live.

At Saturday's football game against Oregon State at the Rose Bowl, several Bruin alums now in the NFL were on the UCLA sidelines.

One of those was the great Maurice Jones-Drew, who spent a few minutes with BruinTV's Ralph Irvin.

To watch the interview with Jones-Drew, click here.

Several UCLA alums currently playing in the National Football League will be on the Bruin sideline for Saturday's game against Oregon State.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew and tight end Marcedes Lewis of the Jacksonville Jaguars, rookie cornerback Alterraun Verner of the Tennessee Titans and safety Chris Horton of the Washington Redskins are all scheduled to be at the game.

Lewis is serving as Honorary Captain for the game. Jones-Drew and Horton served in that role for last December's EagleBank Bowl in Washington DC.

In addition, linebacker Kyle Bosworth, currently on injured reserve with Jacksonville, and defensive end Korey Bosworth, who was injured during Fall camp of the Detroit Lions, will also be at the game.

It's Monday, so that means a new episode of the Rick Neuheisel UCLA Football Weekly show on Prime Ticket at 10:30 pm tonight.

One of tonight's segments features a walk-and-talk interview with starting quarterback Richard Brehaut. To see a preview of the interview, click here.

Tonight's "Where Are They Now" segment features Rose Bowl winning head coach Dick Verneil. To see a preview of this segment, click here.

     Here are how the UCLA Bruins in the National Football League performed on Halloween weekend.
     Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 135 yards on 27 attempts and Marcedes Lewis scored on touchdown receptions of 42 and nine yards in Jacksonville's 35-17 win at Dallas.
     Linebacker Brandon Chillar made two tackles, including a nine-yard sack, in Green Bay's 9-0 win over the New York Jets.
     Cornerback Alterraun Verner made four tackles and defensive end Dave Ball added one in Tennessee's 33-25 loss at San Diego.
     Punter Chris Kluwe averaged 47.3 yards on four kicks with three inside the 20-yard line and just one returned for four yards.
     Both safety Chris Horton and tight end Logan Paulsen played in the Washington Redskins' loss at Detroit but did not have stats.
     Linebacker Bruce Davis played in Oakland's victory over Seattle but did not have stats.
     Safety Matt Ware played in Phoenix's three-point loss to Tampa Bay but did not have stats.
     Safety Jarrad Page and wide receiver Matt Slater were not active for the New England Patriots' contest versus Minnesota.
     Defensive tackle Brian Price was inactive for Tampa Bay's win over Arizona.
     Defensive tackle Kenyon Coleman (Cleveland), running back Kahlil Bell (Chicago) and linebacker/special teams performer Brendon Ayanbadejo (Baltimore) had byes this weekend.

UCLA alum Alterraun Verner has pushed himself into the NFL Rookie of the Year race with his opportune and outstanding play.

As was the case during his four-year career at UCLA, the cornerback always seems to be around the football. After making interceptions in back-to-back games (Dallas and Jacksonville), last weekend he recovered a key fumble in the Titans' win over Philadelphia.

To read the story from The Tennessean about that play, click here.

Three members of the UCLA football team have been selected to the Phil Steele Mid-Season All-America team.

Junior outside linebacker Akeem Ayers and junior free safety Rahim Moore have been named to the first unit while long snapper Christian Yount has been selected to the second team.

UCLA is one of just seven schools to have two or more members of the first team. The other schools include Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.

Nine Bruins were named to Steele's All-Pac-10 teams, which were announced yesterday.

NEWPORT BEACH, Ca. - UCLA junior linebacker Akeem Ayers has bee named to the list of  23 quarter-finalists for the annual Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Pacific Club IMPACT* Foundation has announced today.

Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, the Lott is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year.  Now in its seventh year, the Lott is the first - and only -- college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.

Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT* Foundation in Newport Beach, the award is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

The quarter-finalists (alphabetically):

Sam Acho, DL, Texas, 6-3, 260, Dallas
Named to American Football Coaches Assn. Good Works Team and Semi-finalist for Campbell Trophy (scholastic achievement)...Has 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and fumble recovery this season...Takes medical mission trips to Nigeria

Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska, 6-1, 205, Phoenix, Az.
Considered one of top two cornerbacks in the country Director's Honor Roll at Nebraska...Will graduate in December...Has 20 tackles and leads team with 7 pass breakups.

Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA, 6-4, 252, Los Angeles
Lott IMPACT Player of the Week Sept. 25 for performance against Texas with interception, fumble recovery, two tackles for loss...Has two interceptions this season, two forced fumbles...Director's Honor Roll

Allen Bailey, DE, Miami, 6-4, 285, Georgia
Has 17 tackles, 3 for losses and one sack.

Mark Barron, S, Alabama, 6-2, 215, Mobile, Ala.
Lott IMPACT Player of the Week vs. Florida when he led team with 11 tackles.  Leads Tide with 47 tackles. Has 2 interceptions, 2 sacks, 6 passes defended and a forced fumble.

Jeremy Beal, DE, Oklahoma, 6-3, 261, Carrollton, Tx
8.5 tackles for losses, leads team with 6 sacks...3 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Quinton Carter, DB, Oklahoma, 6-1, 200, Las Vegas
Named to American Football Coaches Assn. Good Works team...Has 30 tackles and two interceptions this season.

Jared Crick, DL, Nebraska, 6-6, 285, Cozad, Ne.
Has 27 tackles, 5 for losses this season...2.5 sacks, 5 quarterback hurries

Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State, 6-5, 300, Las Vegas
Has 18 tackles, two for losses and one sack...Has overcome learning disabilities to become an honor student and a popular spokesman at local schools.

Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College, 6-4, 238, Wayne, Pa.
Has two interceptions and 14 tackles after returning to the field this year...Missed  '09 season while recovering from cancer...Awarded honorary Lott Trophy last year.

Cameron Heyward, DT, Ohio State, 6-6, 287, Suwanee, Ga.
Has 20 tackles, one interception for an 80-yard return

Ross Homan, LB, Ohio State, 6-0, 229, Coldwater, Oh
Lott IMPACT Player of the Week Sept. 18...Leads team in tackles with 41, has an interception, a sack and a fumble recovery

Jeron Johnson, S, Boise State, 5-11, 194, Compton, Ca.
Leads Broncos for third straight season with 33, one interception.

Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State, 6-1, 228, Cincinnati
Has 60 tackles on the season, among the leaders in the country...3 forced fumbles...

Michigan State 7-0 first time in 44 years. 
Ryan Kerrigan, DL, Purdue, 6-4, 263, Muncie, Ind.
Second in the country with 14 tackles for losses, 5.5 sacks...2nd in nation among linemen with 41 tackles, which leads team...Academic All-American

Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon, 6-2, 235, Agoura Hills, Ca.
Three interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries both tied for best in the nation.

Josh McNary, DE, Army, 6-1, 225, Houston
12 tackles for losses this year, Top 10 in the nation...9.5 sacks, 2nd in nation.  Holds West Point records for career sacks and tackles for losses.

Dontay Moch, DE, Nevada, 6-1, 245, Chandler, Az.
Tied for 2nd in the country with 14 tackles for losses with 5 sacks

Mike Mohamed, LB, Cal, 6-3, 237, Brawley, Ca.
Semi-finalist for Campbell Trophy for scholastic excellence...Lott IMPACT Player of the Week Sept. 11...Wuerffel Trophy nominee for combining exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement...38 tackles on season, one interception.

Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU, 6-1, 211, Pompano Beach, Fl.
Lott IMPACT Player of the Week, Sept. 4...Has returned two punt returns for touchdowns and one interception for TD...Averages 21 yards per punt return, 4th in the nation.

Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU, 6-3, 239, Stone Mountain, Ga.
Leads LSU with 66 tackles...Lott IMPACT Player of the Week Oct. 9

JJ Watt, DE, Wisconsin, 6-6, 287, Pewaukee, Wi
30 tackles this season with 10.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 6 pass breakups, 4 quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a blocked kick...Academic All-Big Ten

Alex Wujciak, LB, Maryland, 6-3, 225, West Caldwell, NJ
11th in the country with 66 tackles, has 2.5 tackles for losses.

There are 10 defensive linemen on the quarter-finalist list; eight linebackers and five defensive backs.  The Big 12 and the Big Ten have five players on the list, the Pac-10 four, the SEC and ACC three each, the WAC two and one independent, Army.      
The semi-finalists will be announced Nov. 3 and the four finalists Nov. 24.  Those four finalists will be flown to Newport Beach, Ca. for the annual black-tie banquet that will be televised by FOX.

 Past winners of The Lott Trophy:
 2004 - David Pollack, Georgia
 2005 - DeMeco Ryans, Alabama
 2006 - Dante Hughes, California
 2007 - Glenn Dorsey, LSU
 2008 - James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
 2009 - Jerry Hughes, TCU
 In six years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has donated more than $750,000 to various charities, including $25,000 to each of the winners' universities.
 Voters for the award include selected members of the national media, previous finalists, the Board of Directors of the IMPACT Foundation, the IMPACT Foundation Board of Advisors,  retired NFL players and the Legends Coaches, a distinguished group of former college head coaches.

Nine members of the UCLA football team have been selected to the Phil Steele Mid-Season All-Pac-10 team.

Junior linebacker Akeem Ayers and junior free safety Rahim Moore, both pre-season All-America selections, were named to the publication's first team.

Senior place kicker Kai Forbath, sophomore punter Jeff Locke and sophomore running back Johnathan Franklin were selected to the second unit.

Senior center Ryan Taylor, senior defensive tackle David Carter, sophomore linebacker Patrick Larimore and junior strong safety Tony Dye were selected to the All-Pac-10 third team.

ESPN 3D makes its first trip to the west coast when it televises UCLA at No. 1 Oregon on Oct. 21.  Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET.  This will also mark the first Thursday night college football telecast for the new network.    
 
ESPN 3D  will feature approximately 13 college football games this year, including the 2011 BCS National Championship game on Jan. 10. in Glendale, Ariz.   Additional dates will be announced as the season progresses; schedule subject to change.  Sony is the official sponsor of college football on ESPN 3D, and college football games televised on ESPN 3D will utilize Sony professional cameras.
 

About ESPN 3D
ESPN was the first to announce in the United States an exclusive 3D network in January 2010 which was the culmination of more than three years of testing 3D television.  ESPN has produced several 3D domestic telecasts, including the State Farm Home Run Derby in July 2010, the Masters in April 2010, a Harlem Globetrotters game in February 2010 and in 2009 the USC vs. Ohio State college football game. ESPN has developed best practices for utilizing the technology in live game applications which have provided the ability to streamline workflow operations, adjust 3D camera positioning, perform transmission tests and gauge fan reaction to a 3D telecast versus a traditional telecast.  In addition, ESPN utilizes cutting-edge technology located at the ESPN Innovation Lab in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World to continue to develop innovative production enhancements.  ESPN 3D is available in the United States to approximately 45 million households and has carriage agreements with AT&T U-Verse, Comcast and DIRECTV.  It will launch soon on Time Warner Cable. Sony was named the first official sponsor of the network in January 2010.

Cornerback Alterraun Verner had eight tackles (plus one on special teams) and an interception return (12 yards) to the one-yard line that set up a Tennessee touchdown to give Tennesse a 27-20 lead in the Titans' 34-27 win at Dallas. Defensive end Dave Ball had three tackles and tipped the pass that Verner intercepted in that win.

Marcedes Lewis had touchdown receptions of one and 27 yards among his four catches for 54 yards in Jacksonville's 36-26 win at Buffalo. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 84 yards on 19 carries and made two receptions in the victory.

Linebacker Spencer Havner had five tackles in Detroit's 44-6 win over St. Louis.

In Cleveland's loss to Atlanta, defensive tackle Kenyon Coleman made four tackles, recovered one fumble and had one quarterback hurry.

Defensive tackle Brian Price had a quarterback hurry in Tampa Bay's win at Cincinnati.

In Oakland's win over San Diego, linebacker Bruce Davis played but did not make a tackle. He signed with the Raiders on Tuesday.

In Washington's win over Green Bay, Redskin safety Chris Horton played but did not make a tackle.

In Denver's loss to Baltimore, receiver Matt Willis played but did not make a reception.

Safety Matt Ware (Arizona), tight end Logan Paulsen (Washington), linebacker Brandon Chillar (Green Bay) and running back Kahlil Bell (Chicago) were not active today.

Minnesota (punter Chris Kluwe) plays on Monday night.

New England (safety Jarrad Page and receiver/kick returner Matthew Slater) has a bye this weekend.

At midnight on September 30, Dish Network stopped carrying FOX's 19 regional sports networks, including FOX Sports West and PRIME TICKET, because they could not reach an agreement with Fox to carry the networks.
 
As a result, UCLA fans with Dish Network will need to seek alternatives in order to watch Saturday's nationally televised football game vs. Cal on FSN.

FOX Sports West and PRIME TICKET are offered by a number of other local distributors in our area. To get more information, please call FOX Sports West/PRIME TICKET at 213-743-7800.

J.J. Stokes, one of the greatest receivers in UCLA history, was at the Rose Bowl this past Saturday afternoon. He served as Honorary Captain and also worked on the Bruin Live pre- and post-game shows for Prime Ticket.

In addition, he also spent a few minutes with BruinTV's Ralph Irvin and spoke about his days in the Rose Bowl, including the games against USC (three touchdowns) as a sophomore and Washington (four touchdowns) as a junior.

To watch the video, click here.

DALLAS, Sept. 30, 2010 - Selected as the best and brightest from the college gridiron, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the 121 semifinalists for the 2010 William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), endowed by HealthSouth, and the candidates for the 2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.

Redshirt senior punter/holder Danny Rees has been named one of the 121 semifinalists.

"This year's Campbell Trophy semifinalists embody the National Football Foundation's mission of building leaders through football," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (1997 Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "They are standouts in the classroom and on the field and have become leaders in their respective communities. Each school should take great pride in being represented by such well-rounded young men who will undoubtedly go on to do great things in life."

Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, semifinalists must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The trophy was renamed last fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal.

"The NFF would like to personally congratulate each Campbell Trophy semifinalist for maintaining such high standards throughout their collegiate careers," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "We are extremely proud to showcase their achievements, and there is no question that the NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from among this esteemed group."

The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 15 finalists and announce the results via national press release on Thursday, Oct. 28. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2010 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000 and receive a 25-pound bronze trophy, will be announced live at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7 at the prestigious Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. A total distribution of $277,000 in scholarships will be awarded that evening, bringing the NFF's all-time scholarship distribution to $9.5 million.

Launched in 1959, the NFF scholar-athlete program became the first initiative in history to award post-graduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments. The William V. Campbell Trophy, first awarded in 1990, adds to the program's mystique, having previously honored two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and five first-round NFL draft picks. The University of Florida's Tim Tebow was named the 2009 Campbell Trophy recipient and last year's finalists combined for a 3.77 average GPA. The class boasted 14 academic all-conference student-athletes, including seven academic All-America picks; 14 all-conference players, including six All-America picks; 16 team captains; one Heisman Trophy winner; and eight members of conference championship teams.

The past recipients of the Campbell Trophy include: Air Force's Chris Howard (1990); Florida's Brad Culpepper (1991); Colorado's Jim Hansen (1992); Virginia's Thomas Burns (1993); Nebraska's Rob Zatechka (1994); Ohio State's Bobby Hoying (1995); Florida's Danny Wuerffel (1996); Tennessee's Peyton Manning (1997); Georgia's Matt Stinchcomb (1998); Marshall's Chad Pennington (1999); Nebraska's Kyle Vanden Bosch (2000); Miami's (Fla.) Joaquin Gonzalez (2001); Washington University in St. Louis' Brandon Roberts (2002); Ohio State's Craig Krenzel (2003); Tennessee's Michael Munoz (2004); LSU's Rudy Niswanger (2005); Rutgers' Brian Leonard (2006); Texas' Dallas Griffin (2007); Cal's Alex Mack (2008); and Florida's Tim Tebow (2009).

2010 William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist Notes

• 3.58 Average GPA
• 46 Semifinalists with a 3.7 GPA or better
• 69 All-Conference Picks
• 76 Team Captains
• 16 Academic All-America Selections
• 20 All-America Selections
• 26 Players (among all divisions) represented in this week's national top 25 polls
• 2 Players formerly named NFF National High School Scholar-Athletes
• 47 Nominees from the Football Bowl Subdivision
• 28 Nominees from the Football Championship Subdivision
• 12 Nominees from the Division II
• 27 Nominees from the Division III
• 7 Nominees from the NAIA
• 56 Offensive Players
• 48 Defensive Players
• 17 Special Teams Players

Center Ryan Taylor of UCLA, linebacker Sean Westgate of UCLA and place kicker Nate Whitaker of Stanford have been named Pac-10 Players of the Week in football.

Taylor, a senior from Denison, Texas, keyed the Bruin running attack that accounted for 264 yards against the No. 1 rushing defense in the 34-12 win at then-No. 7 Texas. UCLA's ground game was instrumental in the Bruins eating up 35:29 on the clock, compared to 24:31 time of possession for Texas. Taylor is the first lineman to earn the Pac-10 weekly offensive honor since Oregon tackle Adam Snyder claimed the award on Sept. 20, 2003.

Westgate, a junior from Oak Park, Calif., collected a career-high and team-high 11 tackles (seven solos) and forced a fumble on a punt to set up UCLA's first touchdown of the game. The Bruin defense limited Texas to 85 yards rushing and 264 yards passing (85 passing yards came on Texas' final possession of the game). Westgate leads the team with 32 tackles and ranks tied for seventh in the Pac-10, averaging 8.0 per game.

Whitaker, a senior from San Diego, Calif., matched a single-game Stanford record with five field goals as he was successful on all five of his attempts from 24, 41, 36, 33, and 29 yards. He added two PAT to tally 17 points in the Cardinal's 37-14 win at Notre Dame.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were wide receiver Juron Criner of Arizona, and running backs Deantre Lewis of Arizona State and Shane Vereen of California, quarterback Darron Thomas of Oregon, and running backs Stepfan Taylor of Stanford and Stanley Havili of USC. Also nominated on defense were defensive tackle Justin Washington of Arizona, defensive back Chris Conte of California, linebacker Casey Matthews of Oregon, linebacker Shayne Skov of Stanford, and cornerback Nickell Robey of USC. Also nominated for special teams play were punter Trevor Hankins of Arizona State, punter Jackson Rice of Oregon, wide receiver/returner James Rodgers of Oregon State, punter Jeff Locke of UCLA and defensive end Wes Horton of USC.

DALLAS (FWAA) - With their 34-12 win at No. 7 Texas, the UCLA Bruins (2-2) are the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Sept. 25.

The Bruins forced four first-half turnovers and Johnathan Franklin ran for 118 yards and a touchdown for UCLA. On the day, the Bruins ran for 264 yards against the nation's No. 2 rush defense.

In winning their second straight game after an 0-2 start, the Bruins registered their first road win against a ranked opponent since 2001. It was Texas' first home loss since 2007 and its worst home loss under coach Mack Brown.

"It is a huge thrill for our program to come in and play in this environment and play the way we did, and to go in there and feel like now we are maybe getting closer to being a program where we can be counted on and get back to our roots as a top program in the country," UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said after the game.

Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 25 included:

• Toledo (3-1): The Rockets won their third straight road game, upsetting Purdue, 31-20, in West Lafayette, Ind. Austin Dantin threw two touchdown passes and ran for two other scores for the Rockets.

The Football Writers Association of America has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the seventh season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Members of the FWAA All-America Committee decide the weekly honor. Each remaining Monday during the 2010 college football regular season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week.

Founded in 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted six games that have decided the college football national championship, including three Bowl Championship Series title games. This season, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will host the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 10, 2011 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will be played on Jan. 1, 2011 in Glendale and the Insight Bowl will be played on Dec. 28, 2010 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, go to footballwriters.com or fiestabowl.org.

UCLA is one of more than 85 FBS teams taking part in the AFCA's third annual Coach to Cure MD effort with the games of September 25. Head coach Rick Neuheisel and his assistants are among more than 5,000 coaches at more than 350 NCAA schools that will be wearing a Coach to Cure MD patch to raise awareness and funding for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.

Fans are encouraged to donate online at www.CoachtoCureMD.org or donate $5 by texting CURE to 90999.

This Saturday's UCLA football game against Texas in Austin will be televised to 66% of the country on ABC. All of the West and virtually all of the Midwest and much of the Northeast will receive the game on the network.

The Upper Big Ten (Michigan, Illinois, Iowa) area will receive the game on ESPN (standard definition). The Southeast will see the game on ESPN GamePlan and ESPN3.com..

Coverage maps should be posted later today at this location.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--Quarterback Nick Foles of ARIZONA, linebacker Patrick Larimore of UCLA and kick returner Travis Cobb of Arizona have been named Pac-10 Players of the Week in football.

Larimore, a sophomore from Santa Clarita, Calif., collected a career-high and team-high 11 tackles (10 solos), including 3.0 for loss, one fumble forced and one pass broken up in UCLA's 31-13 win over No. 23 Houston. Houston entered the game averaging 576 yards of total offense, but were limited to 360 yards (108 rushing, 252 passing) by the Bruins.

This week's Honorary Captain is 1998 Outland Trophy winner Kris Farris, who played at left tackle for the Bruins from 1996-98, compiling 35 career starts. Farris was on the line during the heyday of UCLA football when the Bruins won 20 straight games, a Pac-10 title and extended their streak of victories against USC to eight games.

As a junior in 1998, he earned consensus All-America honors and was one of 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award. He was a third round selection in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and also played for the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons. Farris, 33, earned his undergraduate degree from UCLA in 2003 and later received an MBA from the Anderson School of Management in 2009. He works as a Sale Manager for Crest Steel Corp. in Carson and lives with his family in Orange County.

Joe Bruin recently participated in FloTV's College Football commerical featuring various mascots.

Here is a link to the commerical itself.

In addition, here is a link to some behind-the-scenes footage from the commerical shoot.

Here is how the Bruins in the NFL fared during the league's opening weekend.

For Arizona, cornerback Matt Ware had two solo tackles in a 17-13 win over St. Louis.

For Chicago, running back Kahlil Bell was inactive.

For Cleveland, defensive tackle Kenyon Coleman made four tackles.

For Denver, wide receiver Matt Willis had a special teams tackle assist.

For Detroit, fullback Spencer Havner made one special teams tackle.

For Green Bay, linebacker Brandon Chillar tied for the team lead with seven tackles in a 27-20 win over Philadelphia.

For Jacksonville, tight end Marcedes Lewis made touchdown receptions of 21 and 10 yards in a 17-14 victory. Maurice Jones-Drew, one of the best backs in the NFL, rushed for 98 yards on 23 attempts and made three receptions for 15 yards, giving him 113 all-purpose yards.

For Minnesota, punter Chris Kluwe averaged 43.3 yards on seven kicks with two inside the 20-yard line. Three were returned for a total of two yards.

For New England, Matt Slater made two special teams tackles (one solo, one assist).

For Tampa Bay, rookie defensive tackle Brian Price made two solo tackles in a 17-14 win.

For Tennessee, rookie cornerback Alterraun Verner made two special teams tackles in a 38-13 win. Defensive end Dave Ball started and made three tackles and broke up two passes.

For Washington, safety Chris Horton had one special teams tackle in the Redskin win. Tight end Logan Paulsen was inactive.

Linebacker/special teams standout Brendon Ayenbadejo (Baltimore) and safety Jarrad Page (Kansas City) play on Monday night.

     Here is information on what is going on prior to UCLA's home opener vs. Stanford this Saturday night at the Rose Bowl:

COMMEMORATING 9/11
     This will be the first game in the history of UCLA where the UCLA head coach will wear even a stitch of red on his sideline wear.  (The entire coaching staff and non-performing players are scheduled to wear it too.).  Because of the significance of the 9/11 game,  UCLA will have a brief tribute commemorating 9/11 and the coaches will wear a shirt with UCLA in red, white and blue in a flag design (the U and the C will be blue with white stars and the L and the A will have red and white stripes).  There will also be a color guard presentation during the National Anthem.

UCLA FAN ZONE IN AREA H
     What better way to experience the passion of college football than Saturday tailgating at the Rose Bowl! The UCLA Fan Zone caters to all football fans: families, sports fans, alumni and students.
     The UCLA Fan Zone showcases:
--KLAC/UCLA ISP Radio Stage AM570  - the centerpiece of the area is the live broadcast of the "Bruin Game Day" pre-game show hosted by former UCLA quarterbacks Wayne Cook (1991-94) and Matt Stevens (1983-86).  KLAC 570 AM (Los Angeles) is the flagship for the network.  Network affiliates include:  KWDJ 1360 AM (Ridgecrest) and KCTC 1320 AM (Sacramento).  The UCLA ISP Sports Network feed is also carried nationally on Sirius XM Satellite radio with longtime voice of the Bruins Chris Roberts joining Cook and Stevens. 
--Jumbo Screen Televisions
--Food Vendors
--Bruin Kids Club
--UCLA Store
--Interactive Entertainment & Activities
--VIP Hospitality
--Pre-Game Huddle Tailgate Tent
     The UCLA Fan Zone opens four (4) hours prior to kick-off and admission is FREE!
     Beginning October 2, the Pre-Game Huddle Tailgate Tent located in the Fan Zone, offers Bruin fans exclusive pre-game tailgate tent hospitality. Shallots will satisfy your hunger and beverages needs.
     Individual Pre-Game Huddle Tailgate tent passes are available. To order your pass today, go to the football page on www.uclabruins.com and check out the Football Fun Zone link.

UCLA FAN ZONE REFRESHMENTS
     The Fan Zone also includes the Food Zone, which includes the following restaurants on a season basis: American Pretzel, Baja Grill, Carl's Jr., Teri & Yaki, Mar-Ley Drinks, Now You're Poppin', Pizza Square, Robin's Wood Fire BBQ and Bristol Farms. The following food trucks are committed for one game each: The Sweets Truck (9/11), Kabob and Roll (9/18), Nam-Nam Truck (10/2), Nana Queen's (10/30), Fishlips Sushi (11/6) and Frysmith. (12/4).
The Alumni Band will also be performing in the Fan Zone.

PROMOTIONALS
     Team posters will be given away upon entry to the first 10,000 fans wearing UCLA Blue.  The title of the poster is "Come Together," the primary theme for this year's football team. The Beatles' song "Come Together" will be played in-stadium at each home game this year, as requested by Coach Neuheisel.
     Collector pins commemorating the 2010 season will be provided to all Bruin season ticket holders upon entry.

THEN, NOW, FOREVER
      Head coach Rick Neuheisel and UCLA Athletics host a pre-game tailgate tent for all alumni Bruin football players to enjoy each other's company prior to each contest (except Homecoming, when there is a different event for all alumni student-athletes).  The tent is made possible by the generous support of the following sponsors: Thompson National Properties, LLC, Shannon and Andy Meyers and Bar One Catering. Each former player is admitted for free and is allowed to bring a guest free of charge (additional guests may come for a nominal fee).

The first episode of the Rick Neuheisel UCLA Football Weekly is set to debut tonight at 10:30 pm on Prime Ticket.

The 30-minute show will air weekly throughout the Bruin season every Monday night at 10:30 pm. It will feature exclusive interviews with head coach Rick Neuheisel also feature behind-the-scenes interviews with football student-athletes. There will be various segments on other facets of the program, such as athletic performance, nutrition, community service and academic and student services, just to name a few.

The show will also highlight other successful sports from UCLA's program, which has produced a nation-leading 106 NCAA team championships, including 20 in the last eight years.

Each show will also feature a "Where-Are-They-Now" segment. Wide receiver Cormac Carney, now a Federal judge; wide receiver Michael Young, now Chief Revenue Officer of the Los Angeles Dodgers; and 1966 Rose Bowl hero Bob Stiles, a restaurant owner on the Westside and frequent practice visitor; are just some of the Bruin alums who will be featured in this segment.

The Rick Neuheisel UCLA Football Weekly, a production of Prime Ticket and hosted by Bill Macdonald and James Washington with contributions by Courtney Jones, will be shown several times each week following the initial airing on Monday evenings at 10:30 pm.

Here is the September schedule:

Mon 09/06/2010 10:30:00 PM
Tue 09/07/2010 07:00:00 PM
Wed 09/08/2010 01:30:00 PM
Wed 09/08/2010 10:30:00 PM
Thu 09/09/2010 10:00:00 PM
Fri 09/10/2010 01:30:00 AM
Sat 09/11/2010 11:00:00 AM

Mon 09/13/2010 10:30:00 PM
Tue 09/14/2010 01:30:00 PM
Wed 09/15/2010 05:30:00 PM
Wed 09/15/2010 10:30:00 PM
Thu 09/16/2010 10:00:00 PM
Fri 09/17/2010 10:00:00 AM
Fri 09/17/2010 05:30:00 PM
Fri 09/17/2010 10:30:00 PM
Sat 09/18/2010 11:00:00 AM
Sat 09/18/2010 07:00:00 PM

Mon 09/20/2010 10:30:00 PM
Tue 09/21/2010 04:30:00 PM
Wed 09/22/2010 05:30:00 PM
Wed 09/22/2010 10:30:00 PM
Fri 09/24/2010 10:00:00 PM

Mon 09/27/2010 10:30:00 PM
Tue 09/28/2010 05:00:00 PM
Wed 09/29/2010 10:00:00 AM
Wed 09/29/2010 05:00:00 PM
Wed 09/29/2010 10:30:00 PM

Three members of the 2009 Bruin football team have made NFL Opening Weekend rosters and two more will spend the season on injured reserve.

Defensive tackle Brian Price (Tampa Bay Bucs), cornerback Alterraun Verner (Tennessee Titans) and tight end Logan Paulsen (Washington Redskins) are the three on active rosters. Wide receiver/kick returner Terrence Austin (Washington Redskins) is on the practice squad and linebacker Kyle Bosworth (Jacksonville Jaguars) will spend the season on injured reserve. Defensive end Korey Bosworth was waived/injured by the Detroit Lions early last week.

In other transactions over the weekend, linebacker Bruce Davis earned a spot on the San Francisco 49er practice squad. Tight end Spencer Havner was released by the Green Bay Packers and reportedly signed with the Detroit Lions late today.

Here is the list of Bruins on NFL rosters for Opening Weekend:

Arizona - Matt Ware-DB;
Baltimore - Brendon Ayanbadejo-LB;
Chicago - Kahlil Bell-RB;
Cleveland - Kenyon Coleman-DL;
Denver - Matt Willis-WR;
Detroit - Spencer Havner, LB (signed 9/5);
Green Bay - Brandon Chillar-LB;
Jacksonville - Kyle Bosworth-LB (IR), Maurice Jones-Drew-RB, Marcedes Lewis-TE;
Kansas City - Jarrad Page-S;
Minnesota - Chris Kluwe-P;
New England - Matthew Slater-DB/KR, Bret Lockett-DB (IR);
San Francisco - Bruce Davis - LB (PS);
Tampa Bay - Brian Price - DL;
Tennessee - Dave Ball-DE, Alterraun Verner - CB;
Washington - Chris Horton-DB, Terrence Austin-WR/KR (PS), Logan Paulsen-TE

UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel is optimistic by nature. But he saw enough good things watching the tape of the Bruins' game at Kansas State to be upbeat looking ahead.

"I saw a lot of things on the tape that make me feel good about the direction we are heading," said Neuheisel, "and I believe the players feel the same way."

"We played probably 25 freshmen or sophomores in an opening game on the road and we made a lot of mistakes. But with all of that, we were a two-point play away from tying the game with just over one minute remaining after a great drive.

"A lot of our guys played major roles for the first time in their careers and they played a lot of snaps. The good news is that they as individuals and we as a team can build on the experiences of yesterday's game as we prepare for our conference opener against an outstanding Stanford squad.

"I know our team is looking forward to playing at home on Saturday night before all of our fans at the Rose Bowl."

Brandon Willis, a 6-3, 255-pound freshman defensive tackle from Duncan, SC, is now a member of the UCLA football program.

Willis has been admitted to school and has signed a statement of intent to enroll. He will join the team immediately and will redshirt this season due to his transfer from the University of North Carolina. He will have four years of eligibility remaining.

"We are very excited about Brandon joining our program," said UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel. "We thought the world of him a year ago as a high school senior and we feel he will be a tremendous asset to our defensive front."

Willis enrolled at North Carolina this past January and participated in Spring Practice. He left the school early in Fall camp.

As a prep senior a year ago, he was considered the No. 6 defensive tackle in the country and No. 69 player in the nation by Rivals.com. He was a member of the Rivals100 team and ranked the No. 3 player in South Carolina by Rivals.com and the No. 4 player in South Carolina by The Charlotte Observer. He was also ranked the No. 8 defensive tackle in the country by Scout.com and the No. 5 defensive tackle by ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Lemming.

Willis played in the prestigious U.S. Army All-America game in San Antonio. He earned first-team all-state, all-region and all-conference honors his final two seasons at Byrnes High School and was named the conference defensive lineman of the year as a senior. He made 127 tackles, including 13 sacks, as a senior and 144 tackles, including 24 tackles for loss and 13 sacks, as a junior.

The Rick Neuheisel UCLA Football Weekly debuts this coming Monday night (Sept. 6) at 10:30 pm on Prime Ticket.

To read about the show, click here.

Here is the September broadcast schedule for the show:

Show #1 (Sept. 6)

Mon 09/06/2010 10:30:00 PM           

Tue 09/07/2010 07:00:00 PM

Wed 09/08/2010 01:30:00 PM           

Wed 09/08/2010 10:30:00 PM           

Thu 09/09/2010 10:00:00 PM

Fri 09/10/2010 01:30:00 AM  

Sat 09/11/2010 11:00:00 AM

Show #2 (Sept. 13)

Mon 09/13/2010 10:30:00 PM           

Tue 09/14/2010 01:30:00 PM

Wed 09/15/2010 05:30:00 PM           

Wed 09/15/2010 10:30:00 PM           

Thu 09/16/2010 10:00:00 PM

Fri 09/17/2010 10:00:00 AM  

Fri 09/17/2010 05:30:00 PM  

Fri 09/17/2010 10:30:00 PM  

Sat 09/18/2010 11:00:00 AM 

Sat 09/18/2010 07:00:00 PM

Show #3 (Sept. 20)

Mon 09/20/2010 10:30:00 PM           

Tue 09/21/2010 04:30:00 PM

Wed 09/22/2010 05:30:00 PM           

Wed 09/22/2010 10:30:00 PM           

Fri 09/24/2010 10:00:00 PM

Show #4 (Sept. 27)

Mon 09/27/2010 10:30:00 PM           

Tue 09/28/2010 05:00:00 PM

Wed 09/29/2010 10:00:00 AM           

Wed 09/29/2010 05:00:00 PM           

Wed 09/29/2010 10:30:00 PM           

This week's season-opening game at Kansas State is being broadcast by ABC. Approximately 34% of the country will see the game on the network. Carter Blackburn, Brock Huard and Mike Belliotti provide the play-by-play and analysis.

In addition, the game will also be available on ESPN2 to most of the Northeast and Florida. The game will also be seen in the South on ESPN3.com and GamePlan.

Here is a link to the ABC coverage map. The light blue area will see the game on ABC, the yellow on ESPN2 and the green on ESPN3.com/GamePlan.

Following Tuesday's practice, the last one in pads for this week's season-opening game at Kansas State, head football coach Rick Neuheisel spoke with the media about today's session and looked ahead to Saturday.

To watch the video, click here.

Following Monday's practice, the first of head coach Rick Neuheisel's Monday press conferences were held. Neuheisel had also met with the media on the field after practice.

To watch the video, click here.

Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club
 
Breakfast with the Bruins
Friday, Sept 10 -- 7 am

Head Coach Rick Neuheisel
Key UCLA Football Players
UCLA Spirit Squad

Olympic Collection
    11301 W Olympic Blvd (at Sawtelle)
$25 includes breakfast buffet, program, and parking

For more information, contact Claudia Hart at 310-348-UCLA or email at claudia4UCLA@yahoo.com.