DeShaun Foster took the podium at the Big Ten Conference Football Media Day for the second time as the UCLA Bruins’ head coach and after an awkward Big Ten Conference Media Day debut in 2024, Foster looked more at home this time around.
“Last year, I stood up here and reminded everyone that UCLA is in LA,” Foster said, poking fun at his Big Ten Conference Media Day appearance last year. “Looking back, it might have been the most obvious geography lesson in Big Ten history but you know what, important things are worth stating clearly. We are in LA, and we’re proud to be in LA and this year we’re ready to show the Big Ten what LA football looks like when it’s firing on all cylinders.”
While it was unexpected for Foster to double-down on the geography, he displayed confidence and belief in not just himself, but the entire Bruins’ football program. UCLA added 31 transfers into the fold this offseason but none were bigger than quarterback Nico Iamaleava who returned home to Southern California to put UCLA football back on the map.
“That moment speaking to you last year taught me a valuable lesson, authenticity resonates more deeply than perfection,” Foster said. “Our players saw me being human and it brought us closer together. We’ve been joking about it for about a year now. The players know that that same genuine approach is how we coach, recruit and build this program.”
Foster and the Bruins will hope to build upon a 5-7 debut season in the Big Ten but they’ll face some of the toughest teams in the conference, with UCLA facing Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana this regular season.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: DeShaun Foster’s personality shines through at 2025 Big Ten football media day
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
