Earlier this week The Orange County Register published an article covering just how close the UCLA Bruins’ football coaching staff has gotten during this year’s preseason camp. Coaches have used past experiences, even bad experiences, to bond and become stronger for this season.
The Orange County Register’s Benjamin Royer did a terrific job capturing the emotions and anxiousness that come with sports competition at such a high level. Consider UCLA football through the lens of Jerry Neuheisel. Bruin fans remember his game-winning touchdown pass in 2014 to defeat Texas after Brett Hundley was injured earlier in the game.
“Neuheisel was ready. His entire career backing up Bruins quarterbacks led to this moment. And he delivered — ultimately lifted on his teammates’ shoulders after the game like a movie moment, one to savor and remember.
“They don’t write it much better than that,” the Bruins’ tight ends coach said after leading No. 12 UCLA to the comeback win over Texas. What Neuheisel never shared was how crushing, how difficult the next part of his career was. UCLA football coach DeShaun Foster was already a graduate assistant on the sidelines in 2014. Yet, Foster never knew about the anxiety, the pressure Neuheisel felt over reaching the same highs whenever that next opportunity to play in a game arose. Almost 11 years since the game, and eight years since they’ve coached on the same staff, Foster learned of Neuheisel’s struggles to follow up that success during this fall’s camp,” Royer wrote.
For all the glitz and glamour of college sports, it’s easy to forget the hardships, but the UCLA staff is embracing those hardships this preseason. Those hardships can sometimes lead to tears, which has been the case in UCLA’s preseason ‘Brotherhood’ meetings between players and members of the UCLA staff.
“In Costa Mesa, during UCLA football’s fall training camp, Foster introduced Brotherhood meetings, in which coaches would explain their why. Every coach told their story and dove into their backgrounds and struggles to show that everyone has vulnerabilities and that football careers aren’t smooth sailing, Foster said. The result? Deeper connection with Bruins and their teammates — as they would then split up into breakout groups and have players share stories with one another — and yes, tears.
“A lot of tears,” Foster said. “I just like that the players were being vulnerable and letting their guard down because they saw the coaches do it. I just think that really brought us together.” Royer wrote in the article.
Now it’s time to see if those meetings will have a positive effect on the Bruins’ season in 2025.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Report — UCLA football staff is growing closer from past experiences
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
