THOUSAND OAKS “”mdash; Mike Seidman feels nice and comfy on the
Cal Lutheran football field. The senior tight end not only grew up
five blocks from it, but also in his first year of playing
organized football in the eighth grade for the Pop Warner Westlake
Braves, it was his home field.
“I scored a couple of touchdowns here back in the
day,” he said, smiling.
Seidman also looked pretty good on August 17, when UCLA kicked
off its preseason training camp on the Cal Lutheran campus in
helmets and shoulder pads. He was running up and down the field on
the secondary. Quarterback Cory Paus was throwing him the ball
well.
Wait a minute, here. Does Cal Lutheran breed success? The Dallas
Cowboys trained at the place affectionately known as “Cal
Lu” during their glory days. For the first time, UCLA takes
its preseason training camp there, about 45 minutes from
Westwood.
“It’s a great time to bond, to get camaraderie and
to develop that family atmosphere,” UCLA head coach Bob
Toledo said. “It’s just like an away game. You have to
be able to adjust. We’re getting out of our comfort zone and
going to a foreign place.”
There are no kids playing music in the dorms at 2 a.m. at Cal
Lutheran. There are no construction workers. And there are no
girlfriends.
“I couldn’t ask for a better place to do camp,
especially with all them students over there (at UCLA),”
senior defensive end Rusty Williams said. “It’s just
football here. Team bonding is all we do out here.”
“It’s just me and my boys out here,” said
senior cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr. “There aren’t too
many distractions. We’re on lockdown, and it’s great
because it keeps you focused.”
Last night, as a motivational tool, Toledo showed the team a
video documenting the New England Patriots and their road to the
Super Bowl.
“It talks about how they’re coming from behind, how
they lose their quarterback and how they don’t have a bunch
of stars,” he said.
Those things could very well happen to the Bruins this year.
They just have to get away from it all for now.
Practice sessions today are held from 10:10-11:45 a.m. and
4:10-6:30 p.m. The Bruins will be in full pads for the first time
on Wednesday, and return to UCLA on Saturday for an afternoon
practice held from 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Student-athlete Government
After a season marred by off-field troubles, Toledo announced on
Friday the creation of his 10-player “advisory
council.” It consists of five seniors ““ Manning, Jr.,
Seidman, Williams, quarterback Cory Paus, offensive tackle Mike
Saffer, linebacker Marcus Reese and kicker Nate Fikse ““
junior wide receiver Ryan Smith, sophomore tailback Manuel White,
Jr. and a true freshman to be determined.
“It’s a suggestion-making body that talks with me on
a weekly basis,” Toledo said. “I’m going to give
them a lot of responsibility in helping lead this football
team.”
Toledo added that the team will not be selecting team captains
this season. Instead, Toledo will select captains for every
game.
Notes
C.J. Niusulu, a freshman defensive lineman, might be suspended
by Toledo for one game if his felony assault charge were to be
reduced to a misdemeanor. If he is convicted of a felony, Niusulu
will be dismissed from the team … Junior defensive tackle Rodney
Leisle, a national defensive player of the year candidate, will be
held out of practice until he recovers from a sprained left knee,
which he injured over the summer … Freshman wide receiver Idris
Moss will likely redshirt the season after undergoing surgery in
April on his left shoulder, which he injured in high school …
Freshman linebacker Xavier Burgess has not been cleared for contact
after undergoing surgery in January on his left shoulder, which he
injured in high school … Summer walk-ons include freshman
quarterback Brian Callahan, who is the son of Oakland Raider head
coach Bill Callahan. The younger Callahan lettered at De La Salle
High School in Concord … Former UCLA fullback Matt Stanley was
released by the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday.