It’s not so much his 6-foot-6-inch, 300-pound frame that
makes UCLA offensive lineman Bryce Bohlander stand out to head
coach Bob Toledo.
Nor is it his desire to become a stockbroker someday, although
you’d be hard pressed to find another player with those same
ambitions in the Pac-10, let alone the same team.
And it’s not his streak of 27 consecutive games started,
tops on the offensive line and second on the team only to
cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr.
Rather, it’s his quiet leadership and demeanor on a team
that has often made more headlines off the field than on. To
Toledo, a Bohlander type is just as important to the team as a good
quarterback.
“He’s a real quiet leader,” Toledo said.
“He’s a sound and smart athlete. I love his development
during his four years here. He started off being really quiet, but
now he’s opening up more and he’s a little more jovial.
He’s a great guy to be around.”
Bohlander came to UCLA by way of Keizer, Oregon. Despite his
size, Bohlander was as athletic and agile as they come, playing
high school basketball and track in addition to football.
Nevertheless, football was always his passion. He played on both
sides of the ball in high school, but ultimately chose to play
offense.
“They saw me with NFL potential on offense,”
Bohlander said. “I liked it more, anyway, because it is more
organized and structured. It’s about execution, whereas
defense is more about reacting.”
Choosing UCLA was a little more difficult. Named an All-American
by virtually every prep magazine, Bohlander was being recruited by
some of the top football programs in the country. Bohlander favored
Oregon and Washington, but after taking an official visit to UCLA,
it didn’t take him long to make up his mind.
“I wanted to go to a school where I’d be happy even
if I wasn’t playing,” Bohlander said. “I wanted
stability in the coaching staff and I felt that I had a good chance
of getting that here. I’ve been blessed because I’ve
kept the same head coach and position coach during my entire career
here.”
It didn’t take long for Bohlander to get acclimated. With
injuries decimating the offensive line, Bohlander received a lot of
playing time as a freshman, including starts against Washington and
USC.
His stellar play continued through his sophomore and junior
seasons, but both years ended in disappointment. In his fourth and
final year, Bohlander is looking to step up as a leader and role
model.
“This team’s a lot closer than the past teams
I’ve been with,” Bohlander said. “We bonded as a
team during the summer. And it starts with us (the offensive line).
We’re the catalysts on offense, and it’s hard to throw
or run the ball without protecting the quarterback or opening the
holes. I think we’re the heart of the team. It’s hard
to sustain consistent drives without a good line.”
As part of a line that also has All-American candidate right
tackle Mike Saffer, the Bruins have what would appear to be the
perfect combination of veteran experience on the ends and young
talent along the interior.
“This is by far the best offensive line in my years
here,” senior quarterback Cory Paus said. “They have
blocked for me and protected me, and they’re willing to do
anything for this team.”
As far as the lack of newspaper clippings for the potential
All-American tackle, it suits Bohlander just fine. He’d just
as much rather go into a game, hit a few people, and go home.
It’s a blue-collar mentality, and a mentality Bohlander said
all good offensive linemen have to have.
“You don’t have a lot of superstar offensive
lineman, and we don’t have many stats,” Bohlander said.
“It takes a different type of person to go out and do what we
do. It comes with the territory. We take a lot of pride in what we
do. People who understand the game know what’s going on, and
we get recognition that we deserve. It’s not something
we’re looking for.”
“Besides,” Bohlander added with a laugh,
“it’s almost never good if we’re getting some
recognition during the game.”
While Bohlander does have plans after football, they are
different than other players on the team. While some of his
teammates have aspirations of being sports agents or coaches,
Bohlander wants to be a stockbroker.
“I got involved in the stock market as a freshman in high
school and had a good paying job and was able to invest some
money,” Bohlander said.
“One of my high school football coaches was a broker, and
both my parents are, too. It’s definitely something I want to
be after football.”
Bohlander will just nod if someone points out the tremendous
pressure to perform, or that he’ll be in the trenches day in
and day out. It is something he is already used to, and it fits his
personality perfectly.
“I’m going to miss the competition and physicality
of football,” said Bohlander, who is a political science
student and expects to graduate in December. “Game days are
always something I’ll cherish. As an offensive lineman,
you’re only as good as how your running backs and
quarterbacks do. I’ll never forget the day DeShaun Foster
rushed for 301 yards. It’s a great feeling knowing a lot of
that was you. That’s reward enough.”
Not bad for a blue-chip player from Oregon who has seen his
stock soar.