Stepping into the room with UCLA coaches Karl Dorrell and Eric
Bienemy, redshirt sophomore defensive end Bruce Davis didn’t
know what to expect.
For two years, he had been unhappy with his role on the team,
and a film session after a game against San Diego State pushed
Davis over the brink.
He decided to contact his family, and unveil his feelings about
possibly leaving the team.
“It was just matter of frustration and
miscommunication,” Davis said. “I had felt that I was
ready to play a larger role on the team, and the coaches
weren’t feeling the same way.”
At the meeting, which included Davis, his father, Bienemy and
Dorrell, everyone expressed their feelings and a solution was
reached.
Bienemy, who personally recruited Davis, felt it was something
that was necessary.
“It was just a matter of getting things out in the
open,” Bienemy said. “Sometimes players feel like
they’re undervalued, and it’s our job as coaches to
make sure that they don’t feel that way.”
Davis’ feelings had come about after Bruin coaches had
asked him to change positions from his natural spot, defensive end,
to outside linebacker during fall camp. Davis said he already felt
underutilized as a defensive end his freshman season and
didn’t want to learn a new position.
“I was thinking about myself, and not doing what was good
for the team,” Davis said. “I was still gaining
maturity as a football player.”
In his first game at the new position, Davis responded with
seven tackles and two sacks against San Diego State. After the
game, however, coaches pointed out his weaknesses during a
post-game film session, and Davis once again felt undervalued.
That was when he talked to the coaches and expressed his
feelings about leaving the team.
“I didn’t understand why the coaches wanted to
decrease my playing time,” Davis said. “After talking
to them, everything got resolved, and that was the important
thing.”
Since the meeting, Davis has gone back to his old position at
defensive end, in large part due to the injury of Nikola Dragovic,
and has finally started to become comfortable with his role on the
team.
In last weekend’s overtime victory against Washington
State, Davis played an integral role in the Bruin’s stout
defensive stand in the fourth quarter. On third down with less than
two minutes left, Davis knocked down Cougar quarterback Alex Brink,
helping the Bruins get the ball back to score what was eventually
the game-winning touchdown.
“I finally feel like I found a solidified position on the
team,” Davis said. “Coaches have the confidence to let
me go out there and play, and that is when I am at my
best.”
Davis doesn’t even think to overlook the opportunities he
is getting, knowing full well the obstacles he has had to
overcome.
In September, his family members had to evacuate their home
because of Hurricane Rita. For four days, Davis was unaware whether
his family was safe and whether the house was still there.
“It was a troubling time, but my family was left
unscathed, thankfully,” Davis said. “It was kind of
distracting for some time, but I’ve grown from the
situation.”
Since the hectic time, Davis and his teammates have grown closer
as a team.
The players have focused on their communication, understanding
its importance for a team in unfamiliar territories of success.
“We grew up together really fast,” sophomore free
safety Chris Horton said. “We had to rely on each other
because we were really going through a really tough situation, and
we learned a lot.”
When talking to the coaches, it becomes clear that over the next
few seasons, Horton and Davis, who have become close friends during
their time together in Westwood, will be counted on as leaders, as
seniors Spencer Havner, Justin London and Jarrad Page will leave
their mark on this year’s team.
And, as the first recruits of Dorrell’s program, the two
realize the foundation they are leaving for the next Bruins who
come into the program.
“We eventually want to take over that leadership
role,” Davis said. “We try to learn as much as possible
from guys like Spencer and Justin because they have been through it
all and can teach us a lot.”
With the Bruins currently ranked No. 8 in the nation and playing
in the national spotlight, chances are Davis and his teammates are
going to have to grow up fast in the limelight they are faced with
now.
“Its all about getting our program back to the place it
needs to be,” Davis said.
“And whether that’s 9-2, 10-1, 11-0, we are just
paying attention on improving and setting that next step for the
Bruin program.”