When the Bruin defense left the field last season for the final
time, Bruin fans gasped a sigh of relief. Too many times had the
Bruins given up touchdown after touchdown with no response. After
the season, coach Karl Dorrell decided a change was needed.
“It was a very hard decision for me to make,” Dorrell
said at the time. “At this time, I felt it was in the best
interest of the program to make a change.” A change they
made. Dorrell replaced former defensive coordinator Larry Kerr, a
fun-loving guy whose emphasis was on containment, with DeWayne
Walker, an aggressive assistant coach who spent two seasons
coaching for the Washington Redskins. Walker, who spent nine years
coaching in college before going to the NFL, came to UCLA with one
goal in mind. “I came here to get these guys to play hard,
and aggressive,” Walker said. “As a defensive coach,
you have to get your guys to play with a little attitude and
swagger.” Since Walker joined the Bruin coaching staff in
early February, there has been a noticeable change in the players.
The players are working harder in the weight room and appear to be
more lively on the practice field. “The guys are excited to
be out there,” Dorrell said. “The guys know that all
the spots are up for grabs, and they are all going to have to earn
that position.” At least some of that influence comes from
Walker. Walker brings a background in the NFL to the Bruins and
that no-nonsense approach has quite an effect on the Bruins. This
week in practice, the Bruins spent extra time working on the
fundamentals: tackling and swarming for the ball. “We are
trying to be a smarter and more hard-working defense,” Walker
said. “I’m trying to get the guys to buy into our
philosophy.” Walker, only one month into the job, has one
goal for the rest of spring. “I want the players to have made
enough progress, so that when they come back to training camp in
August, they’re ready to make an impact on this football
program again.”
POSITION CHANGES: Two new players will be
changing positions on the defense next season. One is veteran Bruce
Davis, who has played a variety of positions while at UCLA, and the
other is redshirt freshman Aaron Ware. While Davis seemed to adjust
quite easily to his move from linebacker to defensive end, Ware has
had some problems moving from cornerback to safety. “He is
still adjusting, but he’ll be fine,” Walker said.
“There are differences in the position that he’ll learn
with time. He is just a freshman.” QUICK
KICKS: Cornerback Byron Velega has decided to transfer
from the program, but will stay in school until the end of winter
quarter, and then decide his destination afterwards. Linebacker
Robert Kibble has also been recently hospitalized with a case of
Multiple Sclerosis. It is uncertain when Kibble will return to the
team.