UCLA football practice sees sudden increase in head injuries

SAN BERNARDINO – From last-second field goals to two-minute drills, the UCLA football team practiced just about every odds and ends play in its walkthrough on Tuesday.

One thing this team couldn’t have prepared for, however, is a sudden increase in head injuries that has forced seven UCLA players to sit out while waiting to be evaluated.

“We’ve got just a bunch of guys with concussion-like symptoms,” coach Jim Mora said. “And I don’t know why we seem to have this rash of head injuries. I’m not sure how serious all of them are, but we are going to treat them as if they are very serious.”

Of the seven players experiencing these symptoms, five — redshirt sophomore offensive guard Kevin McReynolds, freshman offensive tackle Poasi Moala, freshman offensive guards Alex Redmond and John Lopez, and redshirt sophomore offensive guard Ben Wysocki — hail from the team’s offensive line unit, which came into camp with sixteen bodies but has been reduced to far fewer as a result of injuries.

“Well, we’re lucky, knock on wood, that it’s not the starting group,” Mora said. So we’re getting that work but it’s hurting our ability to develop depth and what happens is we get low on numbers and we have to cut back on practice a little bit.”

Away from the offensive line, senior running back Malcolm Jones and sophomore defensive end Ian Taubler have likewise undergone hits to the head, requiring further evaluation.

Wide Receiver Rundown

Without the eclectic mix of rap and classic rock music that provided the soundtrack to the first portion of fall camp, Tuesday’s practice sounded more like an intermission than a kickoff to UCLA football’s second half of training on the Cal State San Bernardino campus. For wide receivers like redshirt sophomore Devin Lucien and freshman Eldridge Massington, however, the shoulder pad-only practice carried as much importance as a day featuring full-contact.

Lucien said he appreciated how the three-hour session allowed for a focus on “making plays.” The rising junior capitalized on a handful of opportunities to be a difference-maker. His production featured a go-route catch just shy of the left side of the end zone and a back-shoulder grab past the right, front pylon.

Massington said that pacing matters little in practice with less padding, since quick thinking plays a significant role in performance no matter what players wear. The freshman said he recognizes that the college game emphasizes a more intimate understanding of the purpose behind assignments and responsibilities than that required in high school.

Nonetheless, Massington’s approach to the act of catching favors instincts rather than in-depth analysis.

“When the ball goes in the air, I don’t think about none of it. I just focus on the ball, getting to it. I forget about my knee, I even forget about the (defensive backs),” said Massington, who still plays with a knee brace resulting from a torn ACL injury he suffered last summer.

The slower-paced practice came less than 24 hours after a physical and verbal altercation that prompted Mora to conclude the previous night’s practice with roughly 30 minutes of conditioning.

Lucien, who was involved in the practice-ending scuffle, dismissed the argument as a natural part of the sport.

“We’re around each other 24/7, there’s going to be fights sometimes. But we all love each other. All the receivers are going to have each other’s back. I have all the (secondary’s backs),” Lucien said.

Lucien’s support for the Bruin secondary came on a day when he saw several snaps against prospective defensive backfield starters like sophomore cornerback Ishmael Adams and sophomore safety Randall Goforth.

“I’m excited to see what (the defensive backs) do during this season,” Lucien said. “It’s a privilege to go against them because I know that I’m trying to get them ready for the season.”

While a focused Lucien remained complimentary of his practice competition, wide receivers coach Eric Yarber praised his own unit following Tuesday’s practice, feeling his group has played athletic and mistake-free football with the team’s stay in San Bernardino now past its halfway point.

“Looking at my receiving corps, I’m really pleased with them right now,” Yarber said. “They’re playing hard, they’re playing fundamentally sound and they’re playing fast like I want them. They’re a very close unit.”

Injury Notes

· Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Tyler Scott continues to play with a sore hamstring after experiencing cramping the last few days.

· Mora said freshman defensive end Eddie Vanderdoes is “doing better.” He said that Vanderdoes was begging to participate in Tuesday’s team drills, but continues to be held out with back soreness.

· Freshman defensive end Kylie Fitts missed Tuesday’s practice after suffering full-body cramps the night before. Mora said that the cramps resulted from dehydration and that Fitts gained 8.5 pounds after drinking adequate fluids following the cramps.

· Redshirt junior linebacker Eric Kendricks, who hasn’t participated in team drills yet during camp, will “probably” begin to run full speed once the team returns to Westwood for the conclusion of camp, Mora said.

· Freshman cornerback John Johnson has a partially separated shoulder, one that may require surgery. Mora compared his injury to that of Ishmael Adams last year, which required the then-freshman corner to undergo surgery after the third game of the season.