Craig Bragg prides himself on scouting talent.
“I knew about Marvin Harrison before he made it
big,” Bragg will tell you.
Or it could just be that Bragg sees so much of himself in
Harrison. The same speed, hands and dependability of the
Indianapolis Colt wide receiver could just as easily be that of the
UCLA Bruin.
At a slender 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, Bragg is a contradiction of
the prototypical wide receiver. He relies on quickness more than
strength, precision more than instinct and hard work more than
natural talent.
Indeed, in a struggling offense, Bragg has been a stalwart, with
65 catches for 954 yards thus far on the season.
“I’m not surprised that other receivers in the
Pac-10 get more hype,” Bragg said. “But I don’t
mind, though. I think all that comes when the team’s winning,
and that’s what I’m about.”
Although he admits he’s nowhere near Harrison’s
level, he studies Harrison’s techniques and separation moves
devotedly. He attributes this effort, as well as a strong work
ethic, to his success at UCLA.
It’s paid off in the form of the record books, which Bragg
continues to climb each week despite working without his best
friend and fellow wide receiver Tab Perry. Following his 10-catch,
115-yard performance in last week’s loss to Oregon, Bragg is
now fourth in career receptions and has caught a pass in each of
UCLA’s last 29 games.
Not bad for a boy from Bellarmine Prep in San Jose who never
even watched UCLA growing up. It took a teammate that was going to
UCLA’s spring camp to drag Bragg along.
But upon arriving, Bragg all but committed on the spot.
“The moment I saw Westwood, I loved everything about
it,” he said. “The location was perfect, and the
opportunities are endless.”
Spurning offers from other Pac-10 schools, Bragg signed with
UCLA.
As a redshirt freshman, he burst onto the scene by leading the
team in receptions. To this day, Bragg insists that the toughest
player he’s ever gone up against was former Washington State
and current Seattle Seahawk cornerback Marcus Trufant during his
freshman season.
“He taught me a lot in that game,” Bragg said.
“I realized in that game how much I had to work, and he
really opened my eyes.”
Since then, it’s been Bragg who has been opening eyes over
the past two seasons. He had 230 yards and three touchdowns last
year against Oregon. His spinning punt return for a touchdown
against New Mexico in last year’s Las Vegas Bowl clinched the
victory and earned him Most Valuable Player honors. There was even
the moment this season when Bragg surpassed current coach Karl
Dorrell for ninth place on the career receptions list.
“What’s a slap in the face is that he’s only a
junior,” Dorrell said at the time. “But who better to
pass me than him?”
In wide receiver Craig Bragg, UCLA coach Karl Dorrell sees much
of himself. The same perfectionist attitude and attention to the
small details were what earned Dorrell praise from former coach
Terry Donahue.
“The comparison is there,” Dorrell said. “Like
I am, he’s always concerned about the finest
detail.”
Bragg has his sights set on the NFL, but isn’t in a rush
to get there. While he has thought about leaving early, he says
it’s unlikely, and that he still has unfinished business.
“The NFL will still be there after my senior year,”
Bragg said. “Our coaches have always emphasized that we want
to leave UCLA better than how we found it. I don’t think
we’ve done that yet.”
So the work continues for Bragg, and as another draining
practice ends, a weary UCLA team trudges off the field
““Â except for the Bruin receiver.
Bragg immediately heads over to the throwing machine, catching
ball after ball, each one-handed, flipping every one back to the
trainer, who re-feeds the machine.
“You have to be ready,” Bragg said. “You want
your body to be used to anything so when you want it to do
something, it won’t get shocked. Every day, you just want to
become that complete receiver. Every day, that’s what you
work for.”