The key to Kennedy Polamalu‘s biggest project may just be an Oakland Raider.
The new UCLA running backs coach has made a routine of pleading with coach Jim Mora to have sophomore outside linebacker Myles Jack spend time at running back to no avail. But a player he used to coach – Oakland’s Maurice Jones-Drew, a former Bruin who could be in attendance at Saturday’s Spring Showcase – might give Polamalu hope things will shift in his favor.
Jack said Jones-Drew, who Polamalu is hoping will inspire Jack to play running back, might be able to convince him to switch from linebacker.
“I can’t turn Maurice Jones-Drew down, so I’d just let him know I’ll be playing running back,” Jack said about what would happen if Jones-Drew encouraged him to play offense. “If he really believes I can do it, an NFL running back, I’ll definitely have to play both ways this year.”
If it were up to Jack, though, he’d be perfectly happy sticking exclusively to linebacker, the position he was recruited to play, and the decision to keep him on defense is his own choice.
For Jack, it really all just comes down to contact. He likes dishing it out rather than taking it.
“I just love tackling people more than being hit, “Jack said. “Running back, to me, I just really run scared, so I’m just running away from everybody and trying not to get grabbed or pulled down or anything.”
Despite the reluctance from all other participating parties, Polamalu has proven to be a tough man to say no to. Even after repeatedly being told to “stay away” by Mora, Polamalu was back at it during practice Monday night.
“He was in my ear today. He saw me, I was holding the ball … and he was like, ‘You know you want to switch,’” Jack said. “Coach Polamalu, trust me, he is on it. Even when coach Mora tells him to stop, he’s still recruiting me to play running back, so he’s on it.”
The only thing Jack can do in response is laugh. He’s a sought after commodity in two markets, with coaches on both sides of the ball playing tug-of-war to win his services.
But ultimately, Mora has the final say and doesn’t envision Jack getting offensive reps anytime soon.
“He’s a package player on offense and we’re not gonna put those packages in until the season starts,” Mora said. “He’s not gonna take a snap on offense in training camp either. He’s not gonna take a snap on offense until we get to game weeks.”
Line dancing
Spring practice has become a microcosm of the 2013 season for UCLA football’s offensive line.
After a strong and healthy start, the line has turned into a game of musical chairs, as players have been forced to shuffle their normal positions to fill gaps left by their injured teammates.
With junior offensive tackle Simon Goines limited to the stationary bike this spring, the Bruins’ depth has been further depleted by various bangs and bruises along the line lately. Over the past three weeks, sophomore left tackle Caleb Benenoch, redshirt senior offensive lineman Malcolm Bunche, redshirt freshman offensive guard John Lopez and sophomore right guard Alex Redmond have all either missed time.
UCLA has gotten creative in order to fill the various gaps over that stretch. Bunche has seen time at nearly every position on the line, rather than his usual spot at right guard. Redshirt freshman Poasi Moala switched from his previous spot at right tackle to the left side, sophomore center Scott Quessenberry has seen time at left guard and redshirt freshman Kenny Lacy has gotten reps at both right and left tackle after practicing mostly at guard as a redshirt last season.
But offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone doesn’t see linemen playing out of position as a detriment; rather, the experience allows players to understand other positions’ responsibilities and how to better work together.
“In the long run, it makes them understand how all five fit together in everything they do,” Mazzone said. “We just want those guys to play like a nickel, not five pennies. So right now the pennies are kinda all over the place and hopefully we can get them to be a nickel one of these days.”
Lacy, who has benefitted from the shuffling by getting more reps with the first team, said the extra practice time against the defense’s top pass rushers has helped him develop even more as he transitions from guard to tackle this season.
“It’s been good. For me, I felt like tackle is just getting reps and just playing at it and getting the technique, getting it down, becoming physical, that’s the mindset I feel like, so the more you do it the more you get better at it,” Lacy said.
While most of the injured members of the line have returned to practice, the shuffling of positions has continued. And given the frequency of injuries the offensive line suffered last season, the Bruins are making sure they’re prepared for anything.