The Daily Bruin’s Lisa Cates sat down with Bruin
defensive lineman Nikola Dragovic to talk about the redshirt
junior’s journey from Yugoslavia and into
football.
Daily Bruin: How long did you live in Yugoslavia?
Nikola Dragovic: Seven years. Then we moved over here, but I still
went back whenever I could. I still kept the culture. I know the
language very well. … I still do have family over there and I
plan on going back when I can actually make enough money to go over
there and give them some. DB: Why did your family come to the
U.S. the first place? ND: We came over looking for a better
life. We were very poor. We didn’t have any money. My dad
didn’t want to come, but my mom actually had family out here,
so she was pushing my dad and pushing and pushing until he cracked.
… I’m very happy that my parents decided to move here
because I wouldn’t be (at UCLA) otherwise. DB: How did
you get into football? ND: I really don’t know. My
brother started playing in high school and all my friends wanted to
play football so I just kind of fell into it. I was a wrestler
actually. DB: If you could choose between professional
wrestling and professional football … ND: Professional
football. For sure. Wrestling is a great sport but professional
wrestling like that WWF. … Football is like a way of expression,
a way for me to release my emotions. DB: What are some of your
pregame rituals or the song you listen to before the game? ND:
I like to listen to kind of ancient Eastern European music. I do
have some rituals, how I warm up, what I do. I was really
superstitious back in the day, but I made it out ’cause all
my energy was going toward my superstition and by the time
I’d get to the game I’d be like, I cant play. Sometimes
you do all these rituals and then you have a (bad) game and
you’re just like “˜damn these rituals!’ DB:
Favorite game-day song? ND: It’s called “Jos ne
svice rujna zora,” by Merima Njegomir. It’s Serbian
music. DB: How was the transition from high school to college
for you? ND: Well, it was different, but I thought I could
handle it just because I looked at it as more of a challenge.
Something that would be hard for me. I wanted to do it. I think I
transitioned pretty well. DB: Do you make your own food at your
apartment? ND: I do. I cook, clean, do laundry. Ah, what else,
sew? Nah, I’m just joking. DB: Why did you decide to join
Sigma Chi? ND: To meet as many people as I can while I’m
here. I want to make friends. I don’t want to just be a
“football player.” I haven’t been able to go over
there and do all the things because of football, but I think I will
eventually when the season is over. DB: What do you want to do
after college? ND: Everyone here wants to play in the NFL. But
also I’ve been doing a lot of acting lately in my spare time,
so that’s what I want to do after football’s over if I
do or don’t make the NFL. DB: How did you choose
political science as a major? ND: Everyone is a history major
and I thought, I don’t want to be a history major just cause
everybody’s doing it. I understand political science because
I am from Yugoslavia and I do understand foreign policy. DB:
How was it coming back from your injury and surgery last year?
ND: It made me that much more passionate about the game. Every time
I come out to practice, I am happy to be here. Before it was like,
practice? I don’t want to practice. … But now I look
forward to it. I look forward to coming here because it was taken
away from me before. DB: How do you feel about the word
“hella”? ND: I never use it but some guys use it
all the time but that’s their thing. Here people say
“bro” and “dude” and there ain’t no
problem. … We say stupid stuff too. DB: What do you think
about this Nikola Dragovic character on the basketball team
stealing your name? ND: Stealing my name? No, you see, his
name is Junior. Because I’m senior.