Whatshisname.
He yells out from Westwood billboards with his arms in the
air.
“Gametime!”
“UCLA Football!”
If you are wondering who that roaring man is as you drive down
Wilshire Boulevard, you are not alone.
When UCLA head coach Bob Toledo brought an offensive lineman to
Pac-10 Media Day on July 31 as his star player, he left
sportswriters scratching their heads and created fodder for L.A.
Times columnist T.J. Simers.
“I’m sure the Bruin offensive tackle, whatever his
name is, has proud parents and a lot of friends who think he blocks
just great,” Simers wrote the following day.
He does have a name.
His name is Mike Saffer. And yes, he does have proud parents and
a lot of friends who think he blocks just great.
He’s one of the many large gentleman you see walking
around campus with a numbered backpack but without a pack of girls
following him around. An offensive lineman, in other words ““
that infamous breed of over-worked and under-appreciated players
who enable others’ glory.
For a program trying to rebuild its image after a crash-and-burn
end to last season, complicated by two heavily publicized off-field
embarrassments, an offensive lineman may be the perfect poster
boy.
“You expect the high profile guys (to get the publicity),
but everybody on this team works hard. It was nice for people in
the Morgan Center to recognize that,” Saffer said.
Call it recognition or desperation for a straight arrow, but
Saffer is a model spokesman thus far. He is a hog on the field and
a gentleman off of it. Dispelling all myths about offensive linemen
and their personal hygiene, Saffer showed up to Pac-10 Media Day in
a handsome suit and snappy cuff links as he handled questions with
ease about his presence and Paus’ absence.
“Some reporters were probably hoping to grill Cory,”
Saffer recalled. But the lineman took himself lightly enough to
enjoy the situation, and even the Times column.
“It was funny so I chuckled a little. Obviously nothing is
going to hurt my feelings. I’m sure he would have liked to
get a skill player,” he added.
One of the reasons offensive linemen make for poor media
darlings is that they lack statistics. Their coaches may grade them
after watching game film, but there are no tackles to tally, no
catches to quote.
So if talk about Saffer focuses on intangibles like work ethic
and leadership, it is not for lack of talent but lack of
descriptors. His vocal contribution is a real force on the
field.
“You can tell where there is a point in the game where
emotion can shift the tables,” Saffer said.
“The best example I can think of is the Alabama game in
2000 in the Rose Bowl. Our offense came out and had a 19-play drive
for a touchdown where we wore down their defense. There was a
feeling that “˜We’ve got them now.’ It was loud,
the crowd got up, and it changed the game,” he said of the
35-24 victory.
Given this year’s focus on team unity, Saffer’s
loquacity also conveniently fits the agenda.
“He has always been talkative. He talked for a long time
on his recruiting trip,” offensive line coach Mark Weber said
with a chuckle.
“He is tough, he doesn’t miss practice, he is
intense, he is where he is supposed to be. Every leader
doesn’t have to be vocal, but he is a vocal one. He picks up
the energy. He talks to other guys if they are not doing a drill
right. He calms them down if they’re flustered.”
Much of Saffer’s leadership was learned from his family.
His father played basketball at UCLA under John Wooden before
moving on to an equally illustrious career as Mike’s Little
League coach.
“The biggest lesson was that you can do whatever you want
in life, but you cannot settle for doing something halfway. You are
going to work hard and be the best you can be,” Saffer said.
“I think that has helped my work ethic. If I am not working
as hard as I can, I am not satisfied.”
Saffer applied that lesson off the field after slacking his
first two years at UCLA. He realized that he was smarter than his
grades reflected and applied himself. Since then, he has made honor
roll for nine consecutive quarters.
When Saffer did get in trouble at home, it was generally when he
and his two brothers and sister were being too loud. Even the
poster boy’s flaws eventually worked for him.
“If we got in trouble at home we wouldn’t get normal
punishment. We had to do something that had a greater purpose. My
dad made us do bench presses.”
The punishment seems ironic now. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Saffer
started all 11 games at right tackle last season and earned
second-team All Pac-10 honors. The offensive line enabled
UCLA’s 2,231 yards rushing and pass-blocked its 3,186 yards
in the air. Perhaps he does have some statistics to boast, but they
are team statistics, something this team player has no problem
with.
“Mike is put in those situations (like Pac-10 Media Day)
because he is a good player,” Weber said. “And he is an
outstanding representative of this school.”
“Mike came with me to speak to the kids at my old
elementary school at a career day, and he did a wonderful job.
People like him,” said Weber
And they think he blocks just great.