Cory Paus has awfully big expectations for a guy who
hasn’t even been named UCLA’s starting quarterback.
“My expectation for myself is to be the top QB in the
Pac-10,” he told ESPN.com. “When I was a sophomore I
was. That is my goal, to get back to that.”
In Paus’ first public statements since his publicized
visit to a Santa Monica elementary school in May, he participated
in a virtual chat Tuesday on ESPN.com. After a season that saw him
go from one of the nation’s most efficient passers to an
inmate in Los Angeles County Jail with a second drunk-driving
offense, Paus is motivated to prove himself.
“For the team, I want to win every Pac-10 game. Every
single one. I feel we do have some things to prove. I haven’t
beat ‘SC since I’ve been here. I don’t want to have any
letdowns.
“The things that happened last year are in the
past,” Paus said. “I haven’t got in any trouble
and nothing like that is going to happen again.”
And head coach Bob Toledo is going to hold him to it. It was
Toledo who took the heat when he did not suspend Paus for the Nov.
17 game against USC after Paus kept his July arrest from his coach.
Toledo has not officially named Paus the starter this season even
though three wide receivers are the only current Bruins who have
thrown a single collegiate pass.
“That will help keep him focused,” Toledo said.
“I want to make sure he’s going to learn from his past
experiences. I also want to make the freshmen feel that they have a
chance to compete.”
Paus however, still sees himself as a leader of the team.
“My leadership ability has been strengthened because I
have gotten some things off my chest,” he said. “I
don’t have anything to hide. My teammates respect me and have
always known what kind of guy I am.”
“Cory is a leader because he’s a well-spoken and
friendly guy,” senior offensive tackle Mike Saffer said.
“People on the team look up to him for that
reason.”
“Cory has had some problems, but he’s battled back
from those problems and done his penance. He’s able to lead
better now because he’s been to the bottom of the bin.
He’s able to explain to people what happens when you screw
up. It’s going to help keep a lot of our guys out of
trouble.”
Notes: Practice, which is open to the public until Aug. 31,
begins on Saturday at the Cal Lutheran campus in Thousand Oaks.
Tentatively, the Bruins will have 10:10-11:45 a.m. and 4:10-6:30
p.m. practice sessions on Saturday and Sunday … UCLA was unranked
in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, receiving 59 votes
… Mike Babcock has been named graduate assistant coach after two
years as an undergraduate assistant. He lettered for the Bruins
from 1997-99 as an inside linebacker … Saffer and junior
defensive tackle Rodney Leisle have been selected as top candidates
for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s top
interior lineman every season.