Best of
both worlds
Jonathan Ogden is a
rising star in track and field
and All-American lineman for UCLA
By Tim Costner
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
UCLA’s Jonathan Ogden spends his time in two very different
worlds.
As the Bruins starting offensive tackle, there is the world that
involves a future in the NFL, sports agents, packed stadiums and
big money contracts.
As one of the nation’s leading collegiate shotputters, there is
the world that is void of most of this glamour and that consists of
very little more than a shotput and a tape measure. It is a virtual
vacuum by comparison.
But when Ogden steps into the shotputter’s ring, he doesn’t
really see it that way. Faced with the solitary task of throwing
the 16-pound metal ball as far as he can, the 6-foot-8, 300-pound
junior assumes an aggression that is even more raw than the one
that fuels him on the gridiron.
"Football is more controlled because you’re thinking a lot
more," said Ogden. "But with throwing the shot, you just have to
let it all out. I guess you could say it’s a little different."
Whatever you call it, Ogden uses it to maintain his competitive
edge throughout the year. His motivation to compete never really
loses any of its momentum from season to season.
After earning third team All-American honors for football, Ogden
now ranks fourth in the country in the shotput with a mark of 60
feet, 5 inches. Currently, that mark is just 1 1/2 inches behind
the third-ranked mark of Washington’s Ernie Conwell, but is almost
seven feet behind fellow Bruin John Godina.
"He’s this big, All-American guy coming up who’s supposed to be
the
star of our football team," said UCLA throwing coach Art
Venegas. "He doesn’t have to put himself on the line against
Godina. People say, ‘Hey, how come a big guy like you is losing to
a guy who is shorter than you?’ But his goal is to show people that
he’s the best he can be and that there is no way he can hide from
that."
Part of the reason why he doesn’t mind hiding from that fact is
that he simply enjoys competing in the shotput. Ogden  who
hails from the nation’s capital  chose UCLA simply because of
the fact that is was the best school for him to compete in both
sports.
"I think one of the hardest things you can do is compete in a
really technical field event," said Venegas. "If you’re a football
player and can do that, that’s a big transition. He has some
horrible days when he just can’t seem to get going. He doesn’t let
the frustration get to him."
Ogden also manages to keep the year-round travel from getting to
him as well as the punishing grind of a football season, although
the football coaches made the transition easier by allowing Ogden
to skip spring football so he can train for the track team. The
training, however, helps him as a football player.
"I don’t know how much football helps me in track because when I
switch to track I’m beat up after football," Ogden said. "But track
does help because I do a lot more power lifting and a lot of
explosive things that transfer over to football."
So with the NFL in his sights, what role will the shotput have
after graduation?
"Right now I’m not really sure," Ogden admitted. "I want to
continue to throw, but I know that the NFL is where the money is.
I’d like to play in the NFL and see if I can still throw after
that. If I can, I’d like to try to throw in the Olympics."
At this point, however, Ogden would just try to finish third at
the NCAAs  a realistic goal considering that Godina and
Georgia’s Brent Noon are at an untouchable level right now. Still,
that doesn’t bother Ogden, who takes solace in being in the shadows
at least half of the year.
"I don’t mind being the other guy," said Ogden. "In football
everyone is gunning for me  I like that  but I don’t
want that all year round. If I do track next year then hopefully
I’ll be the number one guy. But I’ll worry about it then."