I know it’s a cheesy answer and too easy. But I based this decision not for what he did on the court. I choose Coach for the words of wisdom he shared with us one fine day in a Sports Psychology course he came and spoke to.

The bottom line is this. He opened my mind to a great many things that have nothing to do with sports. He mostly talked about being an upright and model citizen, about being a moral and righteous person, and being involved in the world around us. At the end of the day, Everybody came out feeling we could and would accomplish anything. It was the most inspiring moment of my life.

I’ll never forget it.

Man … this will take a lot of blogposts. But here is a very rough cut of my top 10

Coaches
Coach John Wooden
Coach Ben Howland
Coach Dick Vermeil

Players

1) Ed O’Bannon
2) Cade McNown
3) Tyus Edney
4) Eric Turner
5) AA
6) JJ Stokes
7) DC
8) John Barnes
9) PAA
10) Marvin Goodwin

Honorable Mentions
LRMAM
Johnathan Ogden
Donnie Edwards
MJD
Troy Aikman
Tommy Maddox
Danny Farmar

Again this is a very very rough cut.

I’m a victim of the dates I was in school but….
Gotta go with Cade McNown

Can’t argue with a guy that walks to the sideline, lifts up his helmet, blows massive chunks, returns to the huddle, and throws a touchdown.

I also like Jordan Farmar for being the cornerstone of the new Ben Ball era.

mata for being unselfish and hard working. cowan for being tough and for 13-9

I was thinking this was just for football, but hoops too! Well, there are many but in football, for me, it’s Cade McNown, John Barnes and Maurice Drew. Also, I cannot leave out Eric McNeal. For that ONE play, he is my hero! :) Hoops would be Tyus Edney, Ed O’Bannon and Darren Collison.

GO BRUINS!!!

My favorite Bruin of all time, for selfish reasons as they were playing in my time, is either Tyus Edney, Ed O’Bannon, John Barnes or JJ Stokes. No other player in any other sport, ever, has done anything that has made me lose my voice from screaming in utter joy, like those players have.

But the greatest Bruin athlete of all time, I think, would have to be Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

is Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the greatest all-time Bruin (who graduated 2 years before I did and has actually used his history degree, despite being a superstar). The most memorable, hands-down, is John Barnes. I still remember watching that game and wondering “Who the hell is John Barnes?” Well, we found out, didn’t we?

to answer this with one person. In BBall: Lew Alcindor and Sydney Wicks. Watching Lew and the frosh team kick the snot out of the Varsity squad was priceless and Sydney was just an animal. Football: Mickey Cureton and James McAlister. To this day, I have never seen anyone come out of the backfield and hit the hole faster than Cureton and McAlister had it all. Track: Wayne Collett and John Smith. Watching these two guys on the 4X400 meter relay was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen. They could be behind by 50 yards with their two legs remaining and win going away. Truly amazing sprinters. There are so many more exceptional players that I have had the privilege of watching over the years, it’s not fair to single out just a few. DeShaun Foster, Drew, Ogden, Beban, Walton, Rowe, on and on……….. Fun to remember.

Coach, due to what his teachings have meant to me.

Just a few, mainly hoops and football:

Before my time: Jackie Robinson, Lew Alcindor

Before I was a Bruin: Kiki Vandeweghe, Rod Foster, Kenny Easley, Eric Ball

While in school: Pooh Richardson, Reggie Miller, Troy Aikman, Matt Darby

As an alumnus: Ed O’Bannon, Tyus Edney, Luc, AA, PAA, RW, LMR, Cade, Ogden, Danny Farmer, Skip Hicks

I was nine when he came to UCLA and there was something about him that hooked me instantly. When he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys (my favorite NFL team) it was a dream come true.

With everyone else, I have to put them into different catagories:

Before I Was Born:
Jackie Robinson
Kareem
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Anne Meyers-Drysdale

Before I Got to UCLA:
Tyus Edney
Lisa Fernandez
Donnie Mac

While I Was a Student:
Cade McNown
Danny Farmer

Since Graduating:
Maurice Jones-Drew
Darren Collison

Honorable Mentions for Success Against u$c*:
John Barnes
Eric McNeal

Other favorites:
Jackie Robinson
Eric Turner
Ed O’Bannon
Maurice Jones Drew
Robert Thomas
Jordan Farmar
Earl Watson

WR from 1995-1998. I worked with him at the CSO Programs when he came back to finish up school in 2003 to 2005. He’s one of the best men I know.

but I’ll go with one of my first from personal experience—Gail Goodrich. There is something magical about a comparatively undersized guard leading a comparatively undersized team to a national championship over a physically superior team. GG is Bruin, through and through.

would have to be Randall Simmons. Without a doubt. No question.

This is such a tough question and I feel it is not fair to only pick Bruins from my generation as there are so many greats so I will do one from each decade.

Pre 1950’s: Jackie Robinson. A Bruin Legend and a Dodger Legend and a courageous individual. One of the easiest picks.
1950’s: Red Sanders. Of all our teams football is my undying passion and he made our program nationally recognized, coached us to our only national championship and instituted the kickass powderkeg blue uniforms. Wish he could have lived and coached longer. He, like me, also hated $UC with a passion
1960’s: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (when he was Lew Alcindor). If you only let me pick one Bruin it would be him. He is my favorite all-time Laker, wore my favorite number both at UCLA and for the Lakers (33), and I have a great picture of me and him when he spoke at UCLA’s graduation. He continues to represent UCLA with distinction and seriously who doesn’t love the skyhook.
1970’s: Coach Wooden. Even though he coached at UCLA over the span of 4 decades and won championships in both the 60’s and 70’s, the peak of his era was the dominant winning streak in the early 70’s. Coach Wooden is a GREATEST example of a person who lives his life with utmost integrity. He also was a great basketball mind. I am so lucky to have met him.
1980’s: Kenny Easley. O how I wish I would have been alive to see him play. I am a huge Seattle Seahawks fan and he is my favorite Seahawk of all time. From everything I hear he was a total badass at UCLA. When I think UCLA football, I think of defensive dominance and when I think of defensive dominance I think of Kenny Easley.
1990’s: Cade McNown. Most people would pick him because of the relative success we enjoyed with him at the helm but for me it was the 17 point comeback in the 4th quarter and OT win at my first UCLA-USC game that forever makes him a hero in my eyes. Also, the boot and rally (Princeton term for vomitting and then continuing to drink) in the middle of a drive is totally badass. Like I said earlier UCLA football=Bad Ass
MuthaFuckers
2000’s: Lorenzo Mata. A totally selfless player who made important contributions to Coach Howland’s teams. I hope MexiBruin would agree with me that I was very proud as a Latino to see Mata’s success and his contribution to the proud history of Latinos at UCLA. Part of the reason my dad became a fan of the Bruins as a kid in the 60’s is that UCLA was school where Latino’s and poor people could actually make it unlike the wealthy penal institution in South Central (to USC’s credit that is no longer the case today with their generous financial aid for low income students) and why he eventually matriculated and graduated from there in 1978.

also played for my absolute favorite teams (Dodgers, Seahawks, Lakers). They are my favorites not only because they were Bruins but because they were so good at what they did. It showcases the diversity and staying power of our storied athletic program