Let's start the day with some good news. A number of Bruins were able to sign free agent K with NFL teams last couple of teams. Per the Pasadena Star News Pat Cowan was officially added to the New Orleans Saints roster on Monday. Congrats to Pat.
Also per UCLA Athletics' tweeter feed Aaron Perez signed a free agent K with the New England Patriots and Bret Lockett signed his K with Cleveland Browns following their mini camp. Congrats to both of those guys. Brigham Harwell didn't make it with the Washington Redskins. Hope Harwell can sign on with another team.
Meanwhile, for the kids who are on campus a group of UCLA football freshmen are taking part in the AD's "Community of Learner's" program this week. From the official site:
The 24 football freshmen will be visiting Ralph Waldo Emerson Middle School (1650 Selby Avenue in West Los Angeles). They will conduct brief presentations (likely split into four groups) on the student-athlete experience, being a Bruin, the importance of staying in school, staying away from drugs, etc. The presentations will be followed by some type of a 'play time' or low-key athletic competition on the playground.
Not sure right now whether Aundre Dean will be part of that group. Per Tracy Pierson from Bruin Report Online Dean is exploring options re. transferring:
UCLA has signed paperwork that will allow Aundre Dean, the sophomore tailback, to look into transferring.
It doesn't mean, necessarily, that he will transfer, but that he's exploring options.
Dean is currently still in school at UCLA, and intends to finish out the school year.
There has been rampant speculation that Dean could transfer after he came to UCLA as a highly-touted prospect from Katy (Tex.) High but didn't crack the rotation last season as a freshman.
Well, I hope Aundre explores all his options and settle on a situation that works out for him the best (and perhaps that will be UCLA). I wonder what schools he might look at? Oklahoma? Arkansas?
I think many of us here were really pulling hard for Dean. I know for me when I first started reading about a Texas prep star RB coming to play at UCLA, I started having visions of Skip Hicks. I was always rooting for him and from what we have read about him here on BN, he is a great kid.
However, college football is tough. In front Dean there are 5 other UCLA running backs who also have been clawing and scraping in practices. In Norm Chow's scheme if a RB wants to get substantial PT, he needs to master blocking (especially in our situation where the OL and QB's health have been so fragile). From what I have heard from practice observers, Dean wasn't able to distinguish himself from other backs from his class such as Franklin, Coleman, and Knox. Meanwhile, Carter is getting healthier from his knee injury and there is Christian Ramirez, plus we have couple of backs coming in this year's class and lot of promising RBs in this year's Southern California's high school prep scene who UCLA are pursuing.
So it is understandable why Dean would be exploring other options for the time being. Whatever happens again I hope it all works out for the kid. I will be rooting for him.
GO BRUINS.