We have a few football related notes before we get set for a Memorial Day weekend with some Bruin baseball and softball regional. We couldn't pass another off-season week without Akeem Ayers, Rahim Moore and Kai Forbath being named in another All American list. From What's Bruin Blog:
UCLA senior place kicker Kai Forbath and junior free safety Rahim Moore have been named first-team pre-season All-Americans by Sporting News College Football 2010 and junior linebacker Akeem Ayers has been selected to Sporting News' second team.
All of them have already been named as All Americans in Phill Steele's college football preview. Moore and Forbath were also listed as All Americans by Lindy's Football Preview and NationalChamps.net. I am sure more of these listings with their names will be rolling in through rest of this off-season.
Hopefully those guys will have seasons to remember in the mold of Bruin legend Randy Cross. Mr. Cross, who also happens to one of favorite 49ers of all time is the latest member of College Football Hall of Fame:
"I'm extremely proud and humbled to be selected and to be part of such a special College Football Hall of Fame class," said Cross. "My teammates at UCLA share in this honor, for without their help and influences, this would not be possible. To them, I say thank you."
"My late father, Dennis Cross, raised me to be a Bruin and my mother, Rita, was manager at Dykstra and Sproul Residence Halls on campus, so UCLA has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. Joining some of the legendary Bruins in the College Football Hall of Fame is a dream come true for a young boy who grew up in Tarzana. "
"Coaches from UCLA shaped me as a young man, taught me lessons, on and off the field, and helped in life well after I left Westwood. I owe those men --- Steve Butler, Moe Freedman, Terry Donahue, Pepper Rodgers, Dick Vermeil and Bobb McKittrick --- more than I can ever repay."
Wow. I didn't know until this morning that Bob McKittrick, the legendary 49er, who in my book was probably the best OL coach I have seen in last 30 years in the NFL (and perhaps one of the best ever) had a Bruin connection. That is pretty amazing.
Cross of course had an amazing career at UCLA. He lined up at both center and guard for UCLA in the 1973-74-75 seasons for coaches Rodgers ('73) and Vermeil ('74-75). He started 28 of his 34 career games for the Bruins, including his final 23 straight, and was named a first-team All-American in 1975. He was a member of the 1976 UCLA Rose Bowl team that defeated number 1 ranked tOSU by a score of 23-10.
So congrats to Randy Cross on behalf of all Bruins Nation (you can also wish him congrats by retweeting this). Let's hope the next current generation of Bruins such as Moore, Ayers, Forbath and co. taste the same kind of success before they are finished in Westwood. More after the jump.
From past to current to the future. Let's throw a little recruiting note at ya. Some very interesting news in the prep scene for UCLA:
Oaks Christian Coach Bill Redell has announced the hiring of former UCLA receiver Mike Sherrard to coach the Lions' receivers. Former UCLA quarterback Jay Schroeder will be an assistant athletic director while helping coach primarily on the freshman-sophomore team. And former UCLA player Ron Evans will help coach linebackers.
The post from the LA Times notes how there are couple of Trogans in that staff too. But with the influx of these Bruins along with the arrival of kids like Malcolm Jones and Cassius Marsh, I am guessing the pipeline to the OC is just getting warmed up and it will only help with recruiting say someone with a last name like Gretzky.
Lastly, don't forget we have a huge baseball series coming up against Washington State this weekend. There is also the softball regional starting tomorrow night. You can read up the Daily Bruin preview of both of those programs big weekend here and here. The official site also has a preview up on the baseball series, which should get you all caught up on top of Ryan's thorough scouting notes and the view previews that have gone up here this week.
The first pitch for tonight's game is scheduled for customary 6 pm. If you are out in Southern California, you should make every effort to go to these games. Otherwise, you can stick around here and follow the game thread and get updates from BNers like LongtimeBru, LA Bruin and many others who keep us glued to our phones.
Hopefully the baseball and softball games will add to what could be a great Memorial Day weekend.
GO BRUINS.