Let's start our Friday by checking in with one of the most decorated freshman for the class of 2010. Malcolm Jones, the running back from Oaks Christian, recently attended a luncheon in LA celebrating the announcement for Gatorade's National Player of the Year from this past season. Jones was POY in football this past season and was in running for the award for the overall NPOY honors in all sports.
Jones barely lost to Brandon Knight (who is going to play hoops for Kentucky the Gators) but he doesn't care all that much about it at this point because he is focused on UCLA. Jones also had a funny comment when his older brother (a Trogan) tried talking some trash heading into this season:
His older brother, Marshall, a defensive back at USC, attended the luncheon and is looking forward to tackling his brother in the USC-UCLA game.
"I can't wait," Marshall said. "I got him."
Asked about his brother's comment, Malcolm said. "I'm going to let the playing do the talking."
Love it. Here is little bit more from Jones from Eric Sondheimer:
I have no idea what to expect from Jones because as we have seen time and again it is not easy for freshman to break in right away into college football. However, I don't think I have been this excited about the debut of a Bruin RB since the days of DeShaun Foster.
While Jones and rest of us are excited about his next four years in Westwood, there was a pretty cool story about life after UCLA for a former Bruin football player. Former Bruin safety Aaron Ware (the younger brother of another great Bruin Matt Ware) has moved on to a different career following football at UCLA. The Daily Breeze has the story about Ware moving on "from football to horticulture":
Aaron Ware used to tackle running backs, rough up tight ends and run down wide receivers for UCLA's football team.
Today, he delicately tends to a variety of plants for sale.
After graduating from UCLA in the fall with a history degree, this former football free safety took a job at Rainforest Flora Inc., the Torrance-based grower and seller of exotic plants from around the world.
The business grows and sells potted plants as well as air plants, known as tillandsia, which soak up water through the leaves.
Ware, 23, of Malibu, started in March as a nursery production manager and sales rep.
Good for Aaron. Read up on rest of the story here.
Staying with football, Jon Wilner from the San Jose Mercury News posted some interesting information re. "the latest on the division split and scheduling issues" in Pac-10 expansions. Apparently things are going to get a little "prickly":
*** The issue of dividing the league for football will be extremely prickly - much more difficult for Scott than the process of adding Colorado and Utah.
One Pacific NW school is dead-set on being paired with at least one of the SoCal schools, I've been told, and the California schools are loathe to be separated.
Per Wilner California schools "are absolutely committed to playing each other every year." Guess we will see how it all plays out.
We are going to end with some serious shopping recommendation for this Friday. We have already pointed you to this site - CheatOn.net - with some exquisite t-shirts before:
We got the word yesterday that they are all stocked up again. Once again if you need some inspiration:
When we needed an extra yard against the Irish in the final seconds, he was able to CHEAT ON!
When the NCAA said parents must pay their own way to away games, he was able to CHEAT ON!
When he needed transportation around town, he didn't take the bus, he was able to CHEAT ON!
When he needed something snazzy to wear to an award show, he was able to CHEAT ON!
When his folks needed a million dollar place to stay, he was able to CHEAT ON!
When future recruits wanted to talk to him after he had left us, he was able to CHEAT ON!
GO BRUINS.