There were some breakdowns before UCLA broke training camp.
Don’t worry, these were the poignant, bring-everyone-together kind.
As part of coach DeShaun Foster’s efforts to connect a team featuring 55 new players and eight new assistant coaches, everyone participated in a series of brotherhood meetings over the last two weeks at the team hotel in Costa Mesa.
Coaches stood before the entire team, sharing anecdotes about their experiences in the game. Players told their stories in more intimate position-group settings run by a coach from a different position.
“A lot of tears,” Foster said Saturday before his team’s final camp session. “So I just like that the players were being vulnerable and letting their guard down because they saw the coaches do it. So, you know, I just think that really brought us together and we’re gonna see if it worked.”
One of the more stirring stories came from tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel, the former Bruins quarterback. Neuheisel talked about his anxiety after leading UCLA to a come-from-behind 20-17 road victory over Texas in 2014. He had come off the bench to replace injured starter Brett Hundley.
Foster said Neuheisel relayed how he was “kind of nervous just for another opportunity to happen and not being as successful the next time, you know? So that was huge because you would have never thought that with Jerry with how he is as a person.”
Offensive line coach Andy Kwon told players that regardless of the situation, they needed to finish what they started.
“Nobody cares if you’re tired, nobody cares if you’re hurting, nobody cares if you have an injury that’s pushable,” guard Julian Armella said. “Like, you can keep going, therefore you have to have a mentality each and every single day that you know that there’s going to be somebody that lines up across from you that wants your position, that wants to take the food off your family’s plate to be able to go and provide for theirs.
“So, I think just having that mentality of being able to finish, come out each day — whether it be recovery, whether it be in the classroom, off the classroom, on the field — all of these things build up in order to have that finish mentality.”
Offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri’s message — stop thinking about what other people think about you and focus on yourself — resonated with veteran tight end Hudson Habermehl.
“You don’t want to let others’ input affect you,” Habermehl said, “because at the end of the day, all we have is each other.”
The collective mindset has resulted in a new motto for 2025: We over me.
Back at it
UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl smiles after a touchdown catch against Boise State in the L.A. Bowl in December 2023.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
As soon as he went down in the spring of 2024, his anguished screams carrying across the practice field, Habermehl had one thought running through his mind.
Am I going to be able to play again?
His coach running over to check on the player who had just torn his anterior cruciate ligament, Habermehl repeatedly yelled five words that reflected his love for the game.
“I just want to play!” he said. “I just want to play!”
Some 15 months later, a rehabilitation that included plenty of doubts and a second surgery to clean up debris in his knee finished, Habermehl is on the verge of completing his comeback.
“It really made me step back and think,” Habermehl said, “how bad do I really want it?”
A lot, it turned out.
Along the way, he had more than a little help from his friends. Teammates and coaches constantly checked in on him and drove him to rehabilitation appointments at a time when he couldn’t put any weight on his leg for two months. Former UCLA linebacker Josh Woods, who persevered through his own devastating knee injury, was especially helpful in offering advice, telling Habermehl that he would learn a lot about himself during his recovery.
A symbolic change came over winter break when Habermehl trimmed his long, flowing locks, leading to a much more streamlined look. Foster had to check with another coach to ask who Habermehl was after walking past him in the weight room.
“He comes up and he’s like, ‘Huddy?’ ” Habermehl said. “And I was like, ‘What up?’ He’s like, ‘I didn’t even recognize you. I thought you were an alum.’ ”
Calling his new hairstyle “aerodynamic,” Habermehl looked incredibly sleek while making one of the highlight plays of camp when he sprinted to the corner of the end zone to make a leaping catch. He figures to be the team’s top tight end during a final college season that will also make him possibly the most educated player on the team.
Having completed a bachelor’s degree in geography and environmental studies, he’s also earned master’s degrees in legal studies and transformative coaching and leadership. This fall he’s taking extension classes in project management, though he conceded maybe he’s lost an opportunity.
“If you had told me I was going to be here this long, I would have started the doctorate right away,” Habermehl quipped. “You could call me Dr. Habermehl.”
Etc.
Safety Key Lawrence returned to individual practice drills Saturday, one week after suffering an apparent right leg injury. Foster said Lawrence would be eased back into practices. … UCLA will hold a mock game open to the public on Aug. 23 at the Rose Bowl. Foster said it was intended to help the team’s newcomers experience the logistics of a game one week before the season opener against Utah. … Foster confirmed that the team’s new grass practice field would not be ready for the resumption of on-campus practices next week, forcing it to use Drake Stadium. The team will shift to the intramural fields, which feature artificial turf, ahead of its Sept. 6 game at Nevada Las Vegas to prepare for the same playing surface inside Allegiant Stadium. … UCLA’s weight room renovations have been completed, Foster said, providing more modern equipment and better spacing.
