LOS ANGELES — The day UCLA football defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe earned his scholarship as a player at Washington left a lasting impact on him.
“Walk-ons were in a separate locker room than the scholarship players,” Malloe said. “You had to earn your right to get there. I remember that same day that they gave me the scholarship. I’ve always held that deep inside of me.”
Walk-on culture has been and is still embraced at UCLA, with defensive back Kanye Clark the most recent player to earn a scholarship, and it adds to the competitive mindset the Bruins are breeding this spring.
Clark learned of his scholarship at a team meeting in early April. Video of head coach DeShaun Foster recognizing him at that meeting was posted to UCLA social media accounts April 9.
Scholarship earned! 🏈
Congrats, @clark_kanye! 🙌#DoMore pic.twitter.com/SwDYu4FFOv
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) April 9, 2024
Clark felt the emotions Malloe felt in the early 1990s. He also called his parents – something Malloe said he forgot to do.
“I was in front of the team, so I didn’t want to let my emotions out,” Clark told reporters. “But eventually, I was by myself and I realized the hard work had paid off. So the tears came out.”
Celebrating a walk-on gives UCLA something to be excited about amid the newness, uncertainty and constant evaluations of spring practices. The team yelled and cheered when two entire groups of third-team players were brought out during an 11-on-11 team period during Thursday’s practice.
Defensive back Josh Dixon and defensive lineman Peter Bario are walk-ons yet to earn scholarships who have taken repetitions on defense at spring practices.
“We look for guys that are willing to compete and the guys that have the edge on their shoulder,” Malloe said. “The guy that’s got to work to get a scholarship, his mindset will never change scholarship or not.”
That relentlessness fits into the greater picture of endless…
Read the full article here
