A total of six UCLA Bruins have been suspended for at least this weekend’s game with Cal for their roles in the streaker-fueled brawl against Arizona, including four wide receivers.
Obviously the Bruins will be a wee bit shorthanded at the position Saturday, so embattled head coach Rick Neuheisel will need players to step up and fill the receiving void. One of those players is expected to step up comes armed with a name that might just ring a bell.
Redshirt sophomore walk-on Jerry Rice Jr. -- yes, that Jerry Rice -- is expected to make his collegiate debut this weekend, ESPNLosAngeles.com reports. While it’s uncertain how much playing time Rice will receive against the Bears, the sheer lack of numbers at the position almost assures the son of an NFL legend will hit the playing at some point.
“I’m very excited, but also very nervous and anxious,” Rice said. “I’ve been waiting for a long time for a chance to play and hopefully I can do something with it. ...
“I’ve been fighting for a chance since I got here and I’m going to keep fighting. All I ever wanted was to get on the field and hopefully I can stay there.”
After watching him working with the scout team since coming to the Bruins in 2009. Neuheisel, who said the receiver will go on scholarship next quarter, said he’s looking forward to seeing how Rice handles the opportunity.
“He just needs an opportunity and now he’s got one and we’ll see how he does,” Neuheisel said. “I’m excited to watch him.”
Rice Jr., out of the Menlo School in the Bay area, had one scholarship offer -- Air Force -- coming out of high school but opted for preferred walk-on status at UCLA. He also had the opportunity to become a preferred walk-on at Stanford and Arizona.