Player Profile: Bruce Davis

We've saved the best for last, and I'll be wrapping up the player profile series by taking a look at defensive end Bruce Davis. Bruce is the biggest star among the returning Bruin seniors, and the fast and athletic defensive end is receiving a lot of pre-season hype. He's charismatic, exciting, and a deadly pass rusher who was one of the top defensive players in the country last year. He's the unquestioned emotional leader of the defense and a big reason why the Bruins are poised to start 2007 as one of the top 25 teams in the country.

Bruce Davis is, by far, my favorite Bruin on this squad. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is an unparalleled optimist and supporter of this team. He thinks they can move mountains and beat anyone in the country. He carries that swagger and attitude into every down and every series in each game. He has a non-stop motor and a nose for hunting down the quarterback that is almost second to none in the conference and the nation.

Bruce had a stellar 2006 campaign. The red-shirt senior was a beast off the end spot, recording 12.5 sacks which tied him for 4th in the country and 1st in the PAC-10. He also added 17.5 tackles-for-loss (18th in the country, 2nd in the PAC-10) with 47 tackles in total. He made a living camping out in opponents backfields and there didn't seem to be much opposing tackles could do about it.

Davis is undersized for a defensive lineman. His 6'3", 229 frame would be considered a little light for a linebacker, much less a guy up front. That was one of the reasons why Davis bounced between positions earlier in his career. He switched from DE to LB and even considered TE before Walker came to town. Dewayne Walker immediately envisioned Davis as a pass rush specialist and he utilized his skills perfectly to transform him into a sack-producing machine last season. His immense speed and quickness gives him an advantage over slower, bigger offenses tackles and he has exploited the mismatch with spectacular results.

If there was ever anyone who was destined to be a UCLA Bruin, it was Bruce Davis. His dad and uncle also played for the Bruins in the 70's and his Mom is an alumnus as well. His father played on two Super Bowl teams with the Raiders and the Oilers, so you know Bruce has some good genes working for him. A number of NFL scouting services are projecting him as a first or early-second round draft pick, so he should follow in his father's footsteps at the next level as well.

Davis played his prep ball at Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas. Both Rivals and Scout gave him 3-stars and he was ranked in the high teens as a defensive lineman. Despite the low ratings, Davis had great camps and his NFL pedigree garnered him a lot of attention and some impressive offers. He choose Westwood over LSU, Arkansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma.

After red shirting his first year at UCLA, Bruce actually started in his first two college games against Oklahoma State and Illinois. He was a backup the rest of the season but did manage to record 2.5 sacks that year while playing in all 12 games. In 2005, he moved to outside line backer and bumped around between that position and end for the better part of the year. He would actually spend the first part of the week practicing with one squad and then the latter half of the week with the other group. He never really learned either position very well and that left him frustrated and questioning his place on the team.

Before the 2006 season, Bruce confronted coach Walker as soon as he joined the team. He wanted to be moved to a new position to get more playing time. Walker was firm and told the passionate Davis that he could use him best as a pash rusher. With Dewaynes guidance and the coaching of D-line coach Todd Howard, Davis has grown into the super star he was destined to become. He'll likely see a lot of double teams this season and strength and speed conditioning are crucial for him to grow and improve with the added pressure.

This will be a big year for Bruce. He came in under the radar last season and that helped contribute to his success. You can bet that offensive coordinators are already planning on ways to factor out the athletic super star. This is really his season to shine and prove that last years success wasn't just a flash in the pan. Other teams better not underestimate Davis, or he just might have another thing coming. And that's all I got to say about that.

(photo credit: Ghetty Images)

Coach Profile: Jay Norvell

Even though I've been profiling the players in this series, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the man behind one of the big coaching changes at UCLA this past off season. Jay Norvell was named the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for the Bruins this January after Jim Svoboda was fired. With the Bruin offense struggling last season, there will be a lot of pressure on Norvell to right the ship and kick this offense back into high gear.

The Bruins had the 7th best offense in the conference (71st nationally) last season and that was mainly due to a weak passing attack. It will be up to Norvell to try and improve the passing game, his quarterbacks' performance, and the offense as a whole. He has a lot of experienced players to work with, but it will be an uphill battle. He has a revamped O-line, a QB coming back from injury, few play makers at wideout, and a running game that didn't deliver many big plays in 2006. Norvell is going to have to bring almost every unit up a notch if the Bruins are going to compete for the conference title.

UCLA will be running the west coast offense again under Norvell, but with more of an emphasis on the shotgun. Jay has also introduced a more verbose and complex vocabulary for this team that will take some time for them to learn. In the spring there was an emphasis on speed and tempo, so expect them to get to the line faster and have fewer delay of game penalties and wasted timeouts. Norvell is also introducing single back sets with stacked wide outs. It should be a more pass-oriented and wide open offense this year, something that has been sorely missing the last few seasons.

It was no coincidence that Norvell ended up in Westwood. He has been close friends with Karl Dorrell and Dewayne Walker for years. The three are roughly the same age and they have followed similar career paths. One interesting fact is that Dorrell and Norvell played opposite each other in the 1986 Rose Bowl. Norvell was a safety for the Iowa Hawkeyes at the time and Dorrell was a receiver for UCLA. This season will be the first time all three have worked together on the same sideline.

Norvell started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa in 1986. He went to Northern Iowa for a year and then landed an assistant job at Wisconsin where he coached from 1989 to 1994. It was here that he first worked with current Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan. The two would work together extensively throughout the years at different schools and in the pros.

After Wisconsin, Jay spent the 1995 through 1997 seasons on Dan McCarney's staff at Iowa State, serving as assistant head coach and quarterbacks and receivers coach. Jay did two stints in the NFL, 1998 - 2001 and 2002- 2003, as a position coach. He worked with the receivers at Indianapolis and the tight ends at Oakland. During his time with the Raiders, he reunited with Callahan and the two took positions at Nebraska in 2004.

Jay spent the last two seasons at Nebraska doing pretty much what he'll be doing at UCLA this year. He was the offensive coordinator there and the quarterbacks coach. The big difference is that Norvell will have the added responsibility of calling the plays each Saturday. Most of the work for a coordinator is done in the days before the game, as he prepares the game plan and puts together a play script. Norvell was pretty successful preparing Nebraska as they ranked 14th in the national in total offense last year.

UCLA has seen a lot of turnover at the offensive coordinator spot. Norvell is the 3rd coach in as many seasons and the constant transition has been difficult for the players. Chris Markey had this to say about the coaching carousel, "It's been tough on the guys. It's been hard to adjust to it. It's been kind of rough. But Coach Norvell is a great coach, and the adjustment hasn't been as bad as it was in previous years."

Norvell definitely seems to be more demanding and organized then Svoboda. He asks more from his players and mistakes are not tolerated. When asked about Norvell's style, Markey said. "Coach Norvell coaches just like Coach Walker." That's a good sign and a Walker-like turnaround of the offense is just what the doctor ordered.

If the Spring game was any indication, this offense still has a long way to go under Norvell. Typically the spring is when new concepts and plays are introduced, so we'll have to wait until the fall before we can get an accurate read on this team. A lot will be asked from Jay Norvell, but it seems like his career has been building toward this moment. Hopefully he can take this opportunity and turn it into a huge season for the blue and gold.

Player Profile: Ben Olson

Everyone has heard Ben Olson's story. I think FSN, ABC, and NBC worked it to death last year, giving us a personal history lesson each week. It went something like this: High School phenom, BYU for one season, Mormon Mission, and then UCLA. As far as I'm concerned, all of that is ancient history. Any past accomplishments are long gone and It is all about this season and finally living up to all the hope, hype, and the mountain of expectations that have followed him since his prep days.

Ben is definitely the most talented and skilled quarterback to put on a Bruin jersey since Cade McNown. He is tall, has a cannon for an arm, and the 24 year old is wise and mature. He has all the measurables you like to see at the position and the guy has had NFL scouts watching him for years. Even in high school, people were pegging Olson as a guy who would be playing on Sundays.

Unfortunately for Ben, he's managed to play just five games in the last five years and the rust was very apparent this last season. He got off to a fantastic start against Utah, but it quickly went down hill as he struggled against the lowly Rice Owls and he really never found a consistent grove. The knee injury against Arizona, which was a nasty cheap shot, unfortunately cut short a season where he could have gotten some much needed time on the field. He wrapped up the season connecting on 79 of 124 passes for 822 yards, 5 TDs, 5 INTs.

The one good number from Ben's sophomore campaign was his completion percentage. He landed 64% of his passes, which is exactly what you want to see from your quarterback in a west coast offense. Now, admittedly, that was against some pretty weak competition (Washington, Stanford, Arizona, Rice, and Utah) but if Ben can be as accurate this year then the Bruin's offense will put up a lot more points.

Ben was named the starting quarterback this spring and he'll head into the fall camp, for the first time, knowing he's the number one guy. He had a decent spring practice, but the new offense installed by Jay Norvell means learning a whole new vocabulary and set of plays. Ben seems like a smart guy but there is bound to be a learning curve. Hopefully, Olson can draw on some of what he has learned over the last two years in the west coast offense, to make the transition a little easier. It was his competition percentage and his grasp of the new offense that gave him the leg-up over Pat Cowan this spring. If Ben struggles with accuracy during the season, however, Pat will be waiting to take his place.

New offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Jay Norvell had this to say about Olson, "He's very settled in where he is as a person and very confident in what he wants to get done. Probably the most underrated quality in a quarterback is stability. You need someone mature and stable."

Ben played his prep ball at Thousand Oaks High School. He graduated in 2001, which is a lifetime ago in the college football world. Olson was rated the #1 player in the entire country with both Rivals and Scout both gaving him 5 stars. A Parade All American, He was named to the all-CIF team and given pretty much every national award out there for a quarterback. He was very highly recruited, as you would expect, and he picked BYU over a long list of schools.

After his Mormon mission, Ben was able to re-open his college recruiting. Dissatisfied with the way he was utilized at BYU, he looked around for a new program. He chose a school close to home in UCLA and Ben was almost immediately lauded as the savior of the Bruin football program. He was greeted like a rock star on campus and even earned the short-lived nickname "South Paw Jesus". The hysteria has definitely quieted down over the last two years, but the expectations are still sky high among the fans.

Over his first two years at UCLA, he has been set back by some injuries. He had a small fracture in his throwing hand that limited his minutes early in 2005. He also had the leg injury last year that kept him on the bench for most of the season . Ben does have decent mobility but we'll have to see if the leg injury slows him down in 2007. Drew Olson suffered a nasty leg injury his junior year and he broke school records as a Senior, so hopefully Ben can be just as successful.

In so many ways this is a season of reckoning for the Bruins in general and for Olson in particular. A big year from the southpaw could mean the difference between a great season or a rather average one for UCLA. It is really now or never for Ben to prove that he is that same player that wowed so many fans back at Thousand Oaks. I'm sure nobody has bigger expectations for this season than Olson himself. The only question that remains is will he deliver.

(photo credit: Ghetty Images)

Player Profile: Trey Brown

When you look at Trey Brown, he doesn't strike you as an imposing figure. The 5'9" 185 lb red-shirt senior from Overland Parks, Kansas isn't the biggest or the fastest player in the secondary. However, Brown has emerged as a lock-down corner who has started almost every game during the last three years. He is considered one of the top corners in the conference and he anchors one of the best units on the team.

Trey has started in 30 consecutive games at UCLA and has played in every game since 2003. That's an incredible streak and he is by far the most experienced player on the defense. In my mind, he is the captain of the secondary and his leadership has helped turn them into a formidable and aggresive group.

Trey locks down whatever receiver he is assigned to cover. He led the Bruins last season with 4 interceptions and 9 passes defensed despite the fact that opposing quarterbacks would rarely throw his direction. He also amassed 47 tackles and even got a sack on a corner blitz during the Stanford game. Despite his size he can land a big hit; just ask Arizona receiver Syndric Steptoe, who got knocked for a loop by Brown at the Rose Bowl.

Trey is the son of former UCLA running back Theotis Brown. He camped at UCLA during the summer of 2003 and committed to the Bruins as soon as he was offered. It is always great to see UCLA legacy players stick with the school and make a big impact for their parent's alma mater.

Brown came to Westwood from Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas. He wasn't well know and his small stature and remote location probably scared off most colleges. He was only given two-stars by both Rivals and Scout despite earning all league honors at both running back and corner. A well rounded athlete, Brown also lettered in basketball and baseball.

He red-shirted his first year as a Bruin but his tough and intellegent play impressed the coaches. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was named the defensive winner of UCLA's Charles Pike Memorial Award for Outstanding Scout Team Player. He started out on special teams his second year but midway through the season he was called upon to take up the starting corner spot.

His sophomore season he had a huge game against Oregon, making 5 tackles and taking an interception 43 yards for a touchdown to give the Bruins their first score. He ended up starting in the final 5 games of the year and, despite seeing only limited action to begin the season, he recorded 46 tackles. Once he earned that starting spot, Brown never looked back. In 2005, Trey continued his streak of excellence. He lead the team in passes defended and also racked up a bunch of tackles. He made a late interception in the 4th quarter against Cal to cap a huge Bruin victory.

With Brown and Horton in the secondary, this unit is going to wreck havoc on opposing offenses. Trey is the old veteran of the group and expect him to pass along his wisdom to future Bruin stars like Alteraun Verner and incoming freshman Courtney Viney. Since Walker's blitzing defense relies heavily on strong defense backs, it is great to know that Trey has his side of the field all locked up.

(photo credit: Ghetty Images)

Player Profile: Kevin Brown

Kevin Brown, or "the Bear" as he has been nicknamed, is the big man in the middle of the Bruins defensive line. The talented and athletic tackle had a relatively quiet season in 2006, but expect him to explode back into the spotlight this season.

Kevin has a strong motor and peruses the run game relentlessly. He had 24 tackles last year, including 6 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Brown had a good spring practice and it looks like he is finally getting over the ankle injury that side lined him two season ago. Expect his numbers to go way up in 2007 as offenses are forced to double-team Bruce Davis.

Brown finished his high school career at Long Beach Poly before coming to Westwood. He was a standout player on both sides of the ball and he was named to pretty much every single local, district, and state all-everything teams. He was given 4-stars by both Scout and Rivals and considered one of the top lineman in the country.

Kevin bumped around between offensive and defense in his first season as a Bruin. He saw action on both sides of the ball, including a few starts as guard at the end of the season. Originally recruited for defense, he was switched to the offense because of a lack of depth after some injuries depleted the line.

His sophomore year, Kevin switched back to the D-line and he has been there ever since. He started a few times but his real break-out performance came during the SC game at the Rose Bowl. He recorded two sacks and was in Matt Leinart's face for the better part of the game. Big things were expected from him after that game and there was a lot of buzz around the big man going into his Junior year.

In 2005, The Bear was injured at the end of the fall camp. It was a devastating loss to a unit that would see most of its starters on the sidelines by the end of the season. Brown sprained his left ankle and it required surgery that kept him off the field for the entire season. That injury seemed to slow him down a bit in 2006 and staying healthy will be one of his primary goals this year.

It is always crucial to have a solid defensive line and big bodies in the middle can make all the difference. Brown is tipping the scales at close to 300 lbs and along with Brigham Harwell, he should be a monstrous force in the middle of the Bruin front seven. I am excited to see what Brown can do for us this season, and I'm sure opposing quarterbacks will be seeing #75 up close and personal all year long.

(photo credit: national champs)

Player Profile: Shannon Tevaga

It wasn't a sure thing that Shannon Tevaga would be back this year. He flirted with jumping to the NFL before the last draft, but decided another year in Westwood would be a good idea. Shannon is the star on the offensive line and the big man from Paramount has the size and skills to play at the next level.

When asked about the decision, Shannon stated that earning a degree and the opportunity to play with his brother, Sonny (who is a red-shirt freshman this year at UCLA) were the key reasons he came back. An experienced and durable player, Tevaga will be a key anchor on a re-shuffled offensive line this year. Karl Dorrell had this to say about Shannon's contribution to the team:

"Shannon has a chance to be one of the better players in our conference next season and his experience will be an asset to our offensive unit. Another year of college experience will benefit him in the long run."

Tevaga started all 13 games last year barely missing a snap. He also started all 12 games in 2005 and 6 games in 2004 and that makes him the most experienced lineman at UCLA this season. Tevaga has proven to be a dependable and consistent leader on the line during his tenure as a Bruin. Tipping the scales at 313 lbs, Shannon is also one of the biggest lineman suiting up in the blue and gold this season.

Shannon came to Westwood from La Mirada High School. He was a hot prospect after his senior year, and he was given a rating of 4-stars by Scout and 3-stars by Rivals and both services considered him one of the top guards in his class. He was offered scholarships by a number of PAC-10 schools but ultimately picked UCLA because it was close to home and his family. He was selected all-CIF first-team as an offensive lineman and first-team all-area as a defensive lineman. Tevaga was selected to the prestigious Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team.

Coming into his final year at UCLA, Shannon has been getting a lot of attention and praise. He has been named to a number of pre-season all-conference teams. The Sporting News and Lindy's magazine both put Tevaga on their second team all PAC-10 squads. He also is expected to be picked up in the NFL draft at the end of year, with some services projecting him to go in the second round.

With a number of players switching positions on the line this year, Shannon will be asked to anchor the unit and lead them to victory this season. Football games are won and lost in the trenches and Tevaga is a big and gifted athlete that the Bruins will run behind a lot this year. I expect a lot from him in 2007 and, after 31 consecutive starts, Shannon has proven he can consistently deliver.

(photo credit: national champs)

Player Profile: Christian Taylor

In a year where the defense improved by leaps and bounds, there probably wasn't a player who stepped up more than Christian Taylor. A former walk-on, he emerged as a critical leader and key member of the defensive. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was named co-winner of UCLA's Captain Don Brown Memorial Award for Most Improved Player.

Christian is a red-shirt senior this season and he will be the starting middle linebacker for the second consecutive year. Despite being hampered by an ankle sprain the majority of last season, Taylor played in all 13 games and only missed one start. He was all over the field, recording 83 tackles (2nd on the team), 4.5 sacks (3rd on the team) and 13.5 tackles-for-loss (3rd on the team).

As the Mike linebacker, Christian is the signal caller and the defensive leader. Taylor is a film junkie and he brings a lot of planning, study, and intelligence to his position. He isn't the biggest or the fastest player on the field, but he plays smart and is rarely out of position. He has a great nose for the ball and always seems to be in the middle of every play.

Another intangible that Taylor brings to the game is a sense of confidence and aggressiveness. He talks a lot of trash on the field and he is always trying to get into the head of his opponent. He never backs down and he isn't intimidated by anyone and you can see proof of that by the little scuffles and pushing matches he finds himself in after heated plays. The swagger he brings is contagious and I believe he helps fire up his comrades on defense.

Christian transfered to UCLA after attending the Air Force Academy. He wasn't offered a scholarship, but made the move to Westwood anyways and walked onto the team. He sat out a season, per NCAA rules, but he immediately proved that he was capable of playing for the Bruins. He was named the scout team player of the year and awarded a full scholarship after the 2005 fall camp.

Taylor got to play for the first time 2005 and he wasted no time in making a big impact. In just his second game, against the Rice Owls, Christian recovered a fumble and ran it back into the end zone for a touchdown. He went on to play in all 12 games that year, including a start against the Trojans and significant minutes in the Sun Bowl where he lead the team in tackles with 12.

Taylor was involved in a key 4th down stop against the Trojans this last December. Along with Alteraun Verner, Taylor hist running back CJ Gable for a huge loss to give the ball back to the Bruins. You can see a clip of that hit in this highlight video of the game. I tell you, watching that never gets old.

Christian did an outstanding job last season and he looks poised to have a huge senior campaign. He spent most of last season with a bum ankle, so it will be great to see what he can do while healthy. I expect big things from this defensive captain and I know he will deliver.

(photo credit: view images)

Player Profile: Chris Horton

We'll switch to the other side of the ball this time and look at another New Orleans native in Chris Horton.

Horton will be playing in his 5th season with the Bruins, and the red-shirt senior has emerged as a true super star in the secondary. Chris led the defense with 95 tackles last season and added 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. He was named to the all PAC-10 second team and is poised to be one of the best strong safeties in the country this year.

Horton is a big and physical and he has all of the skills you like to see in a strong safety. He is a powerful hitter who careens headlong into ball carriers, stopping them in their tracks. Here is a video of Horton forcing a fumble after laying a huge lick on Notre Dame running back Darius Walker.

Its hard to believe that Horton only made his first start at the end of the 2005 season against USC. This last year he looked like a chiseled veteran, starting all 13 games and almost never missing a play. He spent years behind an NFL-caliber safety in Jarrad Page, but Horton has the size and skills to be an even bigger asset to the Bruin secondary.

What might be even harder to believe, given all of the recent accolades, is that Horton was not highly rated coming out of De La Salle High School in New Orleans. He only garnered 3-stars by Scout, and 2-stars by Rivals, but that didn't deter schools like UCLA, Arkansas, and Clemson from pursuing the hard-hitting athlete.

Chris spent the first few years at Westwood playing on the special teams units and as a backup safety. He red-shirted his first season, but came off the bench to make some huge special teams plays in his second year for the blue and gold. The one play I remember vividly is Horton blocking a punt against the Trojans. He also blocked another punt that year against Arizona for a safety.

In 2005, Chris spent the first half of the season recovering from a wrist injury he suffered in the fall camp. To this day, Horton is still bothered by the injury and he admitted in an interview that it sometimes hinders his ability to make interceptions.

"When the doctor tells you your wrist is a career-threatening injury, and I made it past the stage the doctors said I wouldn't make it past because I don't have to wear that cast anymore, I'm happy," Horton said. "As long as I'm out on the field, I'm happy."

In the off season, Horton was named to the Play Boy All American team. Lots of experts are putting him on their All American watch lists and I think he'll have a huge Senior season in the UCLA secondary. With a new offense again this season, the Bruins will rely on their defense to keep them in games. Chris will play a very critical role in helping to craft the Bruins into a team that can compete for the conference crown. Since he just recently finished his classes, he should be 100% focused on football.

(photo credit: viewimages.com)

Player Profile: Chris Markey

I thought I would spend a little time during the summer and write a series of articles about some of the marque players who will be wearing the blue and gold this year. What better way to kick off the series then by starting with a guy who has marque built right into his name... Chris Markey!

Chris will be a true senior this year and this is his second season as the starting tailback for the Bruins. Markey started all 13 games last season and he has a been a very durable and dependable player in the backfield. He lead the team in rushing yards and receptions last season and the running back was named UCLA's co-MVP along with an All-Pac-10 honorable mention. He will likely be a key component in the offense for 2007.

I would call Markey a meat-and-potatoes kind of running back. He isn't going to blind you with his speed or knock you over with his size, but he is a durable, consistent, blue-collar kind of player. He has good hands and is a solid and dependable receiver coming out of the backfield.

I was surprised, at the end of last season, to see that Markey had racked up over 1,100 yards with an average of 4.9 yards a carry. Those numbers were good enough to rank him 4th in the PAC-10. It didn't seem like he was always an impact player each game, but he consistently contributed to the offense and he compiled a pretty impressive set of stats along the way.

One number that wasn't so hot, was the number of touchdowns Chris scored. He had an anemic two touchdowns for the whole season. That's an almost unbelievably low number considering that he had 227 carries and 35 receptions. The Bruins definitely missed the big play making ability that Maurice Drew brought to the position in 2005. This year Markey is going to have to step up his game and find a way to take the ball to the house if UCLA is going to compete for the conference title.

Chris came to Westwood from Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was not a highly rated recruit after his Senior season at Jesuit (both Rivals and Scout gave him 3-stars), but he was named the Louisiana Class 5A State offensive MVP and the New Orleans City Player of the Year. Chris was a star athlete in high school and he competed in Track and Basketball ,earning all district honors in both of those sports.

Markey had his first breakout game during his freshman year when the Bruins faced the Ducks up at Eugene, Oregon. Chris was the 3rd string tailback at the time, behind Maurice Drew and Manuel White Jr. When Drew injured an ankle the prior week against Washington State, Markey had a chance to prove he could be a star on offense. He racked up 131 yards on the ground, and also lead the team in receptions with 84 yards, and his stellar performance propelled the Bruins to an upset victory.

His sophomore season would also provide an opportunity to get into the spot light, this time in the Sun Bowl against the Northwestern Wildcats. Maurice Drew was injured again, this time early in the game. Chris, and 3rd string running back Kahlil Bell, picked up the running responsibilities and both ran for over 100 yards that day. Markey averaged almost 7 yards a touch, and he was named co-MVP for the game. Here's a great highlight video of the 2005 Sun Bowl, which includes Markey putting together a 50 yard scramble.

In his first two years at Westwood, Markey was responsible for kick returns. Against San Diego State, his sophomore year, he had a spectacular return. He caught the ball on the 5 yard line and he juked and jived his way through a swarm of defenders. The greatest part was the two stiff arms he threw at the end of the drive that absolutely planted the Aztec players to the ground.

His Junior year, he put on a running clinic against the Rice Owls. The prior week, the Bruins hadn't run the ball very well, and Markey was challenged by coach Dorrell to prove he could step-up as the starting tailback for the Bruins. He amassed a career high of 208 rushing yards and he averaged almost a first down (9.0 yards) every time he touched the ball.

At the start of this year's spring practice, Chris injured his foot and he missed almost the entire camp. The injury wasn't serious and Markey was kept out of practice as a precautionary measure. He should be back and ready to go for the fall camp and the start of the season.

This should be a big year for the Louisiana native. With a new offense and a rusty quarterback at the helm, the Bruins are going to depend on their experienced senior tail back to help carry the team at the start of the season. He's been a consistent and dependable back in his time at UCLA, but now Chris needs to show that he can be a big play maker as well.

(photo credit: Seattle PI)