LOS ANGELES — Redshirt elder antiaircraft lineman Martin Andrus Jr. has missed the past 26 UCLA shot games and spent astir of the past 2 years trying to enactment his mode backmost connected the field.
Not due to the fact that 1 of 1 torn anterior cruciate ligament. Try both.
Andrus suffered the archetypal superior genu wounded during pregame warm-ups up of the Oregon State crippled successful 2019. He played successful conscionable 3 games that season.
Andrus was successful the process of moving his mode backmost from the archetypal wounded erstwhile helium suffered the 2nd ACL teardrop successful his different leg.
“It was devastating, but I knew and understood what it would instrumentality to travel back, truthful I already knew what to bash the 2nd go-around,” Andrus said, who underwent country connected each knee. “I had a mode amended mindset astir it. It was a bummer, but it builds character, truthful I conscionable took it caput on.”
The antiaircraft lineman called the rehab process agelong and that “some days were amended than others” but ne'er questioned whether he’d ever play again. A instrumentality appeared imaginable for Andrus this play aft helium was cleared for afloat interaction successful caller weeks.
UCLA manager Chip Kelly told the elder connected Saturday that helium would beryllium a squad skipper for the Bruins (7-4 overall, 5-3 Pac-12) and beryllium retired determination for the coin flip up of the 62-33 triumph implicit USC.
“He’s special,” Kelly said. “I was truthful excited to archer him that helium was going to beryllium a skipper successful the Coliseum and pb america retired determination and past to get him successful the crippled and ticker him commencement to get backmost connected the field.”
“It was conscionable a immense grant for maine due to the fact that I’ve ne'er had an accidental to beryllium a squad skipper before,” Andrus said. “That was truly big.”
Andrus’ sanction doesn’t amusement up successful the container people due to the fact that helium didn’t grounds a statistic connected the tract but his sanction does look connected the database of participating players – thing helium hadn’t done since the Bruins played Oklahoma successful a nonconference crippled astatine the Rose Bowl connected Sept. 14, 2019.
“Honestly, it was conscionable cleanable timing,” said Andrus, a highly rated enlistee retired of Los Angeles High. “Beating USC successful the crosstown rivalry is ever beauteous big, but it was conscionable bully to beryllium back.
“I didn’t attraction if it was USC oregon Cal oregon whoever. I conscionable wanted to travel backmost and play still. It was conscionable an grant and a blessing to beryllium backmost and beryllium capable to play shot again.”
Andrus was “grateful and thankful for everybody” that supported him passim his rehab, and to perceive from his friends and erstwhile teammates connected societal media implicit the weekend.
“Martin worked his process off. Ever since helium got injured from a freak accident,” UCLA backmost Dorian Thompson-Robinson said. “We privation the champion for Martin. This full squad conscionable couldn’t hold to spot him play.
“I couldn’t hold to spot him get backmost retired connected the tract doing what helium loves. I couldn’t beryllium much arrogant of him too.”
Linebacker Shea Pitts joined the shot programme the aforesaid twelvemonth arsenic Andrus successful 2017 and has witnessed his teammate’s journey.
“A batch of radical tin travel motivated and bash things erstwhile they are doing good and things are good. but erstwhile things are atrocious and you’re not doing good and you’re hurt, that truly shows your character,” Pitts said. “For Martin to travel backmost aft not conscionable 1 ACL (injury) but two, to get backmost connected the tract is conscionable an unbelievable testament to his character. … I’m truly arrogant of him and I’ve told him that.”
Kelly mentioned during the postgame property league that helium admired Andrus’ resilience and the mode helium continued to persevere done his injuries.
“It was truly chill to person him back,” Kelly added. “We’re truly excited that we got astatine slightest 2 much games with him.”
There’s a accidental the Bruins whitethorn person much than 2 much games with Andrus, who has the quality to instrumentality vantage of the other twelvemonth of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the fact that of the 2020 pandemic-shortened season.
Andrus is expected to beryllium successful azygous against Cal connected Saturday (7:30 p.m., FS1) astatine the Rose Bowl.
PRO RADAR
UCLA information Quentin Lake was named the Reese’s Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week for his show against USC.
Lake had 7 tackles, including 2 for a loss, a walk breakup and an interception against the Trojans.
The fifth-year antiaircraft backmost intercepted USC backmost Jaxson Dart’s pass, intended for receiver Gary Bryant Jr., successful the archetypal quarter. Lake had a 15-yard instrumentality earlier moving retired of bounds.
Jim Nagy, an NFL draught expert and the Senior Bowl’s enforcement director, mentioned that movie of Lake’s performance, specified arsenic the interception, has “gotten the NFL’s attention.”
The Senior Bowl is an yearly all-star assemblage shot accumulation crippled played successful Mobile, Alabama. Seniors crossed the state person already started to person invitations to participate.
Lake has yet to person an invitation, but Nagy tweeted the antiaircraft backmost is “making a late-season push” for this year’s game.
Lake’s father, Carnell, was an All-American linebacker for the Bruins successful 1988 and a five-time Pro Bowler during his NFL career.