Ben Olson being eased in as UCLA's starting quarterback
UCLA FOOTBALL
Senior says he is 'excited about the chance to prove the type of leader I am.'
The last hurrah of Ben Olson began Tuesday, as UCLA started football practice. Fittingly, the word "gingerly" was attached to his situation.
First-year Coach Rick Neuheisel used the word to describe Olson's health coming off a broken bone in his left foot, adding, "We'll just have to pay close attention to it and be wary about how much we stress it."
The same word might be applied to Olson's status as the starting quarterback, as he is gingerly holding on to that designation.
Patrick Cowan won the starting but suffered a season-ending knee injury. That made Olson the No. 1 quarterback, as he had been at the start of his previous two seasons. Yet he had a precarious hold on the job, in part because of the foot injury, which required surgery.
"I think as a quarterback you are always having to go out there and earn the confidence of a coach that you're a leader," Olson said.
Olson has had to do that often during his UCLA career. Norm Chow is his fourth offensive coordinator. His career has also been interrupted by knee injuries each of the last two seasons, when he has started 10 games.
"Definitely things haven't gone as I planned," said Olson, who was rated the top recruit in the nation as a senior out of Thousand Oaks High in 2002. "I have one year left and a chance to do something special."
Neuheisel indicated at the Pacific 10 Conference's media day that Olson needs to improve, saying, "Ben is certainly experienced, but I don't know if he has ever been a leader."
Olson shrugged off that comment.
"Every coach has a different style on how they want you to lead," Olson said. "It's good to sit down with the coach and hear what he wants you to do. I'm excited about the chance to prove the type of leader I am."
Full backfield
Johnathan Franklin will be tried first at tailback, giving the Bruins four true freshmen at the position. Franklin may still end up as a defensive back, but was happy to get the opportunity.
"I love offense," said Franklin, who gained 1,732 yards for Los Angeles Dorsey High last season. "I have been playing offense my whole life. I'm going to be happy wherever I play. It's football. As long as I have the opportunity to be on field, it doesn't matter where I'm going to play. But they gave me the choice to play offense or defense and I chose offense."
Beside Franklin, the Bruins have Aundre Dean, Milton Knox and Derrick Coleman as freshmen tailbacks, as well as redshirt freshman Raymond Carter.
