Doctors told Laiatu Latu he would never play again.
The defensive lineman suffered a neck injury in spring practice during his sophomore year of college and was forced to medically retire from football altogether.

Sometimes there is little warmth in welcome-back sentiments.
At least, not on a cool and cloudy Tuesday morning.
Making his practice return after a one-week absence, UCLA football defensive lineman Jay Toia dug his hand into the turf and squatted down at the line of scrimmage, getting set for a third play of 11-on-11 drills.

This post was updated April 23 at 9:07 p.m.
The 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and UCLA football is set to produce a first-round pick for the first time since 2018 when senior defensive lineman Laiatu Latu hears his name called Thursday night.

The voice of UCLA football defensive analyst Shea Pitts – amplified by a microphone – echoed about a brimming Wasserman Football Center.
Coach DeShaun Foster and the Bruins’ Friday Night Lights practice – a showcase to conclude week three of spring camp – brought in hundreds of recruits, donors and fans alike.

Student-athletes are also, well, students. Distinctive identities dwell in jerseys and helmets.
But for two weeks in the spring, they become hot commodities in an athletic bazaar.

This post was updated April 14 at 9:17 p.m.
The monotonous loop of “Still D.R.E.,” “California Love” and the cheers and jeers of UCLA football players ground to a halt Saturday morning.

Ikaika Malloe remembers the day his walk-on status transformed into a scholarship.
“I really cried,” UCLA football’s defensive coordinator said. “I cherish those moments, and I’ve always held that deep inside.”
More than 25 years after his time as a Washington linebacker, one of Malloe’s players experienced the same transformation as his coach.