Redshirt junior linebacker Steve Sloan hangs up football cleats to pursue commercial real estate
Steve Sloan
By Daily Bruin Staff
Jan. 20, 2011 1:10 a.m.
After starting in one game at middle linebacker last season, UCLA redshirt junior linebacker Steve Sloan has decided to forgo his senior season at UCLA and graduate this spring.
“I’m graduating this spring and that definitely played a role,” Sloan said Wednesday. “I’m ready to move on to the next chapter of my life.”
That next chapter for Sloan includes traveling overseas and earning a commercial real estate license. He said that the decision had nothing to do with displeasure toward the UCLA program.
“I’m happy with everything I’ve done here, and all the people I’ve met have been great,” Sloan said. “I love everything about UCLA, and I have no regrets about anything. It’s nothing to do with the program or anything like that. It’s just personal reasons.”
Sloan saw time in 10 games this season and started in UCLA’s 60-13 loss to Oregon. He narrowly lost the starting job to redshirt sophomore linebacker Patrick Larimore in fall camp but appeared to have the inside track at the starting job again when Larimore was sidelined with a dislocated shoulder.
True freshman linebacker Jordan Zumwalt replaced Sloan when he went down with a strained hamstring in UCLA’s 29-21 loss to Arizona. Sloan was ready to play against Washington two weeks later, but Zumwalt remained the starter.
Sloan was insistent that his lack of playing time also had nothing to do with his choice to leave UCLA after spring quarter.
“Not at all,” said Sloan when asked if playing time was a factor. “Pat is one of my best friends. Pat had nothing to do with it. Football’s a business and I’m ready to put it in the past and focus on something else right now.”
Larimore had surgery on his left shoulder but is expected to be back in time for the start of the 2011 season. Redshirt freshman Isaiah Bowens was listed behind Sloan on the depth chart and is expected to fill the void left by Sloan along with true freshman Eric Kendricks. Sloan was optimistic about the future of the linebacking corps.
“They’re going to be fine,” Sloan said. “They’re going to have Larimore, Zumwalt, Westgate, Glenn Love and a few of the young guys are going to be stepping up. They’re going to be fine with depth. They’re going to have a lot of solid recruits coming in, and with the guys they have now, they can get the job done.”
