Incident at football training camp poses questions about leadership

SAN BERNARDINO — As the afternoon temperature rose to around 100 degrees Friday, tempers started to flare up at UCLA’s fall camp.

Specifically, rising junior linebacker Myles Jack was heated. He got into a scuffle with rising redshirt junior left tackle Conor McDermott and was seething for several minutes afterward.

The team went to a 10-minute water break to cool down, but Jack remained fiery. He breathed loudly, stormed around the field and even went over to the offensive linemen to reignite the fight.

Eventually, coach Jim Mora had enough. He kicked Jack out of practice.

“Sometimes there are flare-ups, and it’s really about how you recover as a team,” said defensive line coach Angus McClure. “You expect the leadership to take control of the locker room.”

The only problem is that Jack is expected to be one of the leaders of the Bruin defense this year. He said as much during his interview with the media earlier this week.

“I have to take on a role as far as making sure everybody gets their job done,” Jack said after the first day of practice Monday. “There’s times when we have to tighten up and get everybody in line.”

Now, instead of looking at other teammates, all Jack has to do is look at himself in the mirror.

Through five practices, the Bruins still have a pressing need for leadership on defense. With the departure of former UCLA linebacker and Butkus Award winner Eric Kendricks, Jack was expected to fill the void – and even said he would fill it. But after Friday’s incident, Jack’s credibility as a leader certainly took a hit.

There are other candidates to fill the leadership role on defense. After practice Thursday, Mora said rising junior nose tackle Kenny Clark commands respect on the field, although it may not always be with his words.

“I think that probably the biggest thing (with Clark) is just his influence on those around him,” Mora said. “He doesn’t say a lot, but when he does it’s very meaningful and the players around him react to it.”

Clark was not one of the many players and coaches who held Jack back from fighting Friday, but he was part of the group of Bruins that went back onto the field as if nothing had changed.

The team will have to go back on the field again in less than 24 hours – UCLA’s first morning practice of the fall is Saturday. The 8:30 a.m. practice is part of a doubleheader that will test the Bruins’ resolve and endurance.

At least the temperature will be a little bit lower for Saturday morning’s practice, which might allow Jack to regain his cool.

But maybe not. Last year, the one practice that Jack was kicked out of began at 8:30 a.m.