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. But he still wanted to play.

The Bruins picked him up in the transfer portal and eventually cleared him for a return to the turf.

Sometimes, all it takes is one chance to rewrite a story.

Formerly of UCLA football, Latu was selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the No. 15 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday evening. He becomes just the 10th first-round draftee for the program since the turn of the century.

A Bruin had not been drafted on day one since 2018 when former quarterback Josh Rosen went to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 10.

Latu established himself as one of the best pass rushers in college football last season, becoming UCLA’s first-ever recipient of the Lombardi Award and the Ted Hendricks Award, given annually to the country’s most outstanding lineman and defensive end, respectively. He won 2023 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in addition to earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors for a second consecutive year.

The 6-foot-5, 259-pound EDGE led the nation with 21.5 tackles for loss and tied for fourth with 13.0 sacks during the 2023 campaign. He was the catalyst for a defensive unit that allowed just 301.5 yards per game – good for 10th in the country and lowest in the conference.

Crashing onto the scene in Westwood in 2022, Latu led all Bruins with 10.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss while operating as a reserve outside linebacker as a junior transfer. He had spent his first three seasons with Washington, where his injury kept him sidelined for the latter two. 

His return resulted in him becoming one of three recipients of the 2022 College Football Comeback Player of the Year award. And he would never miss a game in his two seasons at UCLA.

Now, after consecutive years spearheading the Bruins’ defense, Latu is the first defensive player drafted in 2024. He joins a Colts team that finished 24th in total defense in 2023 and allowed 24.4 points per game, fifth-worst in the NFL.

With a journey from retiree to first-round pick completed, a new one begins in Indianapolis.