Pride for Los Angeles schools bubbles up when ownership of the Victory Bell sways in the balance and the Crosstown Cup lies on the horizon.

And it will bubble until it boils over Saturday night.

“This is just a game that when you talk to people, it’s the only game that they want to ask you about,” said coach DeShaun Foster.

While UCLA football’s storied rivalry against USC accentuates tensions between neighboring communities, others utilize the Battle for LA to reflect on not only their football journey but also their personal voyages.

And the sentiment would ring true for players at both Southern California schools – but for no one more than junior running back T.J. Harden.

“It’s (the rivalry game is) a dream come true. It’s everything that I have ever wanted. It honestly feels unreal, knowing I was a kid just watching that and looking at them like, ‘Oh, wow. They’re really playing in the rivalry game.’ And now, that being me is pretty great,” Harden said. “And especially with me being from LA, it’s definitely an accomplishment.”

The LA local started his football journey playing flag football in sixth grade. Before he started developing on the gridiron, his mother, LaTanya Harden, believed T.J. didn’t have what it took to play on the grand stage.

At a young age, his attention seemed to wander far from action on the field itself, leading to early qualms about whether he would ever learn the game.

“Honestly, I didn’t think he was going to make it with football, because he, in the games, wouldn’t be paying attention,” LaTanya said. “He’d be looking up in the stands for his uncle and all that type of stuff. I’m going, ‘Oh my god, is this my boy? Is he going to learn the game?’ … But he finally became really good at it.”

LaTanya not only played a significant role in T.J’s upbringing but also served as a voice of inspiration and encouragement in her son’s football career. Through T.J.’s three years at UCLA, LaTanya has routinely sent him an inspirational message before every game, reminding him how he should play on the field.

Outside of his mother, T.J. has support networks and life mentors scattered throughout his family, all willing to help the running back while standing by him at every game.

“He went on to tackle (football), and he did an excellent job, so I said, ‘OK, I need to keep going with this,’” LaTanya said. “But it was a journey because I was a single mom, and I was working a lot of hours, but I had a lot of help … with my parents, his godmother. A lot of people helped me.”

As T.J. progressed through the football ranks in school, he only improved – ultimately rushing for more than 1,400 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior at Inglewood High School. He clinched 2021 Ocean League Offensive Player of the Year, helping his school win the Ocean League title before falling in the CIF Southern Section 2 semifinals.

T.J.’s steady improvement attracted increasing attention to his high school games. Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports all ranked him as a three-star recruit, with 247Sports tabbing him the No. 53 running back in the nation in the class of 2022.

With rankings came recruiters.

T.J. received nine Division I offers – USC, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Michigan State, Oregon State, San Jose State and Ole Miss. But his final offer came from UCLA, and it didn’t take long for the running back to commit.

“He said it just felt right because he committed that day when he went down there for a workout, and (former UCLA head coach) Chip Kelly offered him, and he committed on the spot,” LaTanya said.

One of the factors in T.J.’s decision to choose Westwood was the man tasked with recruiting him – now-head coach and former running backs coach DeShaun Foster.

A former Bruin running back himself, Foster offered both the knowledge and comfortability that appealed to T.J. and ultimately drew him to UCLA.

“We instantly built the relationship quickly. He’s a cool coach. You know, he played the position. … (Foster) had all the experience as a running back, so it was good to connect with him in that way,” T.J. said. “Once I got here, he was a great coach and taught me a lot of things, and he still does to this day.”

While UCLA’s athletics, history and academics checked all the boxes for T.J., there was another factor that appealed to him and drove him to Westwood.

And that was the school’s proximity to his family, something he values greatly.

“My mom stays 20 to 25 minutes away from here. It’s close. I want to be close to my family. I’m big on family,” T.J. said. “And I just got an instant bond with the teammates when I was first getting recruited here, so everything checked itself off at that point.”

LaTanya not only played an integral role in T.J.’s commitment to UCLA, but she also introduced him to his first taste of college football in LA.

When T.J. was a kid, LaTanya took him to the LA Memorial Coliseum for a breast cancer walk. At the event, she took a photo of her son at the Trojans’ stadium not only to preserve memories but also to manifest the bright future that she knew awaited him.

“It was just so surreal because I had told him, ‘You’re going to play here one day,’” LaTanya said. “I told him, ‘Let’s take a picture because you’re going to play here one day. Watch it, you are going to look back at this picture,’ and he did. He actually played there.”

Not only did T.J. play at the Coliseum – he excelled there.

In 2023, T.J. spearheaded the Bruins’ 38-20 victory over the Caleb Williams-led Trojans, garnering a career-high 142 rushing yards on 22 carries along with a rushing touchdown, good enough for 6.45 yards per carry.

“He’s one of our main running backs, and to establish everything about this offense, we got to have a great run game,” said redshirt senior offensive lineman Josh Carlin. “Having T.J. there, he’s a phenomenal player – he’s going to give 110% effort. Knowing we have someone behind us like that, it’s great. It’s awesome.”

For a football family rooted less than a half hour from both schools, Saturday’s rivalry carries unmatched significance.

“Obviously, we want UCLA to win. And the bell situation, we don’t want to give that bell up,” LaTanya said. “We just want UCLA to win. Out of any other game, this game, you have to win this one. We have to.”