This post was updated Dec. 4 at 10:48 p.m.

The word “proud” often fails to suffice in the Bhaghani household. It feels a pound too light and a description too fragile to contain adequate weight.

Because when you’re watching your son split the uprights to clinch games and carve new records in annals, you’re exposed to a kind of success that doesn’t just call for pride.

Mateen Bhaghani’s parents lean on a word far heavier, one as enduring as the legacy UCLA football’s sophomore kicker is chiseling into history.

“’Proud’ is my judgment on what he’s doing,” said Javed Bhaghani, Mateen’s father. “I would rather use the word ‘respect.’ I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing. That, to me, is a better definition of what he’s doing and what he’s accomplishing.”

In his inaugural year in Westwood, the California transfer nailed 20 field goals – the most in the Big Ten – on an 83.3% clip. His resume boasts three field-flippers from beyond 50 yards – including a 57-yard rocket that landed him just shy of former Bruin Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 60-yard moonshot in 2015, when UCLA defeated Cal.

And as the Bruins hung up their helmets on the 2024 season, Mateen vaulted himself to earn Westwood’s Tommy Prothro Award for specialist of the year at Sunday’s end-of-season banquet. 

But respect isn’t measured in kicks – or yards – for Mateen’s parents.

Mateen, a third-generation Pakistani, proudly strides in a territory few from his heritage have ventured.

Last year, he adorned the distinction as the Pac-12’s sole South Asian player – a rarity matched by just one other in the Big Ten this season. Climbing into the NFL would mean conquering a further exclusive club, one where only three South Asian athletes have ever competed.

“I’m very prideful,” Mateen said. “It’s very important that there’s people of all races in all sports, because I just want to show younger kids and people of my culture that anything is possible.”

Mateen trots through the gridiron with a quiet defiance, knowing exactly what he represents in a sport seldom touted for diversity. But his reshaping of the mold is fortified by his greatest quality – connecting with kids.

“He takes the time with kids regardless of who they are,” said Tabassum Bhaghani, Mateen’s mother. “He takes that extra time because he bears that on his shoulders a little bit – maybe more than someone else.”

The sophomore’s legacy is rooted in the way he blends humility and responsibility to create an example for future generations of South Asian athletes.

His success on the gridiron has carved a trail for young athletes from all walks of life to picture themselves reaching similar peaks.

“After a couple games last year, I had some young fans, young Pakistani kids – and of all races – come up to me, and they just look so excited,” Mateen said. “It reminded me of when I was younger going to sporting events and seeing an older athlete, and you thought he was the coolest kid in the world. It’s a full circle moment, having kids and tons of younger people coming up to me and showing me love.”

Mateen – affectionately dubbed “Money Bhags” by his teammates and coach DeShaun Foster – added that he receives a flurry of messages from kids on social media asking how he kicks with such power and eagerly seeking advice from a top-10 kicker in the nation.

South Asian kids, in particular, seem to swell with pride seeing Mateen as “one of them” and drawing inspiration from his journey.

Mateen punched his name in UCLA’s history books in his debut donning the blue and gold, sinking a 32-yard field goal with 56 seconds left on the clock to lift his team to a 16-13 victory over Hawai’i.

And after the game, FIKI Sports – a company dedicated to supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley – approached Mateen’s family to offer him a name, image and likeness deal as the brand’s first-ever student-athlete ambassador.

“We’re excited to partner with Mateen, one of the Big Ten top kickers who plays for the nation’s No. 1-ranked public university academically,” said owner Richard Crasnick. “Mateen aligns himself with the Boys & Girls Club’s core beliefs, and they’re such an esteemed organization in the Conejo Valley.”

It took the Bhaghani family one simple fact of FIKI Sports’ mission to be sold.

“The minute the man said he’ll be going to girls and boys clubs and talking, that’s when we were like, ‘That’s good.’” Tabassum said. “Mateen will eat that up. … That’s how he is, he loves young kids.”

This spotlight Mateen has earned is a testament to the countless hours he has logged to master his trade – including scaling fences to sneak in extra work. But the work has also instilled in Mateen a relentless sense of self-critique.

Tabassum said that after Mateen’s 57-yard field goal, his mind lingered on every minute misstep in his strike, driven by an insatiable desire to perfect his form. Barely did he bask in the glory of notching UCLA’s second-longest kick.

“I’m always fascinated by that,” Tabassum added. “And then just his demeanor – he’s not overly excited or the opposite. He’s just in the middle. … Maybe that’s why he’s the kicker – he’s not bothered by all this craziness. I really respect and love that about him.”

Unconcerned with the fanfare, Mateen has worked to dismantle barriers that often exclude people of his background – pairing his methodical focus on his craft with an unassuming grace that can easily elude top-tier athletes.

“I feel like I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder,” Mateen said. “I have everything to prove, no matter what. Maybe that’s just the way I grew up, but I’ve always just wanted to prove that I can do my job and at a high level.”

Born into a culture where degrees are prized over drills and diplomas outshine dumbbells, the notion of pursuing a career in sports often results in skepticism and doubt in many parts of South Asia.

Mateen’s journey carves out its own distinct course.

“I still get people going, ‘Your kid’s doing what? And you’re okay with that?’” Tabassum said.

But for Tabassum and Javed – who have been unwavering in their support of their son’s pursuits on the field – Mateen’s journey shouts one truth: seemingly extraordinary odds bow down to relentless belief.

“There’s a lot of this perception of, ‘I don’t know if that guy is going to perform because I haven’t seen that before,’” Tabassum said. “He’s setting the foundations for other people who are going to come where that judgement won’t pass their heads.”