Nine former Bruins took the stage during NFL Wild Card weekend, serving timely tackles, acrobatic receptions and pivotal blocks. Last week, another former Bruin experienced his first ascent to NBA Player of the Week. In the latest edition of Pro Bruin Rundown, Daily Bruin reporter Badri Viswanathan takes a look at Westwood’s finest making a splash across the NBA and NFL.

National Football League: Eric Kendricks, San Francisco 49ers; Jake Brendel, San Francisco 49ers; Quentin Lake, Los Angeles Rams

Linebacker Eric Kendricks transformed from UCLA’s all-time tackles leader to an NFL Pro Bowler within just five seasons in the league. Kendricks has undergone his latest reinvention this postseason: practice squad player to playoff force.

In last Sunday’s matchup against defending champions No. 3 seed Philadelphia Eagles, the No. 6 seed 49ers’ linebacker tallied 10 tackles and two deflected passes, including the game-clinching fourth-down stop. Kendricks’ imprints were all over San Francisco’s victory.

While Kendricks wreaked havoc on the Eagles, fellow UCLA alumnus Jake Brendel provided stability for the Niners’ offensive front. Brendel, who holds the UCLA record for most games started, served as a consistent source of protection for quarterback Brock Purdy and gave up the second-fewest pressures on the team. The eighth-year center’s efforts earned him a Pro Football Focus pass protection grade of 80, the highest of any 49er offensive lineman.

Quentin Lake helped clinch the No. 5 seed Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the No. 4 seed Carolina Panthers. The third-year safety recorded six tackles in his first appearance following a seven-game absence due to injury.

Lake, who rose from a reserve special teamer in 2017 to a starting safety at UCLA in 2021, has now blossomed into a Rams team captain and an anchor of the secondary. His squad faces the No. 2 seed Chicago Bears in Sunday’s divisional matchup, with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line.

National Basketball Association: Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets

Guard Peyton Watson averaged 3.3 points per game in his lone season at UCLA.

Despite his meager scoring output, the Beverly Hills product was taken with the No. 30 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft with the hope that his offensive output would eventually catch up to his athletic prowess and defensive capability.

After three years as a role player averaging less than double figures, Watson has made the jump. He is currently averaging 14.0 points per game on a 51.3% shooting percentage from the field and 40.9% clip from beyond the arc.

Watson earned his first Western Conference Player of the Week award of his four-year NBA career last week, beating out All-Stars like Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards. In the ten-game stretch since former MVP center Nikola Jokic’s injury on Dec. 29, Watson has averaged 23.6 points per game and guided the Nuggets to a 7-3 record, maintaining the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.