Eric Turner: Legacy of Excellence at UCLA
Eric Turner's name resonates deeply within the annals of UCLA football. While this article primarily focuses on Othello Henderson, it is important to acknowledge the legacy of Eric Turner, who served as an inspiration and set a high standard for UCLA safeties. He left an indelible mark on the program, and his influence continues to be felt by those who follow in his footsteps.
From Killeen, Texas, to Westwood: The Arrival of Othello Henderson and Daron Washington
The story of Othello Henderson's journey to UCLA is intertwined with that of his childhood friend, Daron Washington. Their story begins in Killeen, Texas, where they were teammates on the Boys Club football team. Jean Henderson and Jo Ann Washington, mothers of Othello and Daron respectively, watched with pride as their sons took to the field. "Don’t the boys look like little men?" Jo Ann Washington remarked, capturing the sense of anticipation and hope surrounding their young athletes.
Henderson and Washington continued their football careers together at Ellison High in Killeen, where Henderson blocked for Washington. They led the team to an impressive 11-1 record during their senior year in 1989. Coach John Beseda recognized their special qualities early on, noting, "They were both leaders, right from the start. They came up through our feeder system, and the kids always listened to them."
College recruiters flocked to Killeen, eager to scout the talented duo. Washington recalled, "Recruiters were wild. Schools would come through to talk to me and then they’d talk to Othello." Despite the attention from various universities, Henderson and Washington ultimately chose to attend UCLA.
"Our mothers have known each other since we were babies," Henderson explained. "It wasn’t like we made a deal to go to the same school. That’s just the way it worked out." While they didn't explicitly plan to attend the same college, Washington's decision to choose UCLA over Louisiana State, Nebraska, and Texas A&M came after Henderson had already committed, selecting UCLA over Notre Dame and USC. Jo Ann Washington expressed her comfort with their decision, stating, "They grew up together and I kind of figured they would follow each other (to college). I was glad that Daron went out to L.A. with someone that he knew. It just made me more comfortable."
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Early Impact and Key Roles
Henderson and Washington's transition to UCLA saw them rooming together as freshmen. Henderson made an immediate impact, while Washington redshirted due to the Bruins having an abundance of tailbacks. By the time this article was written, Henderson, a junior, had risen to prominence as one of the nation's top free safeties. Washington, a sophomore, had become a valuable reserve tailback, contributing significantly to UCLA's success.
Henderson's talent was evident in crucial moments, such as when he recovered Brigham Young’s fumble on the second-half kickoff. This play set up the winning touchdown in a 17-10 victory over the Cougars. Beseda, his former high school coach, confidently predicted, "He’s going to be a Sunday player one of these days, and I imagine it’ll be pretty quick."
Othello Henderson: A Name Steeped in History
Othello Henderson III's unique first name has a rich history, stemming from his great-grandparents' love for Shakespeare. "They were English teachers," Henderson explained. "They named my grandfather for Othello and he named my dad Othello."
Despite being born with a respiratory ailment and weighing only six pounds at birth, Henderson overcame his frail childhood to become a standout football player. Initially, his mother wanted him to stay in the marching band, where he played the drums. However, she eventually relented, and Henderson flourished on the football field.
As a free safety/wingback at Ellison High, he recorded 82 tackles and intercepted four passes during his senior year. He also contributed on offense, rushing for 289 yards and scoring four touchdowns. Henderson's decision to sign with UCLA came after a visit to South Bend, where he experienced frigid temperatures that solidified his preference for the California climate.
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Mentorship Under Eric Turner
Henderson was one of four true freshmen to play for the Bruins. He played in UCLA’s nickel defense. Turner took Henderson under his wing. "Eric looked after me when I first got here," Henderson said. "If I was making a mistake, he would correct me."
Henderson quickly made his mark, starting the season strong after stepping into the role previously held by Turner. He recorded an interception and 11 tackles in a season-opening victory over Brigham Young. Despite missing two games and playing only a single play in a third, Henderson finished the season with 59 tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections.
Henderson's physical style of play was a defining characteristic. He said his biggest accomplishment was the jarring hit he made on USC wide receiver Curtis Conway in the Bruins’ 24-21 victory. "I take pride in hitting," Henderson said. "Sometimes if you give a running back or a receiver a little whack, later on in the game they’ll be looking for you because they don’t want to get hit by you again."
He looked forward to playing against San Diego State tailback Marshall Faulk when the Bruins played the No. 21 Aztecs Saturday at the Rose Bowl. UCLA was the last team to hold Faulk under 100 yards. "Last year I didn’t get a chance to tackle him, and I want to come up and give him a couple shots," Henderson said. "He has good speed and we have a fast swarming defense, and we’re going to try to shut him down again. We want to make a statement and show people that the Bruins are back."
Henderson was known for his vocal presence on the field, often engaging in verbal sparring with opponents. "I talk a lot to everybody on the field," Henderson said. "I’ll talk to a receiver if he misses a ball and kind of rub it in. They get so caught up in you talking to them that they’re so anxious to prove you wrong that they get off track." While his coaches sometimes tried to temper his on-field banter, Henderson maintained that it was simply part of his game. "They just don’t want me to get any personal fouls. But I’ve been talking since I was in high school. It’s fun and games."
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Daron Washington: From Schoolyard Games to Touchdown Runs
Daron Washington's journey to UCLA was marked by his natural talent and determination. As a child, his favorite schoolyard game was "get the man," a rough-and-tumble version of tackle football without pads. This early experience honed his skills and prepared him for the gridiron.
He ran for 1,601 yards, averaging 10.5 yards per carry, and scored 18 touchdowns in leading Ellison High to the district title. Despite being recognized as one of the nation's top high school running backs, Washington spent his first season at UCLA on the scout team. He played on the scout team during his first season at UCLA because the Bruins were overstocked at tailback.
Eligible last season, he had only five carries while UCLA used a tailback trio of Kevin Williams, Shawn Willis and Ricky Davis. But Washington has supplanted Davis, UCLA’s second-leading returning rusher, as the Bruins’ backup tailback behind Williams.
Washington ran for 85 yards in seven carries, including a 63-yard touchdown, in the Bruins’ 37-14 season-opening victory over Cal State Fullerton. He also scored both of the Bruins’ touchdowns in their victory over BYU. He doesn’t even remember the 63-yard touchdown run because he had been hit hard on the previous play. "I guess I was in a daze because I went to the sidelines and it felt like it was a dream," Washington said. "I remember everybody jumping up on me in the end zone, but it seemed like a dream. I guess I was just that excited."
A tailback since high school, Washington has been used at fullback in passing situations because starting fullback Kaleaph Carter has been slowed by an injured Achilles’ heel. "At first it was hard to play fullback because every now and then, when I wasn’t totally concentrating on what I was doing, I’d line up at fullback and run a tailback pass route," Washington said. "But I’ve adapted to it pretty well." Williams, UCLA’s starting tailback, says Washington is meant to play tailback, not fullback. "A true tailback you can’t make into a fullback," Williams said. "A true tailback just wants to run the ball and pound it and pound it. A fullback just likes to slam in there and knock people out."
A Broader Look at UCLA Bruins Football
The success of Henderson and Washington is part of a larger story of UCLA Bruins football. The program has a rich history, marked by talented players, memorable games, and dedicated fans.
Historical Context
It has always been rather difficult to make meaningful comparisons between football players from different time periods. This is due to a number of different factors, the most influential of which is, perhaps, the evolutionary nature of the game of football, itself. Changes to the playing rules of the game, varying lengths of the annual season schedule as well as strategic & tactical innovations all must be considered carefully. It is certainly very interesting to observe that there have been eight Bruins players who have re-established the UCLA school record for net total offensive yardage gained in a single season but, in contrast, there are only six Westwood gridiron warriors who have ever been able to reset the school’s single-season mark for average net total offensive yards per game.
T-formation quarterback Gary Beban, who ultimately won the Heisman Trophy awarded to the nation’s very best collegian player in 1967, became the very first Bruins player ever to exceed 2,000 yards of total offense in a single season in 1965 but his average yards per game (188.45) was fractionally short of the school record which had been already been set in 1960 by Single Wing left halfback Billy Kilmer. Similarly, “spread formation” quarterback Brett Hundley became the very first UCLA player to accumulate more than 4,000 yards of total offense in a single campaign but his average yards per game (292.50) was still almost a dozen yards shy of the existing school record set in 1998 by Rose Bowl quarterback Cade McNown.
Memorable Games and Moments
The UCLA Bruins have been involved in numerous memorable games throughout their history. One such game was a contest watched by the record-setting crowd of 103,303 spectators at the Memorial Coliseum on December 9, 1939.
UCLA, who defeated their “Big Brothers to the North” from Berkeley for only the second time in school history (as well as the very first time ever in the city of Los Angeles) on this most notable occasion, might have added another touchdown in the final quarter after driving to the two-yard line of the Golden Bears but a fourth down pass by Bruins reserve halfback Chuck Fenenbock was successfully defensed by Perry of California. Nevertheless, it was the two starting guards for UCLA, the senior co-captain Frawley as well as Jack Sommers, the husky junior (6’3″ 222 lbs) who had come all the way from Norristown Area High School in eastern Pennsylvania, who were cited by the Associated Press for yeoman’s work at the line of scrimmage in the post-game reports.
Individual Achievements
UCLA Bruins consensus All-America Kenny Washington features very prominently on the two-page spread that appeared in the official school yearbook of the University of California at Los Angeles for the 1939/40 academic year. Washington amassed 1,370 yards of total offense in ten games that season, a figure which enabled the speedy yet powerful left halfback to be honored as the NCAA’s official champion for that statistical category. In addition to regularly running and passing the pigskin for UCLA, both Sciarra and Washington also caught forward passes and returned punts as well as kickoffs during their respective varsity careers for the Bruins. Both players later appeared in the vaunted National Football League but not before spending time in an alternative professional league first upon originally departing UCLA.
In 1975, versatile UCLA Bruins signal caller John Sciarra was honored as a consensus First Team All-America after being selected by a majority of the major organizations that named squads, including the Associated Press and the American Football Coaches Association. This the same year that saw the split back veer option quarterback finished seventh in the voting for the prestigious Heisman Trophy. In 1939, dual-threat UCLA Bruins left halfback Kenny Washington was celebrated as a consensus Second Team All-America after being selected by six of the nine major organizations naming squads at that point in time. This the same year that watched the single wing place sixth in the balloting for the famous trophy presented to the player judged to be the best collegiate football player in all the land.
Overcoming Adversity: The Story of Jason Zdenek
The story of Jason Zdenek exemplifies perseverance and dedication. From being a late recruit to spending three years on the bench, Zdenek faced numerous challenges. However, he never gave up on his dream of becoming a major contributor for the Bruins.
"They’ve been looking for that the entire time I’ve been here--expecting someone in that position to fold," he said. "That’s not the way I am. That’s not the way I was raised. And that’s not my mentality." Zdenek's hard work and determination paid off when he won the starting job at free safety, succeeding the likes of Kenny Easley, James Washington, Eric Turner and Shaun Williams.
After playing every defensive down against the Wolverines, breaking up two passes and making four tackles in a historic Bruin victory before 88,044, the smile on his face, the sense of accomplishment, the realization how far he’s come after spending four years sitting on the bench--it was a moment Zdenek never imagined in his most creative of dreams. "I don’t know if it’s explainable," he said. "It’s everything I’ve been working for and I could have never pictured it panning out like this. I’m loving the rewards from working so hard these four years. There was no way I was going to give up and not have the success I dreamed about coming out of high school."
One reason for Zdenek’s improvement was the arrival this summer of his brother Eric, a freshman walk-on defensive back from Chaminade. From seven-on-seven passing games to running sprints, the two thrive on outdueling each other. If it came to fists to decide who was best, they’d do it and they have. "I love the fact when I decided to come to UCLA, Eric and I talked about being able to be on the same team together if I redshirted and everything panned out," Zdenek said. "It’s wonderful having him on the sideline helping me and coaching me. It’s just added another level of excitement."
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