UCLA tackle Jess Ward won’t let a little pain stop him

Senior defensive tackle Jess Ward has left little pieces of himself all over the UCLA practice field. He has had his left knee operated on twice and missed three weeks at the start of this season because of a sprained right knee.

And now, while preparing to play Temple in the EagleBank Bowl on Dec. 29, Ward is ignoring the pain in his right shoulder that limited his practice time earlier in the week.

Nothing is going to keep him from one last game.

“You don’t necessarily think you’ll miss killing yourself, working your butt off, but as get you get closer to the end, you start thinking about what you’re going to miss,” Ward said.

UCLA coaches know what they are going to miss. Ward is a vital piece that they will lose after this season -- meaning the Bruins are likely to have a gaping hole at defensive tackle.

Ward and Jerzy Siewierski are both seniors. Brian Price, the Pacific 10 Conference’s defensive player of the year, may declare for the NFL draft. That will leave David Carter as the only experienced defensive tackle.

So Bruins coaches are already experimenting. Donovan Carter, a redshirt freshman, has been shifted to the defensive line. It’s a project, as Carter has always been a linebacker and weighs only 245 pounds.

“We just think he’s always going to battle keeping his weight down,” Coach Rick Neuheisel said. “We lose Jess and Jerzy, and with Brian’s decision pending, we’re getting him some snaps to see if he can do that in there.”

Carter probably would have to add 30 to 40 pounds, and is considered a long-term project.

“It’s a brand-new position for me, and I have been working on techniques,” Carter said. “I have to get stronger. There are a lot bigger guys on the offensive line, and I would be right down on the ball.”

Ward also knows about switching positions, as he was flopped between the defensive and offensive lines. He also battled back from the knee injuries.

“The fact is, this is the only time in my life I can recover from those things,” Ward said.

As for memories, Ward said, “Right off the bat, I’m always going to remember the win over USC my sophomore year. I played a good game that day.”

Prince update

Injured quarterback Kevin Prince (shoulder) took more reps with the first team Friday.

Neuheisel said that he would make a decision before the team left for the game.

“Hopefully by Monday, we’ll have a better feel,” Neuheisel said.

Ouch

From the “It’s All Fun and Games until Someone Gets Hurt” file: Freshman cornerback Marlon Pollard was injured Thursday when Neuheisel took the team to the UCLA pool and had players jump off the diving tower.

“I did a double back flip and landed on my face,” Pollard said.

Pollard, whose eyes were nearly swollen shut, sat out practice and was to be examined by trainers Friday afternoon.

Quick hits

Christian Yount resumed his long-snapper duties Friday, as he has recovered from a bout of mononucleosis. . . . UCLA closed practice with the annual Scout Bowl, with members of the offensive and defensive scout teams playing. Wide receiver Josh Smith, a marquee transfer from Colorado, ended the game by leaping over a defender to make a catch in the end zone.

chris.foster@latimes.com

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