Lake Is Quietly Rising at UCLA : Starting Sophomore Linebacker Also Runs Back Kicks

Carnell Lake is UCLA’s quiet man. It must be his nature, because most of the time, barely a ripple disturbs the surface of this Lake.

Even his coach admits that he doesn’t really know Lake well, although Terry Donahue is certainly aware of what kind of player his sophomore linebacker is becoming.

But Donahue is finding that out by how Lake plays, not by how much Lake says.

“You know, he has been in my office exactly once in two years now,” Donahue said. “That’s pretty rare.”

How rare? Ask another question. How deep is Carnell Lake? His field of study includes philosophy and astronomy, hardly French toast 101.

In fact, Lake’s choice of courses has already cleared up one mystery for Donahue.

“Now, I get it,” Donahue said. “He’s from Venus.”

Actually, Lake is from Inglewood and played football at Culver City High School, which is next door to Venice--not Venus--but it wasn’t until after he arrived at UCLA that the Bruins knew exactly what to do with him.

Recruited to play tailback, Lake was shifted to linebacker as a freshman and now, in his second year, is starting at one of the outside spots.

There’s one more thing about Lake: He may be the only linebacker in the nation who is running back kickoffs.

The Bruins tinkered with Lake on kickoff returns a year ago, too. “I dropped a few balls,” Lake said. “So the coaches told me, ‘Maybe next year.’ ”

Next year is this year, and there’s Lake again. He returns kickoffs, all right, but what he really does is play linebacker in such a way that he is molding opposing teams in his own likeness. Lake is leaving them speechless.

If you want to beat the UCLA defense, first, you have to paddle Carnell Lake.

Last Saturday at Berkeley, California found out what Donahue already knew about Lake: He doesn’t talk much, but you know he’s around.

“He’s definitely a player on the rise,” Donahue said. “Carnell really has big-play capabilities in him. We’ve seen that.”

Cal saw it, too. For some reason, Lake was in the right place to finish two big plays for the Bruins.

In the second quarter, Lake and Randy Beverly blocked a punt. Greg Bolin picked it up, but he was hit and and fumbled. Lake was there, though, to scoop up the ball and run it 10 yards for a touchdown, breaking open the game for the Bruins, 20-3.

In the fourth quarter, Eric Smith sacked Cal quarterback Troy Taylor for a 21-yard loss, causing Taylor to fumble. Lake was there again and recovered the ball at the Cal 21. In four plays, UCLA scored its final touchdown of a 36-10 rout.

Lake needed only a few words to explain his role in recovering the two fumbles.

“I was there to sweep them up,” he said.

It was no accident that Lake was around the ball to make a couple of big plays, but for a long while there was no plan that he would ever be in that position.

In 1984, Lake was the leading prep rusher in California until midway through the season, when he dislocated his right elbow.

Lake played only 4 1/2 games, but he still had 956 yards rushing and scored 12 touchdowns. In one game, he ran for 222 yards, scored 3 touchdowns and caught 2 passes for 95 yards. In another game, Lake rushed for 264 yards and scored twice.

Oh, yes. Lake also played linebacker.

That’s what caught the interest of Ted Williams, who coaches some of the UCLA linebackers.

Williams asked Lake if he would switch from tailback to linebacker, and since Lake was aware that Eric Ball, Gaston Green and James Primus were already stockpiled at tailback, he agreed to the move.

As it turned out, Lake was the only true freshman, as opposed to a redshirt freshman, to make a big impact on the Bruins last season. He played in all 12 games and impressed his coaches with his pass coverage.

This season, Lake has moved ahead of Melvin Jackson, a starter a year ago, at one of the outside linebacking positions. That may be an upset, but there is another factor to consider.

Lake is probably one of the smallest linebackers in the nation at 6 feet and 202 pounds. He is probably one of the fastest, too. Lake has run a 40-yard dash at UCLA in 4.61 seconds.

So when the Bruins needed somebody to run back kickoffs, they picked a running back who was really a linebacker.

When Lake gets ready to receive a kick, he stands near the goal line next to Darryl Henley, who is 5-9 and 165 pounds.

“I guess it is unusual, and I don’t know of any other linebackers who run back kicks, but I don’t really consider myself a linebacker when I get my hands on the ball,” Lake said.

Whether it is intentional or not, and Donahue believes it to be coincidental, most of the teams have been kicking the ball to Henley and not Lake. In six games, Lake has run back only three kickoffs for an average of 21 yards. Henley has 14 returns for an average of 21.8.

“David is a little guy,” Lake said. “I think they are underestimating him.”

Yet Lake knows he isn’t that big either for a guy playing his position.

“I’m just glad I’m blessed with speed,” he said. “I use it to move out of the way quickly. When you have a fullback coming right at you, trying to tear your head off, it can be a little intimidating.”

The big names on the Bruin defense remain the same. They belong to the veterans. Strong safety Craig Rutledge, tackle Frank Batchkoff and left cornerback Chuckie Miller are seniors, and linebackers Ken Norton and Smith, free safety James Washington and nose guard Terry Tumey are juniors.

But Donahue said Lake has a chance to be special if he continues to get better.

“Carnell is learning to be a very good outside linebacker with each passing game,” Donahue said. “It’s somewhat a new position for him, but he’s got speed, toughness and tackling ability. His potential is great.”

Lake knows he has two more years, so he has decided to wait quietly for his moment. “My time will come,” he said. “And it’s going to be somewhere on the field.”