Maturing Bonds May Pay Dividends for UCLA

Jim Bonds etched his name in the Southern Section record book in 1986 as one of Southern California’s best high school quarterbacks. Playing for Hart High, he passed for 3,196 yards, threw 39 touchdown passes and, in one game, completed 16 consecutive passes. But those marks earned him no more than a seat in the stands as a freshman at UCLA the next fall.

Like the other 19 incoming freshman who accepted Bruin scholarships last year, Bonds spent the season as a redshirt. He ran the scout team offense each week in practice but wore street clothes on game day. When the Bruins hit the road, Bonds stayed behind in Westwood. Although major college football powers routinely relegate their freshmen to redshirt status--giving them an extra year to develop in the weight room and to assimilate the playbook--the system has its critics.

The opportunity to play as freshmen often tops the priority lists of high school prospects. Rick Scott, Bonds’ high school coach, criticized the system when he learned of the Bruins’ intent to redshirt his former quarterback.

“That’s like taking a thoroughbred and putting him out to pasture,” Scott said at the time.

But don’t try to sell Bonds on that notion. He is convinced that the best decision of his career was not to play last year.

“Everybody wants to play but redshirting is the best thing that can happen to a kid out of high school,” he said. “I learned so much last year just watching.

“Plus, I had to adjust to the academic life here. I was shocked when I went to my first classes. I was used to having 20 or 30 people in a class and I could talk to each teacher. Here, I had 350 in a class and never talked to a professor. It took me a whole year to understand that.”

Bonds needed less time to grasp the UCLA offense. After a productive fall season in which he was named the scout team’s MVP, Bonds caught Coach Terry Donahue’s attention in spring drills and entered fall practice as the team’s No. 2 quarterback.

“Being rated No. 2 is a reward for the spring Jimmy had,” Donahue said.

The second string must seem foreign to Bonds after his high school career, but he sees no dishonor in the designation. The No. 1 job belongs to Troy Aikman, the Oklahoma transfer who enters his senior season as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

“Aikman’s the best quarterback in the nation and I learn from him every day just by watching,” Bonds said. “I watch his feet and his picture-perfect release. I’ve picked up a lot of his technique.”

While Aikman fine-tunes his game for the Heisman run, four underclassmen will battle in the background for the job as top dog among the backups. The battle might seem like a minor drama, but the rewards loom large for the winner.

“We hope we’re ahead in enough games that the No. 2 guy will get some playing time this year,” Donahue said. “He’ll also be a real active participant in our preparation for each game and get plenty of work with the first team in practice. He’ll also get a good opportunity to get established for next year.”

“Next” and “year” are the magic words to the Bruin backups. When Aikman leaves Westwood, ostensibly for the National Football League, the quarterback job will be wide open. But this year’s backup likely will have the inside track.

“Being the No. 2 guy is not so much for this year but what it means for the future,” Bonds said.

The No. 2 job opened this season when last year’s backup, Brendan McCracken, moved to wide receiver for his senior year. That left Bonds in a battle with junior Ron Caragher, sophomore Bobby San Jose and freshman Bret Johnson.

Of the group, Bonds is the least imposing physically, standing 5 feet, 11 inches and weighing 208 pounds. But his leadership abilities have made him stand above the crowd, according to quarterback coach Rick Neuheisel, who led UCLA to a Pacific 10 Conference championship and a Rose Bowl victory over Illinois in 1984.

“When you look at Troy Aikman you say, ‘That’s a quarterback.’ At 6-foot-4, he looks the part. Jimmy is always going to fight that battle. But size isn’t the only thing. Look at Pat Haden. He wasn’t big but how many Rose Bowls did he go to?” Neuheisel said.

“Jimmy is honest to the bone. Players rally to him. There’s no question when he goes in the the game, good things happen.”

In his first year as a full-time assistant, Neuheisel has taken Bonds under his wing. When Bonds ran a poor time over 40 yards, Neuheisel took him aside and consoled him.

“I was really worried about getting a good time and I wound up running a 4.9, the slowest of all the quarterbacks,” Bonds said. “Aikman had a 4.75, Bret Johnson had a 4.6 and I was feeling really bad. Rick came up to me and put his arm around me and told me when he was at UCLA he ran a 5.2 or something.”

Bonds is gratified that he earned the second position after spring drills but said he must continue to improve to hold off San Jose and Caragher. Even if he wins the No. 2 spot this season, next year he faces a fierce battle with Johnson, who had even better high school numbers than Bonds.

Johnson, who may redshirt this season, led El Toro to consecutive Southern Conference titles and was ranked among the top three quarterback prospects in the nation. His career total of 6,653 passing yards ranks third in Southern Section history. Bonds passed for 5,641 yards and ranks ninth.

“He’s no slouch,” Bonds said with a laugh. “He’s a great quarterback but that doesn’t put any extra pressure on me. That motivates a player to have another guy pushing you. He may be a great quarterback, but I love competition.”

In the coming weeks, Bonds will get his share.