PERSEVERANCE : Mark Estwick Not Only Earned a Scholarship at UCLA, He’s Also First String

Following in the footsteps of Rick Neuheisel, Mike Sherrard, Tom Sullivan and even a former defensive tackle named Terry Donahue . . .

Along comes Mark Estwick, another UCLA walk-on. He not only has earned a scholarship as he begins his sophomore season, he is listed on the depth chart as the Bruins’ No. 1 fullback.

“This is not something I would have ever expected,” Estwick said.

Few would have, apparently.

After a senior season in which he ran for 950 yards and 20 touchdowns at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, Estwick was all but ignored by recruiters.

In fact, only San Diego State offered a full scholarship.

Estwick, 19, turned down that offer, he said, because he had already been accepted at UCLA, his mother’s alma mater, and thought he would be better off, academically, in Westwood.

At the time, he wasn’t even sure he would continue playing.

Greg Robinson, a UCLA assistant coach, convinced him that he should, and Estwick hasn’t stopped working since.

As a redshirt two years ago, after spending an entire season pretending he was the opposition’s fullback, he won an award as the outstanding offensive player on the scout team.

Last season, after making his way onto the depth chart through his continued diligence, Estwick scored a touchdown the first time he touched the ball in a game, running 18 yards for the final score in the Bruins’ 47-14 rout of San Diego State.

He carried the ball only 12 times the entire season, though, averaging 5 yards a carry and scoring 2 touchdowns, but showed enough promise that Ted Williams, who coaches UCLA’s running backs, expected him to emerge from spring drills last April as the No. 1 fullback.

When he did, he was given a scholarship.

Williams, whose nickname for Estwick is the Warrior, calls the 5-foot 10-inch, 223-pound sophomore one of the most diligent workers he has been around.

“He isn’t especially gifted--he’s got a fair amount of talent--but he makes up for it with hard work,” Williams said.

Estwick also isn’t extremely swift afoot, nor is he extremely elusive, Williams said, but he is strong and quick and has shown an ability to catch passes.

Said Bruin Coach Terry Donahue, who started at UCLA as a walk-on in 1964: “He’s a good lead blocker and he’s got good hands.”

Estwick makes up for his physical limitations by keeping himself aware of his assignments.

“I figure if I know where I’m going, I have enough speed to get the job done,” he said. “But I can’t make a mistake because I can’t rely on my speed to make up for it. I don’t have the natural ability that some of our other backs do. I need to know what I’m doing.”

Quiet and unassuming, Estwick isn’t out to prove anybody wrong. He said that not being heavily recruited out of high school “really wasn’t that disappointing.”

He considered himself a good, solid running back, but as a high school tailback, he thought he played out of position and wasn’t surprised that he went mostly unnoticed.

And once he got to UCLA, he realized he’d have to do something extraordinary just to get noticed.

“I knew that coming in as a walk-on, with all the great running backs they had, that it was going to take a tremendous amount of work,” he said. “I made up my mind to do everything the coaches asked and to give a little extra effort whenever I could.”

As a result, he is running slightly ahead of two redshirt freshmen--Kevin Smith and converted tailback Maury Toy--in the race for the starting fullback position.

When it was suggested to Williams that perhaps the Bruins were a little thin at the position, the coach quickly replied: “We’re young. We’re not thin. The fullback position is capably manned.”

And the man at the front couldn’t be more surprised.

“It’s hard for me to believe I’m the starting fullback,” Estwick said. “My original goal was to put in three good years and then be able to finish off the last two years with a scholarship. Starting in my third year is not something I ever would have imagined.”

Bruin Notes

Coach Terry Donahue, on Eric Ball, who is listed as the No. 1 tailback: “Eric, at times, doesn’t run as aggressively into the defense as he needs to do to be a real successful tailback. Successful tailbacks attack the line of scrimmage, they attack the defenders. Eric has not done that consistently. He does at times, and when he does, he’s very impressive. But when he fails to do that, he’s not as good a back.” On the other hand, Donahue said that Ball has been impressive in practice.

Ball’s backup, sophomore Brian Brown, pulled his left hamstring in practice last week and may not play in the Bruins’ opener against San Diego State next Saturday at the Rose Bowl. . . . Defensive tackle Ron Evans, who was injured last week in practice, underwent surgery on his left knee last Sunday and is out for the season. Evans had surgery on the same knee in high school.

Brad Bryson, who was listed as a starter at defensive tackle, injured his left knee in the weight room last spring and underwent reconstructive surgery. Bryson, a fourth-year junior, hopes to make a comeback at midseason.

Steve Axman, UCLA’s offensive coordinator, on the Bruin wide receivers: “The guy who really jumps out in the films is Mike Farr.” Sophomore Reggie Moore and junior David Keating have also played well, Axman said. Among the returnees, Farr was the Bruins’ leading receiver last season with 24 receptions. . . . Axman on freshman tailback Shawn Wills, whose 98-yard touchdown run highlighted a 90-play scrimmage last Tuesday: “He’s got some magic. He’s made everybody take notice.”

Former backup quarterback Brendan McCracken, on his move to wide receiver: “If we win and you’re sitting on the sidelines, you really don’t share that feeling of success. I couldn’t stand that another year. Playing receiver is a breath of new, fresh air. It’s put a little more life in me.” McCracken, who carries a 3.5 grade-point average as an economics/business major, has applied for a Rhodes scholarship. . . . The conversion of Randy Austin from linebacker to tight end has turned out well. Austin is listed as No. 3 on the depth chart behind Charles Arbuckle and Corwin Anthony but is expected to play a lot. The 6-foot 2-inch, 227-pound sophomore is known as Mike Ditka to his teammates. Why? “He’s a rock ‘em, sock ‘em tight end,” Axman said. “A great blocker.”