UCLA Loses Cook for the Season : College football: He’ll undergo knee surgery today. Walker, a freshman, takes over.

UCLA, which lost quarterback Tommy Maddox two years early to the NFL, Sunday lost quarterback Wayne Cook, Maddox’s replacement, for the rest of the season with torn ligaments in his right knee.

“We are all deeply saddened by the loss of Wayne,” UCLA Coach Terry Donahue said. “I’ve never had an athlete who worked as hard to prepare himself for a successful season as Wayne did. It’s a tragedy to see an injury like this end his season.”

Rob Walker, a redshirt freshman, will replace Cook and will make his first start Saturday, when the Bruins play Brigham Young at Provo, Utah.

“I feel bad for Wayne because I know how hard he worked to get ready for this season,” Walker said. “I’ve got a week to prepare for BYU and I’ll do the best I can and play within myself to help the team.”

Cook tore two ligaments in his right knee when he was sacked by Cal State Fullerton defensive tackle Randy Strickland in the second quarter of the Bruins’ 37-14 season-opening victory Saturday night at the Rose Bowl.

Cook will undergo reconstructive knee surgery to repair the medial collateral and the anterior cruciate ligaments today at the UCLA Medical Center. Although Cook underwent reconstructive knee surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee in a high school all-star game in 1989, his latest injury isn’t believed to be career-threatening and Cook expects to be able to play next season.

“I’m really upset my season is over,” Cook said. “I felt I was playing well and that I was going to have a great year. I’ll just have to work hard to be ready to play next season.”

UCLA has three other quarterbacks, senior John Barnes, who transferred after UC Santa Barbara dropped football, and freshmen Ryan Fien and Scott Fitterer.

Although Fien and Fitterer, who weren’t in uniform for Saturday’s game, had been expected to redshirt this season, Donahue may be forced to use one of both of the freshmen quarterbacks this season. Donahue said he will make a decision after watching them in practice this week.

Cook, a redshirt sophomore who had never thrown a pass in a college game until Saturday, started quickly in his first start at UCLA, combining with wide receiver Sean LaChapelle on a 31-yard pass play on the Bruins’ first play from scrimmage. Cook completed eight of 13 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown and led the Bruins to two field goals and two touchdowns in their first four possessions before he was hurt.

Cook’s father, Ken, who coached him at Newbury Park High, cringed after seeing his son go down when he was sacked by Strickland Saturday night.

“I figured it was serious because usually he’ll shake something off and stay in,” Ken Cook said. “He took quite a beating in high school and he’s always taken pride in being tough and not letting the defense know they’ve hurt him.

“He said he thought about trying to get up and take a couple of steps, but (the injury) felt like it did the last time.”

The anterior cruciate ligament is a primary stabilizing ligament within the center of the knee joint that prevents hyper-extension and excessive rotation of the joint. A complete tear of the ligament could require up to a year of rehabilitation.

Dr. Gerald Finerman, the UCLA team physician who will perform the surgery, won’t know the extent of the damage to Cook’s knee until the surgery is completed.

However, some football players have taken less than a year to return after reconstructive knee surgery.

After undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in April of 1991, Washington quarterback Mark Brunell returned on Sept. 28, 1991 in a game against Kansas State.

Ken Cook said his son is determined to play next season.

“It’s not something that’s permanent,” Ken Cook said. “It’s just a setback and he’s going to have to make up his mind to come back again. He’ll be back.

“When he had knee surgery before, he got hurt in early July and he was ready to play by the next spring. Some athletes come back sooner than others and we’re hoping Wayne’s one of the fast ones.

“The doctors said he’ll be ready to go next year for sure and that it’s no problem.”

Walker, a 6-foot-3, 198-pound redshirt freshman, didn’t play in a game last season, running the Bruin scout team.

Walker completed five of 12 passes for 58 yards after replacing Cook. Walker directed an 84-yard, 14-play touchdown drive in the second half.

“Rob came in and did a wonderful job,” Donahue said. “I’ve always felt he was the most improved player from spring practice and two-a-days.”

Fien and Fitterer were among the most productive prep quarterbacks on the West Coast last season.

Fien, 6-4 and 210 pounds, threw for 1,710 yards and 23 touchdowns in leading Royal High of Simi Valley to a 10-1 record last season. The 1991 CIF Southern Section Division II Player of the Year, he threw for 4,545 yards in his career.

Fitterer, 6-2 and 195, passed for 3,098 yards and 28 touchdowns in three seasons at Kennedy High of Seattle. He passed for 808 yards and five touchdowns and ran for six touchdowns last season despite missing most of four games with a broken thumb.

A 6-3, 210-pound senior, Barnes threw for 2,100 yards and 23 touchdowns and ran for six touchdowns at UC Santa Barbara last season.