COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : UCLA : LaChapelle Glad He Came Back

Wide receiver Sean LaChapelle, who made a last-minute decision to return for his senior season and pass up the NFL draft last winter, said he doesn’t second-guess himself.

“The only regret I have is that we didn’t have as good a season as I had anticipated,” LaChapelle said. “I don’t have any regrets with staying because I enjoyed this year even though we had hard times. We fought back and I enjoyed watching the team fight back. I’m happy I’ve stayed. I’ve learned a lot this season.”

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Defensive tackle Mike Chalenski, who transferred from Pittsburgh after playing for the Panthers as a freshman in 1988, said the UCLA-USC rivalry is more intense than the Pitt-Penn State rivalry.

“I thought that was a real big rivalry,” Chalenski said. “When we played at Penn State, people would throw beer bottles at our head. But I think this is an even bigger rivalry. I mean, people live or die by this game out here. It’s more of an emotional game.”

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Cornerback Carlton Gray was named a first-team All-American by the Football News and tackle Vaughn Parker was selected to the third team. Guard Ron Nielsen and Gray were also named to the Academic All-America team for District Eight, which encompasses the West Coast.