COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : UCLA : Tackle Becomes Special ‘Adviser’

He is in shape at 315 pounds and at peace academically at UCLA. Sale Isaia has his position back, left defensive tackle, and is a senior who spends part of his time giving advice.

Do as I do, not as I did, is his message. “This is my last year, and now I see young guys looking up at me,” he said. “Guys like Travis Kirschke and Vae Tata. . . . Coaches have their own problems, family and things like that, and I know I’ve had problems that I can tell the guys about, so that maybe they won’t make the same mistakes.”

The mistakes came last season, in which he almost didn’t play. Isaia had been slow recovering from off-season back surgery and had nearly given up on football. With that thought, there seemed no reason to go to class or to work out, so when the back injury healed, he found himself out of shape, physically and academically.

He finally regained his starting job with five games left.

The embarrassment is behind him, and he speaks more clearly and positively about his senior season, which begins Saturday night against Tennessee.

“Last year, I didn’t take care of business off the field, so I took it on the field,” he said. “This year, the off-the-field business is taken care of.”

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Play-calling is different this season under new offensive coordinator Bob Toledo. Last season and before, Homer Smith called plays from the press box, with receiver coach Rick Neuheisel sending them in with players. This season, Toledo will be on the sideline, and backup quarterbacks Ryan Fien and Rob Walker will use hand signals to get them to starter Wayne Cook.