Little Things Apparently Mean a Lott

It was 1976, and assistant coach Bob Toledo recruited defensive back Ronnie Lott . . . for USC.

It was 1997, and Coach Bob Toledo recruited Lott’s son, defensive back Ryan Nece . . . for UCLA.

“I guess we’ve come full circle,” Nece said. “My dad always said he liked the program over here.”

Nece, who uses his mother’s maiden name--she’s now Cathy Thomas--is a reserve roverback who probably will be asked to redshirt because of the Bruins’ depth at the position.

“My dad always supported me, though with him playing football and being on television, he was busy much of the time,” Nece said Monday. “And he always pushed academics. I know football only takes you so far.”

Lott was an All-American safety at USC and all-pro with the Raiders before embarking on a career in broadcasting.

So why is Lott among the newest UCLA dads?

“USC was the only school in the Pac-10 not to send me a [recruiting] letter,” Nece said.

*

Defensive coordinator Rocky Long was looking for project defensive lineman Braden Weber for a drill Monday morning. Weber, a 6-8 1/2, 295-pound former basketball player trying football for the first time, turned up with the offensive linemen, where he is getting a look.

“I guess it was a battlefield change,” Long said, laughing. “Nobody told me.”

It all happened during a pass-rush drill when Weber was told by Toledo to jump over to the other side of the ball and protect the passer.

“I just told him to pretend he was guarding somebody in basketball,” Toledo said.

Weber did--three times--and by the afternoon practice had shed gotten rid of the defense’s blue jersey and donned the white jersey of the offense.