Even in Loss, Clements’ Career Came Up Roses

We missed it, the Rose Bowl statisticians missed it, but the answer to a non-scholarship senior’s dream actually occurred Friday in UCLA’s loss to Wisconsin.

Larry Clements played.

He participated on a second-quarter kickoff after the Bruins had scored to a take a 21-14 lead.

Then he played cornerback on the final two plays of the game, when Wisconsin was running out the clock on its 38-31 victory.

“It was indescribable,” said Clements, a Wisconsin native playing for the first--and last--time in front of his father and friends. “But I would have traded it for a win. Really, I would.”

A New Year’s Day story in The Times recounted how, after five years of playing on the UCLA football team despite receiving no scholarship money and participating on only nine kickoffs, Clements wanted one last moment of glory.

He wanted to participate in one Rose Bowl play for his family and hometown friends, particularly his father, who had never seen him in a college game.

Then he does play, and everybody in the press box misses it?

Ironically, perhaps one reason Clements’ initial appearance was missed is that Coach Bob Toledo wanted everyone to see it.

After the kickoff team had taken the field in the second quarter, he inserted Clements for Ryan Nece just before the kick.

“He yelled, ‘Clements, get over here,’ ” Clements recalled. “I ran to his side, he kept me there for a couple of a seconds, then he shook my hand and pushed me to the field and said, ‘Get in there and make a play.’ ”

Clements beat his man--”It was great, I faked him out and got past him.”

But, alas, the ball was kicked through the end zone and there was no return.

Clements never had a chance on the final two plays, either--Wisconsin quarterback Mike Samuel took a knee on both snaps.

With everyone focusing on UCLA’s defeat, few noticed.

“But it was still great,” Clements said. “I was so pumped up.”

And to think, he didn’t even have to ask.

Although The Times’ story recounted how Clements’ parents encouraged him to ask Toledo if he could play, Clements decided he couldn’t go through with it.

“I felt it would be too much of a distraction,” he said.

So imagine his surprise when, in the locker room before the game, just before the players took the field, Toledo walked up to him.

“He told me he was going to throw me in there,” Clements said. “I guess he saw the story.”

Afterward, while his teammates mourned the loss, Clements sought out Toledo and thanked him.

“I told him, ‘You’ll never know how much those plays meant to me,’ ” he said. “Coach told me, ‘You earned it.’ ”

Afterward Clements met his parents and sister in the Rose Bowl runway.

“There were tears in everybody’s eyes,” he said. “It felt so good. I was so thankful.”