Seidman Found He Had to Flat-Out Get Better

There were times last football season when 6-foot-5, 250-pound freshman tight end Mike Seidman of UCLA saw a defender in his path and wanted to flatten him like a pancake.

Except the opposite happened.

Seidman learned no one cares whether you were an All-American in high school. In big-time college football, speed, power and brute strength matter most, not press clippings.

“You go up against guys who outweigh you between 40 to 50 pounds,” he said. “You have to have strong legs and a strong upper body just to be able to hold your ground against them or they’ll throw you around.”

Seidman was rated the No. 1 tight end in the nation by some observers as a senior at Westlake High. That didn’t mean he was ready to start as a freshman at UCLA.

He didn’t know how to block.

“I didn’t have a clue,” he said.

He didn’t understand the intricacies of the passing game.

“I thought I could always run a route and catch a ball, but then I learned you had to make reads and if the defense was doing one thing, then my route had to be different,” he said.

Seidman could have pouted or threatened to transfer, as many prep All-Americans do when they’re third- or fourth-string on the depth chart.

But he reacted differently. He embraced the challenge of trying to improve as a backup.

“It was difficult in a sense, where I’m competitive and don’t like sitting, but I kind of knew it’s real hard to come into a big school like UCLA and be the man as a true freshman,” he said. “I came in with the attitude I wanted to learn and I wanted to play my freshman year and I wanted to improve to where I could dominate in the seasons to come.”

All signs point toward Seidman becoming the top player many envision. He was more comfortable and knowledgeable during spring drills. His summer workouts have made him stronger, faster and more confident.

“I feel I’m getting better and better,” he said. “I’m going to be knocking guys on their butt this year.”

Assistant coach Gary Bernardi recruited Seidman and couldn’t be more pleased with his progress.

“I knew he was athletic and I knew he could catch the ball, but his desire to be a great blocker, to be a dominating guy has been greater than I thought,” Bernardi said. “He has the ability to be a great player.”

It’s hard to imagine any school having three better tight ends than the Bruins’ trio of Seidman, 6-5 senior Gabe Crecion and 6-5 junior Bryan Fletcher.

“It’s a heck of a threesome,” Bernardi said. “There’s no animosity, jealousy or pouting. They all respect each other’s ability. They all want to play more and all want to catch more. It’s a strength we ought to take advantage of.”

Seidman is grateful for the guidance Crecion and Fletcher have provided even though he’s competing for playing time.

“We’re all real close,” he said. “They’re older than me and whenever I had a question, they were more than willing to help me out. They’ve always been that way. They’ve never given me a cold shoulder.”

Seidman made a smooth transition to college life. But doing laundry still isn’t his favorite task.

“Every once in a while, I take it home,” he said.

Living on his own has enabled his cooking skills to flourish. His favorite television channel other than ESPN is the Food Network.

“I’ve always loved to cook,” he said. “I can make real good chicken and spice it up. I love watching cooking shows. I’m trying to learn how to cook so I’ll be healthy.”

He’s not quite ready to exchange his helmet for a chef’s hat. There’s some small business to take care of, such as paying back those defensive players who pushed him around last season.

Get ready for the Seidman Souffle. It’s a block you’ll see often this season.

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If Cal State Northridge wants to generate more enthusiasm for its football program, one way would be to recruit more players from local high schools. A look at the Matadors’ fall roster shows there are only 17 players from the San Fernando, Simi, Santa Clarita, Conejo and Antelope valleys. UCLA has 20 players from the region. . . .

Jim Fenwick, former Northridge and Valley College football coach, has been hired as offensive coordinator at Eastern Oregon University, an NCAA Division III school. Fenwick was offensive coordinator at New Mexico last season. . . .

Once a week this summer, Gregg Frazer, football coach at L.A. Baptist, participates in a board game called “World in Flames.” It’s a reenactment of World War II. This week, he’s making decisions for the Axis powers, Germany and Japan, and nobody’s wishing him good luck. . . .

There should be no disagreement over which team has been best passing the ball this summer. It’s St. Francis, which won its third tournament championship on Saturday at Claremont High, defeating Corona del Mar, Temecula Valley, Hart and Mira Costa behind UCLA-bound quarterback John Sciarra. . . .

Royal has switched to the West Coast offense, with former sophomore coach Jim Thornton taking over as offensive coordinator. Junior quarterback James Cox, who’s 6 foot 3, will benefit by the addition of junior receiver Robert Davis, a 6-3 transfer from Simi Valley. . . .

Three incoming freshmen pitchers could be varsity contributors next spring. El Camino Real-bound Chad Boyd, a left-hander, was 3-0 in Connie Mack play this summer. Julian Gestewitz could be the No. 1 or 2 pitcher for Notre Dame. Trevor Plouffe, brother of Marshall Plouffe, former Crespi pitcher, has impressed Coach Scott Muckey as a pitcher and hitter.

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Eric Sondheimer’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com