Vieira Challenging to Become Starter

In a training camp where nearly every starting position is set, heated competition is noticeable.

Sophomore Shane Lehmann began camp as the starting right guard based on his performance during the spring. However, he missed two days of practice because of flu and his backup, Blake Worley, retired because of multiple concussions.

Enter Steve Vieira, who slid over from backup right tackle and is challenging Lehmann.

“There is a little bit of a battle there,” line coach Mark Weber said. “Steve wants to be in there all the time.”

Vieira, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound redshirt freshman from Carlsbad, is still spending some practice time at tackle behind returning starter Mike Saffer, but realizes his best shot at playing time is at guard.

“I feel I have a chance to start if I work hard,” Vieira said. “Shane is good too.

“I’m just trying to learn the position because I’ve never played guard before.”

Worley, a junior from Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley High, discussed the results of his CT scan with his parents Tuesday night and decided his football career is over.

The concussion was his third in a year.

“He’s had quite a few concussions,” UCLA Coach Bob Toledo said. “That’s a personal decision involving his doctors and his parents.”

Worley started the first 10 games of his freshman season and was a frequently used reserve last year. A sociology major, he will continue to attend school on scholarship for two more years.

Ryan Nece’s shoulders felt good after the first day of full contact. The senior linebacker had surgery on both shoulders during the off-season and anxiously anticipated testing them.

He was held out of most contact drills in the morning practice but got into the mix during the afternoon.

“Anybody coming off surgery struggles with that initial hit, that initial contact, thinking how hard can I push my shoulder?,” he said. “And you know what, it felt pretty good.”

Extracurricular hitting and hot tempers are common during training camp, but the first day of contact was marked by an incident between two of the most prominent Bruins: running back DeShaun Foster and defensive end Kenyon Coleman.

With the ball still in his hands, Foster popped Coleman well after the whistle. Coleman responded by hitting Foster and the contact continued until other players separated them.

“We’re both competitors and we don’t back down,” Coleman said. “Tempers flare. But he gave me five later. It’s good to know nobody is going through the motions.”