Booker Says Washington Rises to No. 1 on His List

By Ben Bolch

Dec. 18, 2001 12 AM PT

Lorenzo Booker, the Ventura St. Bonaventure High tailback who holds state career records for rushing yards and touchdowns, said he has moved Washington to the top of his college list after visiting Seattle over the weekend.

“The players were excellent up there, and that’s the most important thing,” Booker said. “I’m looking for what I have here--family-oriented guys, a coaching staff that’s cool on and off the field.”

Booker, who visited Florida State in December, has canceled his visit to Texas and has only one remaining visit, to USC on Jan. 18.

Booker said he clicked with Washington Coach Rick Neuheisel and running backs coach Tony Alford, “the guy I’ll be spending 90% of the time with.”

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Booker said he also likes that the Huskies return only one running back who received a significant number of carries this season, sophomore Rich Alexis.

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Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

Booker Says Washington Rises to No. 1 on His List

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