Conditioning Coach Builds Strong Support

Greatest guy in the world, thought guard Eyoseph Efseaff as he finished another excruciating trip down the long Drake Stadium staircase on his hands and knees.

A real peach, thought Mat Ball as he followed his teammates, his shoulders burning as he crawled down the concrete stairs.

Yes, UCLA players have become quite fond of new strength and conditioning coach E.J. “Doc” Kreis, even as he put them through agonizing drills all summer.

“From Day 1, he came in and we felt like we knew him already,” said Efseaff, a junior third-year starter. “He came up, shook hands and just opened up right away to all of us. He knows his stuff. He’s the No. 1 guy in the country. We got the No. 1 guy. It’s awesome.”

Kreis, 50, spent the last 10 years at Colorado. He rose to the top of the profession, twice being named national strength coach of the year. But his reputation took a hit when he was fired in April after losing favor with Coach Gary Barnett. Four Colorado players missed spring practice this year because of shoulder injuries, an ongoing trend that Barnett appeared to place on the shoulders of Kreis.

In 2001, Barnett told the Rocky Mountain News: “We’ve had no more or no less injuries than anyone else in other areas. But the shoulder injuries seem way out of proportion.”

Kreis was hired at UCLA on the strong recommendations of assistants Eric Bieniemy and Jon Embree, who also came from Colorado. He said he doesn’t feel burdened by Barnett’s insinuations.

“I had 10 great years there and I don’t know how to hide envy or jealousy,” Kreis said. “I got to the point where I decided not to take anything away from anyone. I know how we played. And I take personal anything that happens to my athletes.”

Kreis hasn’t severed all ties to Colorado. His family still lives in the house he is trying to sell.

It’s not just any house.

The Kreis family lives in the 700 block of 15th Street in Boulder, at an address legally changed two years ago to lessen its notoriety. JonBenet Ramsey lived in the house with her family until she was killed there, found beaten and strangled in the basement Dec. 26, 1996.

The small basement room where 6-year-old JonBenet’s body was found has been walled off and is no longer accessible. Kreis said his family transformed the house from a tourist oddity into a place “where there are no ghosts.”

“It’s not just a house, it’s a great home,” he said. “It is a great neighborhood. Buying it was an opportunity to take away the stigma. Now it is an opportunity for a family to come from the outside and get a home.”

His family’s next home will be in Los Angeles. And his new team has welcomed him.

“He brought mental and physical toughness,” UCLA running back Manuel White said. “He’s only been here one summer, and already he pushed us to places we never thought we could go.”

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Freshman running back Maurice Drew broke a long touchdown run in practice Sunday, putting a move on one of the last defenders to get loose, and it appears he’ll break into the rotation at tailback.

“He is eye-opening,” Coach Karl Dorrell said. “I have not decided, [but] it looks like he can definitely help us.”

Drew, a well-muscled 5 feet 8 and 195 pounds, played at Concord De La Salle High and never lost a high school game.

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Dorrell was pleased after the first day in pads. “I feel like camp is finally kicking in,” he said. With temperatures in the high 90s, he is concerned about the first day of two-a-days today. “We’ll try to keep them hydrated,” he said. ... Receiver Jacques Lazarus was temporarily kicked out of position drills and told to run. Dorrell attributed it to attitude. “Just a little wake-up call.” ... Add linebacker Spencer Havner to the list of players being held back because of minor injuries. Like receiver Junior Taylor, Havner has a slight hamstring injury. “We’re erring on the cautious side,” Dorrell said. “We don’t want to get to the point we have a major injury and don’t have someone for the game.” ... The fire engine that stopped by practice was on unofficial business: Jim Worthy, the engineer, is receiver Ryan Smith’s uncle, and the firefighters paused for a peek at practice during a fueling trip.