Smith, Fauria catch on
Alright, Josh Smith, here it is, the question you've been avoiding.
Are you a rapper who plays football or a football player who raps?
"Man, that I've been trying to decide for a long time," said the junior wide receiver, who transferred from Colorado last September. "Am I am a rapper or a football player? I gotta say I'm a football player first. Lately, I've put the music down for a little bit. I'm trying to make sure I can get right for this season."
If the first two days of UCLA's spring ball are any indication, Smith is singing - or rapping - the right tune.
The Moorpark High product has been the Bruins' best deep threat in the early going as the team's slot receiver, working smoothly with returning starters Taylor Embree and Nelson Rosario. Perhaps it should not come as a surprise: Smith caught 54 passes for 878 yards and three touchdowns in his two seasons for the Buffaloes and was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection at kick returner after tallying the second most single-season all-purpose yardage in Colorado history.
"The first thing you notice about Josh is he's just a playmaker," said UCLA junior center Kai Maiava, who played with Smith in 2007 at Colorado before transferring. "Even if it's just a little out, he's trying to break it. He's gotten a lot better since our freshman year: He's still fast, but he's a little bigger."
Most telling about Smith, though, is the attitude.
He has the swagger of a performer, a smooth gait that oozes confidence.
Perhaps more than his ability, his mannerisms speak volumes.
"You see the TOs and the Ochocincos and they're just confident in themselves," UCLA sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince said. "I'm not saying Josh has that personality, but he has that kind of swagger, that confidence in himself that he's going to catch the ball and make plays."
Smith isn't the only one.
Though he missed practice on Thursday because of a mild groin strain, tight end Joseph Fauria has become a hot topic in his short time in Westwood. The Crespi of Encino product widened many eyes after his transfer last July, if only because of his size.
But Fauria knows his 6-foot-7, 260-pound frame will only take him so far, and he's dived into the playbook to catch up to the rest of his teammates. Fauria even said he sleeps with the thing.
"Literally, it's on my chest when I wake up in the morning," said Fauria, who played with Prince in high school. "I'm getting that done, learning how to mature. My best friend is Kevin Prince so I'm keeping him in my ear, and staying in his ear."
Both Smith and Fauria have transitioned well into the offense so far, and both have been given the opportunity to excel. Perhaps coming from traditional football powerhouses like Notre Dame and Colorado gave them the leg up.
Or not.
"It's not the program you come from - when you're here, they don't give a hell where you're from," Fauria said. "You could be from Kathmandu, and you still get a clean slate. It's about how you work. Josh and I both worked very hard in the weight room and we proved ourselves. Last year, we made plays on scout. That right there proves us. It has nothing to do with where we're from."
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