Prince Back in Black

Kevin Prince may be back in black, but he's stuck in a grey area.

The UCLA sophomore quarterback returned to full practice on Monday morning after 13 days in a red jersey, the result of an oblique strain that has hampered his ability to throw without pain.

On Monday, he did not throw without pain. He did not throw much at all, saying that the morning schedule did not call for much passing. When he did throw, he hurt.
So he'll back on Spaulding Field on Tuesday morning, still waiting for the pass that does not pinch.

"I'd probably say I'm about 80 percent right now, Prince said after the morning session. "I can do everything except for throw the ball without pain. I can still throw the ball, but there's going to be pain, and obviously we don't want that."

Whether it was a pinch or a bite or a sword through the back, the pain still lingers. Prince was in the black jersey for the afternoon practice, but he again did not throw.
However, being back in black was as much for Prince's mind as it was for his body.

"It just gets you in that mentality," Prince said. "But more than that for me, just getting back in that psyche was from earlier this morning, when I was able to go eight straight plays with offense. Getting the signal, calling the play, getting the flow of doing that - that helped me mentally. "

With UCLA's season opener less than two weeks away, Prince will need to do more than just get mentally prepared if he is to be ready for Kansas State and the brutal heat in Manhattan, Kan.

Prince said he would be increasingly involved over the next few days, leading up to Friday's scrimmage at the Rose Bowl.

"I don't know if there's a number (of days needed to prepare), but you need a few for sure," Prince said. "Just to get back in the flow of the game. So being able to participate in the scrimmage on Friday would be a big deal."

Prince's injury has given ample time to sophomore backup quarterback Richard Brehaut, and Brehaut has responded well, throwing three touchdown passes in the team's scrimmage on Saturday at Drake Stadium. Brehaut has almost spent as much time with the first-team offense as Prince since the Pistol offense was introduced during spring ball; while they may not be neck-and-neck for the starting spot, Brehaut does feel comfortable sharing his ideas with Prince.

"We're always talking - if he sees something he lets me know, if I see something, I let him know," Brehaut said. "I'm at a point now where Kevin and I can mutually talk about stuff, bounce ideas off each other. What would you do here? Mentally, being in the system, I've had more days in the Pistol, but he's had a whole year on me."

The extra year will mean nothing unless Prince is ready for Kansas State, though.

"The goal is to get it so it's not hurting," Prince said. "I'll be wearing rib protectors. But it is what it is, and part of football is playing with injuries.
"There's no magic potion. I wish there was."