Lincoln High to honor former UCLA All-American Kenny Washington

Former UCLA football star Kenny Washington will be honored today at Lincoln High, as his prep alma mater dedicates a square in his name in northeast Los Angeles.

Washington was the Bruins’ first All-American in football, and his No. 13 jersey was the first to be retired by the team. He broke an unofficially segregated NFL in 1946, signing a contract with the Los Angeles Rams to break a 13-year color barrier. Lincoln High’s auditorium will host a retrospective ceremony at 10 a.m., with the square dedication starting at 11:30 a.m. at the corner of North Broadway and Lincoln Park Avenue.

You can read more about Washington here, or find out more about Thursday’s event here.

Tony Parker starting to stay out of foul trouble

UCLA big man Tony Parker’s 13-point outing at Stanford last Saturday was his best offensive showing in nearly a month. It also included just one foul — his first game with less than two since Nov. 24. It’s part of a small but not insignificant trend.

Through his first seven Pac-12 games as a sophomore, Parker committed 9.26 fouls per 40 minutes. Continue reading “Tony Parker starting to stay out of foul trouble” »

NFL Combine roundup: Which Bruins are rising, falling?

Linebacker Anthony Barr
6’5, 255 lbs, 33 1/2″ arms, 9 3/8″ hands

Barr ran his 40-yard dash in 4.66 and 4.63 seconds on his two tries — not bad times by any means, but hardly close to the 4.46 he claimed last summer.

Far better was his 6.82-second three-cone drill, the third-best time among linebackers. That number may be a better measure of his pro potential anyway; rarely will a defender be asked to chase someone 40 yards, but short-area quickness and agility is crucial on nearly every play. He only mustered 15 bench reps, though players with longer arms usually don’t perform as well.

Right now, Barr’s top competition to be the first linebacker taken is Buffalo’s Khalil Mack, who has put up similar numbers at the NFL Combine.

“Barr’s a little bit longer,” NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock said. “I think (Mack is) more ready to play today.”

Offensive guard Xavier Su’a-Filo
6’4, 307 lbs, 33 3/8″ arms, 9 3/8″ hands

Su’a-Filo has been one of the NFL Combine’s risers, climbing up to what could be a first-round selection in May. Continue reading “NFL Combine roundup: Which Bruins are rising, falling?” »