Bruins’ Theriot makes his dream come true

At the point of impact, when helmets and the combined energy of close to 500 pounds of highly motivated humanity converge in one of society’s last sanctioned acts of savagery, the paperwork matters not.

So it is that UCLA sophomore fullback Trevor Theriot, the rarest of athletic anomalies as a walk-on starter, struggles for supremacy every Saturday with defenders who are rewarded for their football performance with a free education at their institution of choice.

But where some might find irony in the aforementioned matchup, Theriot, the 2004 Newport-Mesa Player of the Year as a senior at Newport Harbor High, finds mostly inspiration.

“I love not being recruited and playing against a school like Oregon,” said Theriot, who will direct the visceral chip on his shoulder pads toward cross-town rival USC Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Coliseum, “It’s kind of fun to lead up on a scholarship linebacker, who is maybe even a Parade [Magazine] All-American.”

Theriot, a 6-foot, 230-pound battering ram whose next rushing attempt will be his first, does have three receptions for 11 yards this season, in which he has played all 11 games. But if personal glory were high on his wish list, he would never have come to Westwood, where his father, Brian, a football and track and field star Newport Harbor, ran on the track and field team in the late 1970s.

“I grew up a UCLA fan with an extreme dislike for the school across town,” said Trevor Theriot, who is more commonly known as Moose, a nickname from his youth football days that has stuck. “I took a [recruiting] trip to San Jose State, I made an unofficial visit to Stanford and I even went to some USC games [as a potential recruit], if you can believe that. But, having grown up a Bruin, when UCLA said I was more than welcome to walk on here and try and earn a spot, I told them I’d do it in a second.”

Theriot, named CIF Southern Section Division VI Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2004, when he amassed 1,328 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to help the Sailors finish 12-1-1 and advance to the Division VI title game at Angel Stadium, redshirted the 2005 season.

Having added strength and speed, he made his way onto the field in four games in 2006, including a stint on goal-line offense in the Bruins’ 13-9 upset of the Trojans at the Rose Bowl.

“That was probably my best moment ever in sports,” Theriot said of last season’s stunning triumph over the Trojans, which, if repeated, combined with an Arizona State loss to Arizona, would propel the Bruins into the Rose Bowl.

“We’ve been pretty good this year against ranked opponents,” said Theriot, who helped UCLA (6-5, 5-3 in the Pac-10) blank then-No. 9-ranked Oregon, 16-0, last week. “Our goal of going to the Rose Bowl is still pretty much in our hands.”

Any walk-on assumes ascending to a starting spot is out of their hands, but things have fallen right for Theriot. Returning senior starter Michael Pitre entered the season with a bone bruise in his knee and has never recovered.

“I worked hard in spring ball and came into the season doing the same,” said Theriot, who was named the starter before the season opener. “I was given my opportunity and I’ve tried to make the most of it. Being the starter at UCLA is just a huge, huge honor and I’m very happy. It’s really exciting to get the chance to help this team on offense and special teams.”

Theriot is currently the personal protector on the punt team and helps set the wedge on the kickoff return unit. It is in the latter role that he absorbed his biggest hit this season.

“This guy from Oregon State just buried his head into me and my whole left side went numb,” Theriot recalled of the injury. “It was kind of amazing. I have no clue who the guy was.”

Most have little clue of Theriot’s contribution to the offense, for which he is on the field about 40% of the time, he said.

“Fullback is an unselfish position,” he said. “I take pride in making a good block, instead of a 10- or 20-yard run. In our offense, my role is to lead up on a linebacker, kick out on a defensive end, or get out and bury a cornerback on a toss play. I’ve had the ball thrown to me three or four times, but I don’t worry too much about that. It’s kind of surreal, to be honest with you. I’m living my childhood dream.”

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].