Though UCLA Football has a rich history, only ten Bruins have have ever had their number retired. Which Bruin should be next?
UCLA Football has seen plenty of legends in their 90-plus year history. It’s a history that includes 39 Consensus All-Americans, 17 conference titles, and one national title in 1954.
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Despite the solid history, only 10 Bruins have had their number retired. Its time for a few more Bruins to receive this prestigious honor.
There are several former Bruins who should also be considered, but for this specific article, there are only five Bruins I focus on to have their number retired. But before we get into those, here are some of the honorable mentions:
- Gaston Green, RB, (1984-1987)
- DeShaun Foster, RB, (1998-2001)
- Marcedes Lewis, TE, (2002-2005)
- Jonathan Franklin, RB, (2009-2012)
- Anthony Barr, LB, (2010-2013)
- Eric Kendricks, LB, (2010-2014)
Now, here are the five UCLA Football players who should have their jersey and number prominently displayed on the Terry Donahue Pavilion at the Rose Bowl next, in no particular order.
Cade McNown, QB, #18, (1995-1998)
Cade McNown is one of the best quarterbacks in UCLA Football history, breaking numerous offensive records during his time in Westwood. McNown became the starter midway through his true freshman season and led one of the most successful eras in recent UCLA Football history.
McNown really exploded in his junior campaign where he finished with over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns. That same year the Bruins finished with a 10-2 record and a victory over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.
He led UCLA to back-to-back 10-2 seasons and spearheaded a 20-game winning streak that almost landed UCLA in the inaugural BCS National Championship game (stupid Hurricane Georges). Best of all and the main reason McNown deserves to have his number retired: he went 4-0 against USC. McNown was a first round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 1999 NFL Draft.
Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, #21, (2003-2005)
Though he only played two seasons as the lead back for UCLA Football, MJD finds himself near the top of a number of UCLA rushing categories. In his breakout sophomore season, Jones-Drew ran for over 1,000 yards and 11 total touchdowns.
In the same season, he added a 322 yard, five touchdown performance against Washington, both UCLA records for a single game.
In his final season, MJD scored 17 touchdowns from scrimmage and added three punt return touchdowns and had an average of 28.5 yards per return.
Jones-Drew earned Consensus All-American honors in 2005 and was a second round draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He went on the three Pro-Bowls in the NFL also earning first team All-Pro honors twice.
Brett Hundley, QB, #17, (2012-2014)
It may be a little early for this one, but Brett Hundley deserves a lot of credit for pulling UCLA Football out of a dark period. The Bruins were coming off the disastrous Rick Neuheisel era looking for a glimmer of hope. Hundley provided that and much more.
Hundley ranks second in UCLA football history for passing yards and ranks first in passing touchdowns with 75. His redshirt freshman season was statistically his best throwing for 3,740 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading UCLA to a nine win season, narrowly missing out on a Rose Bowl birth.
Like McNown, Hundley’s most compelling argument for having his jersey retired is his unbeaten record against USC, going 3-0 against the Trojans. Hundley was a fifth round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2015 NFL Draft.
J.J. Stokes, WR, #18, (1991-1994)
The greatest wide receiver in UCLA Football history has a solid claim for his number to be retired. Stokes had a solid sophomore season gaining over 700 yards and scoring 7 touchdowns, but his junior season is when Stokes became a legend.
In 1993, he gained 1,181 receiving yards and added 17 touchdowns. He was named a consensus All-American and finished 7th in Heisman voting. He also won Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year to top it all off.
His senior season was disappointing with Stokes not able to play at 100% because of a thigh injury. Stokes still ranks within the top five in career receptions and receiving yards at UCLA and ranks first in receiving touchdowns with 28. Stokes was picked 10th overall by the San Fransisco 49ers in the 1995 NFL Draft.
Ken Norton, Jr., LB, #41, (1984-1987)
Norton was one of the best defenders in UCLA Football history and was a tackling machine during his four years at the Rose Bowl. He ranks in the top ten in UCLA history in tackles with 339 and led the team in tackles in 1986 and 1987, amassing over 100 tackles in each of the seasons.
He was part of the 1985 Conference Championship team that went on to defeat Iowa in the Rose Bowl. He was an All-American in 1987 and was also a finalist for the Butkus Award. Norton was drafted in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
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He went on to have a very successful pro career going to the Pro Bowl and winning the Super Bowl three times. Norton is now the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders.