An oral story about Rams legend Isaac Bruce’s junior college days in Los Angeles and how they shaped him

Bruce arrived in Los Angeles in 1990. He was originally supposed to play for Purdue University after graduating from Dillard High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Instead, circumstances sent him to LA to attend West Los Angeles College.

Bruce: “My very first impression (of Los Angeles) was that this was home because it looked like South Florida. It was way cooler. I was into West Coast rap at the time. I mean, I think this was starting to take, so I did Get some kind of visual of these guys talking about Los Angeles and California as a whole, you know, in their songs and stuff, but when I got there you just flew in and flew over Inglewood, what was that where I lived, there is the stadium right now from Arbor Vitae. How many times have I seen this and written on letters before there were cell phones and text messages? But it’s funny because SoFi (stadium) is right on this street. So yeah, I just felt like it like an extension of South Florida, as wide as a melting pot. Lots of different backgrounds and cultures. And I just fit in with it. “

Bruce lived with three other people, including a teammate, Sam Rogers, in a quadruple room on Northrop University campus that had a common room but no kitchen.

Bruce: “The big planes straight from LAX would fly right over us, about 12,000 feet right over our heads. It was fun man. My transport was the green bus to Sepulveda. I would take the green one to Lincoln and then I would step up to number three, (that would) take me all the way to Pico. I get off at Pico, into class, stay on campus all day until after training, until it was time to go home, man. So your courage to see whether you wanted to make football your job or in this industry really paid off. “

The general conditions weren’t the best either.

Rogers: “The conditions were what made 98% of the players leave. Me and Isaac were the only two, we stayed in them. We stayed in the dorms and basically hid in the dorms we shouldn’t be in, until he got to Santa Monica (college) and they helped him find a place to stay and I moved into a buddy of mine. “

Bruce had “many opportunities to go home and just say forget it” but he credits the grace of God for getting him through these challenging times that included trouble with daily food in addition to getting to campus .

Rogers, who moved to Colorado after a season together: “When I went to Colorado he was still here, so he was still fighting. He had no person to lean on. As then, we all leaned on each other as best we could. Brotherhood, whoever the parents sent money, we all went along with it. Whoever has a girlfriend and brings food, we all make sure they bring the food. That’s how we survived. But when everyone else checked out and went home or went elsewhere, me and Isaac were the only two. But he kept it up and that shows his character, why he played like that. And he came from a large family. He had (14) siblings so that would make you have a drive like no other. “

During Bruce’s freshman year, he met 14 boys from different states, including Texas and Michigan (Rogers) as well as Florida and Colorado.

Between his own background and skills, it wasn’t long before he made an impression.

Rogers: “The first thing I remember about Isaac when I met him in front of the soccer field – a lot of us came from outside and we sat and talked and understood each other’s culture and where they came from. I remember him being mine Told about Florida and one particular food they eat there and one of them was called Conch. And I was like, ‘What the hell is Conch?’ So that was my first impression of him, which gave us the atmosphere of Florida. And then on the soccer field, the first time I saw him running a track, I said, ‘Oh, this guy is special.’ “

Marlin Briscoe, West Los Angeles College wide receivers coach and Bruce’s first college coach: “Isaac, he was ahead of his time. When I first saw him as an athlete, he was running around a track and that was before I knew who he was. Rob Hager, who was the head coach at the time, said:” ‘That’s Isaac Bruce right there.’ And I look for and see this kid with that perfect step that you would see in a professional field. And I said, ‘This is the kid you were talking about?’ He said, ‘Yes sir. This is just the beginning.’ “

Bruce had a calm demeanor, but that wasn’t to be confused with a lack of confidence or orientation. For Rogers, it was the combination of confidence and cockiness that made Bruce so special.

Rogers: “He did our DBs so badly because I was a defensive player and one of the coaches I’ll never forget, Coach Porter stood there and said, ‘That’s how you do it! You have to get in!’ So he turned against Isaac and Isaac dropped it on his cock. Everyone just laughed their asses off and said, ‘Yup, that’s why you all DBs look like this.’ “

In addition to studying under the guidance of Briscoe, a former AFL quarterback and NFL wide receiver, Bruce honed his craft in other ways.

According to Rogers, many players and Olympic track and field athletes came and trained at their junior college because it was in Culver City, a central area of ​​California.

Bruce: “As for soccer, Los Angeles gave you year-round opportunities to improve your craft, which to me was soccer. I had the opportunity to run courses with guys who were playing Canadian football at the time and learn from them. ”I had the opportunity to play against guys who were playing Canadian football as a defensive back. Every level from high school to junior college to college to guys who were professionals at the time and I felt like that really helped me these guys whenever we could, it was something Special to me, man. “

Both Rogers and Briscoe used “smooth” to describe Bruce – it was what Rogers said he and his teammates named Bruce because Bruce ran his routes so smoothly and precisely.

Briscoe: “He just showed what a kid should be, especially at this level of play, who would be a freshman, a freshman at West LA College. And he was above the talent line. The only problem with Isaac was that we weren’t We don’t have a quarterback. We didn’t have anyone to complement Isaac’s skills. “

As a result, Bruce moved to Santa Monica City College, where he finished the 1991 season with 42 receptions for 677 yards and seven touchdowns to earn all of the conference awards. He later received a Memphis State (now University of Memphis) scholarship.

Bruce: “When I went to Santa Monica City College, my coach was Dave Burrell – he had experience at UCLA. He was the position coach there for a while. I felt like his guidance, he really helped me. “

Bruce made 39 receptions for 532 yards and five touchdowns in his first season at Memphis State in 1992, then 74 receptions for 1,054 yards and seven touchdowns in his second and final season in 1993 – a strong performance that led to him 33 was selectedapproxtotal in the second round of the Los Angeles Rams in the 1994 NFL Draft.

Meanwhile, Rogers went to the Buffalo Bills in the same lap, ranked 64th overall.

Rogers played 10 seasons in the NFL, Bruce 16 with Bruce spending 14 of his 16 NFL seasons in the horns, racking up 942 receptions for 14,109 yards and 84 touchdowns en route to his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction Canton, Ohio, as a member of its class by 2020.

For Bruce, those early years in Los Angeles remain a formative time in his life that played a major role in shaping his future.

Bruce: “It’s definitely how I can adjust in the middle of the stream. I wanted to go to Purdue University from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale and start my college degree, but that didn’t happen. So I just went to junior high school. Customize college world 3,000 miles away. ” at home to be honest i had a really great time. If I could eat consistently, and I mean having a guaranteed meal every night, I would have enjoyed it. I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up, I wouldn’t have wanted to be over 18, just be where I was. But in all honesty, it taught me how much a dollar is worth, as we can see the times when our parents made sacrifices in terms of giving money or investing money for money over here. I learned that very quickly in junior college. “

He’s also glad he didn’t give up when those times became challenging.

Bruce: “It’s a cliché, but just keep an eye on the price. I felt that the end result was much better than the current situation. And it was way better than the past situation moments and really checking and seeing where you are, seeing where your feet were at that time and what progress you have made. I mean, I’d graduated from college for two years. I have an AA degree. I felt like I had decent coaching from a footballing perspective. … So I just counted the cost and when I got another opportunity to be recruited by Memphis there, I felt that the progress I had made was way bigger and bigger than just giving up and quitting. “

The stadium where Bruce will be honored in Inglewood on Sunday is pretty close to the landmarks of his junior college days. He says he sees it every time he flies in.

The last time Bruce was in Los Angeles, he had a rental car and actually drove to the Northrop dormitories and hit a couple of other well-known places.

Bruce: “I haven’t been to West LA, but I always go near the Fox Hills Mall because that was kind of our hangout when we had extra money. Santa Monica is my place. I try to be the best I can on Santa Monica to come over. ” I can do it anytime I’m there. My coaches obviously passed away, but so many great memories of this school and just playing there. And I can’t help but go to Inglewood. I mean, the stadium is in Inglewood, Randy’s Donuts, The Forum, and I lived right down the street from those places. It brings back very good memories for me when I’m in LA. “