Still! How UCLA Has Helped Implement 'D.R.E.'

He’s taking his time to perfect the beat, but he still has love from the streets.

It’s the D.R.E.

UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster has built a culture in Westwood based on D.R.E. – discipline, respect, enthusiasm.

And if you carry yourself in that manner, you’ll find success in Westwood, just like Foster did.

He didn’t become UCLA’s all-time great rusher and eventually head coach by accident. He built a stable of success by being the embodiment of D.R.E.

Now it’s time to instill that in the players he’s helping develop.

Discipline

Foster has bled blue and gold through and through, and when he began his collegiate career as a running back with the Bruins, he set a true freshman record, in 11 games, he ran for 673 yards and found the end zone 10 times.

As a sophomore, Foster spent most of his time on the injured list, dealing with a sprained ankle. But with unwavering discipline, he didn’t let the injury deter him.

In his final two years, he came back with a vengeance. In each season, he ran for over 1,000 yards and at least 10 touchdowns.

His junior year was especially dominant, where he set a record (eventually broken by Maurice Jones-Drew) by rushing for 301 yards and tying a school record with four touchdowns in a single game.

Ultimately, with one of the more storied careers in UCLA football history, he ended his run standing in the program’s top 10 in rushing touchdowns, rushing yards, and points scored.

Respect

Whatever Foster is doing as a coach, it’s working, and it’s working fast.

The players have shown a great deal of respect for Foster and the way he’s worked his way up not just as a coach, but as a recruiter.

Weeks ago, offensive lineman Micah Smith, who’s now committed to the Bruins, appreciated the way Foster built relationships, not just with players, but with their families.

“Here’s why UCLA stands out to me. Coach Foster has done a good job building a relationship with my parents and keeping them in the know about all things UCLA and their plan for developing me,” Smith told Tracy McDannald of Rivals in November.

It may sound like a simple aspect of recruiting, but the human side of it means a lot to the players. They don’t want to feel like just another statistic. They want to feel respected.

Enthusiasm

Foster has been a Bruin since 1998. He knows what it means to be part of this program, and what it looks like when it’s thriving.

“You’re gonna see the excitement. We’re going to bring back the excitement,” Foster said. “People used to love coming to the Rose Bowl games, filling the stadium. It was jam-packed when I played in there. It didn’t matter who we were playing. We’re gonna get back to that.”

For the longest time, enthusiasm was lacking around UCLA football. That fueled the narrative that the school was just a basketball program.

Under Chip Kelly, the program struggled to connect off the field, especially with donors, at a time when NIL was becoming more and more pivotal.

Foster understands that part of the business. He knows that building enthusiasm from those in the stands is just as important as building it in the locker room.

With D.R.E. at the core, Foster’s got the Bruins moving to the right beat.