As Jerry Neuheisel watched UCLA’s rally fall short against Washington State on television last weekend from his bayside apartment in Kachidoki, Japan, his mind drifted to a familiar place. He was throwing passes for the Bruins as the fill-in quarterback, trying to save them from what seemed like certain defeat.
“I would be lying to you if I didn’t say I thought that,” Neuheisel said.
Neuheisel left UCLA with a year of eligibility remaining to become the starter for the Obic Seagulls, who play in Japan’s top-tier American football league. He said it hurt too much to remain the Bruins backup after losing a battle for the starter’s job to Josh Rosen before the 2015 season.