Thursday, November 02, 2006

Long Beach Press Telegram: Safety Kibble forced to leave Bruins

Staff reports

LOS ANGELES - UCLA safety Robert Kibble, who is afflicted by multiple sclerosis, has taken a leave of absence from school and will not return to the football team, Bruins coach Karl Dorrell said.  Kibble, who is from Houston, returned to his home recently, became ill during August's training camp, a condition exacerbated by multiple sclerosis.  He went back to be with his family because hes dealing with some difficult circumstances, Dorrell said. Its not only dealing with his condition, but also the long-term affect of him not playing this game again. I think that really hurt him, but I think our team has been very supportive. They pray for him every day.  Dorrell said Kibble, who is an excellent student, is expected to return to UCLA in January, and continue working toward his degree.  Kibbles scholarship will be transferred to a medical retirement scholarship, allowing UCLA to use that scholarship to recruit another player. The Bruins are already wearing his initials on their helmets.  The most important thing is what is beyond football, Dorrell said.  We need to get him to where hes able to function, and be as good as he can be with dealing with his condition.

A special teams player as a freshman in 2005, Kibble was to have more of an impact this season. Kibble has the relapsing-remitting stage of multiple sclerosis, and according to doctors, exposure to heat and stress on the body can worsen a patients condition.  Kibble was hospitalized after an episode during training camp, and was recovering to the point where he did some individual drills during practice. However, he watched the Bruins season-opening win against Utah from the sideline on a brutally hot day at the Rose Bowl, and was hospitalized again shortly thereafter.  Kibble could not be reached for comment, but two months ago said he would not risk his long-term health so he could play football. The decision was made after consultation with UCLAs medical staff.

Austin makes return

Poly high graduate Terrence Austin is back from his hamstring injury with a new role.  Austin was returning punts for UCLA before he was injured but with receiver Brandon Breazell possibly sidelined with a rib cage strain, Austin likely will see plenty of reps at receiver.  Austin, a true freshman, got plenty of reps in Wednesday's practice and UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said he'll have a bigger role Saturday at No. 10 Cal.  "He's ready for it," Dorrell said. "He's played football before. I know this will be a different experience playing in a game like this, but he played at Washington and had a big punt return. I think it won't be that big of a deal for him, being able to play in front of a large crowd and having some of the success he's already had."  

McGee still out

Jeremy McGee said he won't play Saturday at Cal because of a quadriceps injury but hopes to return next week.  "I tore a piece of it," McGee said.  With McGee out, that means Derrick Williams should return kickoffs again.  Williams had four kickoff returns for 113 yards, for an average of 28.2 against Washington State last week.

Still hurting

UCLA made a furious rally for a 47-40 win over Cal last year. The Bruins scored the game's final three touchdowns, including Maurice Drew's 2-yard score as time ran out.  Last year, it was UCLA's first win over a top-10 team since 2001 when it beat Washington. Drew ran for five touchdowns.  "I reminded the team about how we felt last year after that game," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "We felt like we let that one slip away, although UCLA made some nice plays down the stretch to win the game. ... We had a bad feeling in our stomach after that game. I just wanted to reminded them what that felt like, and to know that UCLA is a very good football team."

No comments: