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  DANIEL WONG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Junior linebacker Mike Saffer credits his experience of growing up in a close-knit extended family for teaching him how to lead the offensive line.

By Adam Karon

Daily Bruin Staff

Linemen are not used to being alone. They work within the context of a family of five, driving forward surrounded by their brothers.

Over the course of a season, a support group develops. Within this group, linemen know they have at least four other people upon whom they can depend. For many, having four new kin might seem like an overwhelming collection of brethren.

Not for UCLA tackle Mike Saffer.

Saffer grew up in Tucson, Ariz., on a block that housed 23 of his family members. From grandpa David Rice all the way down to his youngest cousin, Jillian, Saffer always had a family member within a blocking sled’s push away.

While he enjoys Los Angeles and all it has to offer, Saffer knows that he is most comfortable with his relatives

“My heart is really wherever my family is,” he said. “We’ve always been really close. I was just raised with the idea to stay close to family.”

Physically speaking, few athletes come with a better pedigree. His father Don played basketball at UCLA under legendary coach John Wooden. Both brothers, Jon (age 28) and Jeff (26) played professional baseball.

But growing up in a block with 23 relatives also gave Mike a sense of community, something that is similar to that of a football team.

“Family is very important to me,” Saffer said. “When you play football it is similar. It’s like having 100 brothers.”

By choosing to come to Los Angeles, Saffer left behind his entire family. While his parents still travel to every game, he misses living close to his kin. Both brothers now attend law school at the University of Arizona and are building houses on the same block in Tucson where Saffer hopes to someday rejoin them.

Saffer’s experience within his immediate family translates to his experience on the football field. As one of the more vocal leaders of the offensive line, it is his duty to make sure everyone is on the same page.

“He’s a good leader,” offensive line coach Mark Weber said. “On the field he is businesslike and intense.”

So far this year the line has solidified, providing Bruin running backs with 200 yards per game on the ground. For an interior lineman like Saffer, these are the stats that count.

“You can’t take anything away from DeShaun Foster because he’s racking up 90 percent of those yards after contact,” Saffer said. “But when he does so well it make us look good, and we take pride in that.”

Like most families, the 2001 Bruins offensive line features a variety of personalities and significant age differences. There is one senior, two juniors, a sophomore and a freshman working together to achieve a common goal. Senior Troy Danoff is the silent leader, the one who leads by example and sets the standard. Saffer is the one who verbalizes what the unit, the family, must do to succeed.

“Before the game, when we’re all intense, he gets us ready to play,” freshman guard Eyoseph Efseaff said. “As a younger guy, we look up to our upperclassmen for leadership.

Saffer believes the success of an offense line is measured by its weakest link. Just as one rushes to the aid of a family member in need, offense linemen must pick up the pieces when one makes a mistake.

“You want to be able to do anything you can for your family,” Saffer said. “Same goes for your offensive lineman. You need to be able to help out the guy next to you.”

To say that Saffer is a family man would be a gross understatement. Anyone growing up under the watchful eye of 23 family members, who are neighbors, learns very quickly how to act in a group.

Saffer’s ability to act within the context of a family of offensive linemen is key to the Bruins’ success this year, particularly rushing the ball.

And while his heart might reside in Tucson with his personal family block, his head is clearly in Westwood where the Bruins continue their hunt for a Pac-10 title.

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