Chris Backley/Daily Bruin Fifth-year senior Scott McEwan, a back-up quarterback until now, will start for the first time Saturday against Arizona State.
By Hannah Gordon
Daily Bruin Reporter
After waiting in line for five years, it’s Scott McEwan’s turn. The senior never thought his first career start would come in his last career game, but he is grateful for it nonetheless.
“When I accepted the scholarship to UCLA I was hoping to be the starter my sophomore year,” McEwan said. “I would have three years to be the starter and it would just be this picture-perfect world for me. But, of course, life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to.”
McEwan accepted being made third string behind Cory Paus and Drew Bennett, after Cade McNown’s departure, with a maturity that earned the respect of his coaches.
“For an athlete like Scottie who had so much success in high school, it’s been hard. But he has known, through his character, what his role is and that his time would come,” quarterbacks coach John Pearce said.
His time came, albeit not as a starter, last season against Fresno State and in the Sun Bowl and this season at Stanford.
With the Bruins down 28-7, McEwan came in after the half when Paus injured his thumb and nearly pulled off the biggest comeback in UCLA history. McEwan went 15-of-24 for 221 yards and completed the first two touchdown passes of his career. He led the Bruins to three touchdowns, pulling within three at 31-28 before the Bruins eventually fell 38-28 to the Cardinal.
“He came in at Stanford and really ignited the team,” senior tight end Dennis Fox said.
What was most frustrating for McEwan however, was not just the loss but the fact that he sprained his ankle at the end of the game, preventing him from practicing or playing the following week at Washington State. Had McEwan not been injured, he would have had his first career start then.
“If I was as talented as he is and just watching how our season went, that would have driven me crazy and he handled it extremely well,” sophomore wide receiver Tab Perry said.
McEwan had to again look past his disappointment: “I had this helpless feeling. I felt like I couldn’t contribute for the team and be ready like I wanted to be.”
Being ready is what McEwan has spent his career doing and the attitude he does it with makes him one of the team’s unsung heroes. As the backup quarterback, he has had to be patient, getting a quarter of the reps in practice. Yet McEwan worked that lack of experience, in a way, to his advantage.
“That’s one of the things that makes him so good – he can learn through listening or through experience on the field,” Pearce said. “He spends so much time studying the game, studying the tapes, he’s almost like a coach with his knowledge.”
McEwan was not always as knowledgeable as he is now, however.
“(Last year) I realized it was time for me to break out of being the kid who just shows up to practice and tries hard. I started watching extra film, started asking questions about the extra film I watched,” McEwan said.
McEwan also worked on being more vocal in his leadership and both developments are apparent to his teammates.
“I don’t think anyone ever thought of Scott as just a backup,” Fox said. “He did a lot of leading. Everyone listens to him because he knows what he’s talking about. He’s not out there just throwing the ball around.”
Although he says he has worked to be more vocal, McEwan still leads by example with his work ethic and a positive attitude that everyone on the team brings up when asked about McEwan.
“He’s very unselfish,” head coach Bob Toledo said. “He’s been a great team guy.”
Now it’s his turn.