Bosworth twins creating own legacy

LOS ANGELES - You see the name "Bosworth" next to "linebacker" on the UCLA depth chart and wonder . . .

Yes, it's that Bosworth.

UCLA outside linebacker Kyle Bosworth is the nephew of former Oklahoma All-American linebacker Brian Bosworth, a.k.a. "The Boz," one of college football's most colorful and controversial players, and the only two-time winner of the Butkus Award, which goes to the nation's premier linebacker.

Kyle and his twin brother, Korey, will both start for the Bruins defense Monday night against Tennessee. Their uncle is one of the reasons why they left Plano, Texas, for the West Coast.

Brian Bosworth, who began an acting career following his injury-shortened stint in the NFL, lives in Santa Monica. He was at UCLA's practice Wednesday afternoon, and still looks NFL-ready from a distance.

Brian won't be the only member of the Bosworth clan at the Rose Bowl on Monday night.

"We had to hustle to get (12) tickets," said Korey, who will start at defensive end. "We had to trade and barter with teammates."

The tickets are for family, including their mother, who still lives in Plano; a grandfather in nearby Frisco, Texas; and a Tennessee contingent as well.

"Our great uncle lives in Memphis," Korey said. "He and his wife and kids are all coming out for the game."

Family was a big factor in the twins' decision to sign with UCLA. Most of their family lives in the South, but their uncle gave them a West Coast connection.

"It was really important to stay around family," Korey said. "It made the transition really easy since he was out here."

Korey and Kyle came out West on a regular basis before they signed with the Bruins.

"It's a lot better than the heat in Texas," Kyle said. "It's a great place to play.

"When I first came out here, I heard that California football was a little different. But that's not true. It's just as intense."

The Bosworths were recruited by plenty of colleges with a couple of notable exceptions, Oklahoma and Texas.

"My uncle said he wouldn't have wanted us to go to Oklahoma," Kyle said. "He said, 'You don't want to follow someone else's legacy.' "

Texas took a long look at the twins but never offered them scholarships. Imagine how it would have looked if the Sooners' arch-rival had signed nephews of The Boz.

"That would have been quite a story, wouldn't it?" Korey said.

They came closest to signing with Texas A&M, but their decision was influenced by all the linebackers the Aggies had signed the year before.

Both players first had an impact at UCLA on special teams. Korey, who was redshirted as a freshman, moved to defensive end, where he started three games last season. Kyle started seven games at linebacker last season and had a Boz-like 19 tackles against Washington.

But there's no Boz-like persona about either one of them. Their uncle was outspoken throughout his career and especially critical of the NCAA. In his autobiography, "The Boz," written with Rick Reilly, his characterization of the Oklahoma program included gun-packing, drug-using players.

Kyle and Korey are accustomed to being asked about their uncle, who's now a realtor in Los Angeles. But neither one has plans of going Hollywood. They're a couple of political science majors with an interest in higher education.

Korey wants to be an anesthesiologist, and Kyle's goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284.