The late afternoon sun is casting increasingly long shadows across UCLA’s practice field as the running backs converge near one sideline to commence a drill. Each tailback and fullback alternates taking handoffs, securing the ball snug to his body before sprinting toward an imaginary line of scrimmage.
That’s where they are confronted by a contraption known as the Blaster, which features a series of horizontal foam rubber tentacles that simulate the contact they might absorb from a defensive tackle or a linebacker.
“I want to see your steps!” DeShaun Foster, the Bruins’ new running-backs coach, yells as tailback Brandon Stephens churns his legs while getting thwacked by the device.