Joshua Kelley called UCLA’s football office so often in the spring of 2017 that he was nearly on a first-name basis with the receptionists. His voice, and his objective, became instantly recognizable.
“It got to a point where every time they were like, ‘Are you asking for coach Foster again?’ ” Kelley recalled with a laugh.
DeShaun Foster, the Bruins’ running backs coach, wasn’t exactly expecting Kelley’s calls. The largely unknown running back had spent two seasons at UC Davis and was seeking a new home when the coaching staff was fired after the 2016 season.
UCLA had been Kelley’s dream school coming out of Eastside High in Lancaster, so he called and emailed Foster in hopes of latching on with the Bruins.