Thigpen comes home

As he tracked the record-setting blizzard that blanketed the Washington D.C. area two weekends ago, an odd thought went through Damien Thigpen's mind. Here he was 3,000 miles away in southern California under sunny skies, basking in 60-degree weather and yet pining for a taste of cold temperatures and the sight of snow.

Thigpen knew what he was thinking sounded crazy given where he was at the time, but he couldn't help himself.

"I missed that," Thigpen said.

Although it's been a good five months since Thigpen had left Northern Virginia, where he had established himself as a standout football and track star at Stonewall Jackson High School, and headed out to UCLA to begin his college football career, there's no question he still has a strong connection to this area.

So when it was announced earlier this month that the Bruins would play Temple in today's EagleBank Bowl at RFK Stadium, no one was more thrilled about the news than Thigpen.

Thigpen estimates between 20 to 25 people from friends to coaches will be in attendance to watch him play college football for the first time in person.

Going cross country to the West Coast did not afford people from here the chance to attend any of his games. In fact, the closest UCLA came this season to the Washington D.C. area was when it played at Tennessee, Sept. 12.

But when Navy defeated Army Dec. 12 to prevent the Black Knights from being bowl eligible, it allowed the Bruins the chance to accept the bid to play in the EagleBank Bowl.

"This is my first bowl game so I'm pretty excited," said Thigpen, who arrived in Washington D.C. with his team Christmas Day and is the lone member of the Bruins' 119-player roster from the East Coast.

Even though his family moved out to the Los Angeles area last August, Thigpen keeps in touch with many people from his days at Stonewall Jackson, where he was a four-year starter for the Raiders' football team and was a multiple state champion in track.

Given his familiarity with the area, Thigpen has served as a tour guide when needed for his teammates. The team is staying in a hotel in downtown Washington D.C. and has taken part in scheduled visits to various sight-seeing stops throughout the city, including the Capitol and the Mall. But there was also some down time, giving Thigpen the chance to see old friends.

Although he missed the initial storm, Thigpen did get a chance to still experience the chilly air and the leftover snow while he and his teammates practiced this weekend at Eastern High School, which is next to RFK Stadium.

"Me, I like the cold weather," Thigpen said.

Going into the start of practice last August, Thigpen wasn't sure whether he would red-shirt or not. But he knew one thing: He was determined to show the UCLA coaches he was ready to play this season.

And as the month went on, it became clear he was making an impression. He'd already recorded a team-best time in the 40-yard dash (4.28). Then in a scrimmage, he returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown and returned a kickoff 61 yards.

"We chose not to redshirt him because we felt his speed would be an asset to us both on offense and on special teams," UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel said.

Thigpen has played in all 12 of the Bruins' games, totaling 67 rushing yards on 25 carries, five catches for 30 yards and four kickoff returns for 72 yards. He's made 10 tackles and forced a fumble on a kickoff Nov. 21 against Arizona State that led to a UCLA field goal, a moment he considers his season highlight so far.

"It's been pretty exciting that I could play with these guys," Thigpen said. "It's been a good confidence boost."

Once the season is over, his goal is to add more weight to his 5-foot-8, 170-pound frame. That will keep him from running track at least this season, but football is his priority.

"I want to help wherever I can," said Thigpen the News & Messenger's Indoor and Outdoor Boys Track Athlete of the Year as a senior. "This is the first year and there are a lot of different things. I'm not super big and I need to get more developed, but I've been utilized a lot."

Sports editor David Fawcett can be reached at 703-878-8052