UCLA OL has to fix ‘a little bit of a heart problem’ before he can play for the Bruins
Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Torian White might end up being UCLA's starting right tackle this fall, but not until he takes care of what he terms, "a little bit of a heart problem."
Because most heart problems are deemed "little."
"I have a little bit of a heart problem," White said on Sunday. "It's been something that I've had my whole life. It's not really anything serious, but the doctors figured it'd be something good to get taken care of if I'm going to continue playing football, which I am."
White didn't know the exact term for his condition but said it was along the same lines as a heart murmur.
"It runs in the family and it's something I deal with," he said. "It's not anything where my life is at risk or anything like that.
"It's more of just like an annoyance."
Still, whatever the problem, coaches and UCLA team doctors felt like White would be better off getting the problem fixed than continuing to play through it like he has throughout his football life. White said the issue doesn't always bother him, but there are times when he needs to take a short break from drills. Doctors also held White out of the first part of camp as a precaution. He said the heat is one of the reasons why doctors were concerned and what prompted the need for surgery. Sunday was just his second practice.
"I'm ahead of where I thought I would be in terms of getting out there and doing plays and everything," White said. "I'm doing better than I thought I would do since I'm so far behind.
"I have been a little winded out there, it does get tiring, but I felt like I was a little bit better and in shape [Sunday] than I was [Saturday]," he said.
But White is confident the surgery will help in his preparation for the season.
"It's going to be a quick thing, recovery is not too bad, I heard," White said. "So I'll be right back out there."
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