UCLA WR's Touching Discovery Amid Return From Injury

Rico Flores Jr. was poised to have a great return, but what he found in himself tells a much deeper story.

Sep 21, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. (1) reacts after making a first down against LSU Tigers cornerback Ashton Stamps (1) during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Rico Flores Jr.'s return from injury was one of the most anticipated on UCLA's roster.

Saturday against Northwestern, the redshirt sophomore finally returned to the field. He finished as one of UCLA's leading receivers, catching four passes for 43 yards, and made impactful snags throughout various drives.

Flores played the first four games last season before an ACL injury kept him out the rest of the year. He was on track to have a great year before the setback. But Flores looks back fondly at the time he had off, detailing a touching discovery he had about himself while on the road to recovery.

"That I'm more than a football player," Flores said during Tuesday's media availability, his first of the year. "Way more than a football player. And there's a lot of distractions out there that can deteriorate your route, but as long as your mental is strong, then you can go out there and go back to playing football like nothing happened."

Sep 27, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Fred Davis II (2) tackles UCLA Bruins wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. (1) during the first half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

An ACL injury is one of the hardest injuries to come back from. Not just because of the time it takes to recover physically, but because of the mental obstacles an athlete has to overcome before coming back as if nothing happened.

Flores' final obstacle before returning to play against the Wildcats specifically was regaining his change of direction. After that, he was able to play and not think at all about his injury.

"Yeah, I don't think about nothing at all," Flores said. "I just go out and play."

An infectious smile came to the wideout's face while being asked about the feeling he had when he heard the news that he was cleared to return. Of course, the question took him back to a fond memory.

"Happy. Excitement," he said. "A lot of things built up going through the recovery process, so seeing everybody get to play and just watching everybody's mistakes or what they're doing good, taking that in, taking a lot of mental notes so that when I go out there I'm ready to go."

Aug 31, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. (1) reacts with defensive back Clint Stephens (14) after Flores Jr. made a touchdown against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game against the UCLA Bruins at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images | Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

Flores' production will be needed moving forward. Following a 0-4 start to the season absent of impactful offensive production, offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri mutually agreed to part ways with the program.

Up ahead, Penn State, the No. 7 team in the nation, with one of the best defenses interim head coach Tim Skipper says the Bruins will play this season.

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