UCLA's Sam Handler on protest: 'I had to protect the Rose Bowl and the logo'

Injured sophomore UCLA receiver Sam Handler created a stir before kickoff of the Bruins' 38-20 win over USC. 

The walk-on player stood at midfield above the the team's logo, preventing the Trojans band's drum major from sticking a sword into the logo, a USC pre-game tradition.

"My intentions were to show USC that the Rose Bowl is our house and we were not going to back down. And maybe I wanted to get a rise out of the fans and get them ready for the battle of Los Angeles," Handler said in an email, according to Chris Foster of the LA Times.

Handler and the drum major had a verbal exchange but the Bruins receiver refused to move. He was finally escorted away by security and the drum major did not spike the sword into the field.

Handler explained his motivation to stick up for his team, even though he was not playing. 

"We were watching ESPN and we saw the preview commercial for our game, and then we were discussing how disrespectful it is how the USC mascot stabs our field with his sword," Handler said.

"I had to be a one-man wrecking machine and protect the Rose Bowl and the UCLA logo," he said.

Head coach Jim Mora Jr. was proud of his player's action for the team.

"I called him and asked what happened. He said the team was leaving the field and that guy looked like he was going stab it. He felt like he had to do something. From what I have heard, he is a UCLA football legend now."