WATCH: Azizi Hearn on UCLA's Secondary, Playing at 'Transfer U'

The Wyoming transfer cornerback has three tackles through his first two games with the Bruins.

UCLA football cornerback Azizi Hearn spoke with the media following Tuesday morning's practice session. Hearn talked about how he's fitting in with the rest of the Bruins' defensive backs, his relationship with the returning veterans, the transfer process that ended in him coming to Westwood, the transfer culture in the locker room and Bill McGovern's coaching at practice.

How does it feel to be a Bruin, play at the Rose Bowl a few weeks in?

I love it, man, it's a blessing. Just growing and getting better every week with my teammates.

Experience what you thought it would be as far as what you've been able to show on the field?

Definitely, you know what I mean? I didn't really come into it with any, too much expectations, I just knew it's football. So just enjoying every day and getting better every day.

Assessment of the way you and the secondary have played?

I feel like I've had good games. I'll get better every week, you know what I mean? That's my mindset. And then the secondary, we've gotten better from the first week, so that's all we gotta do is continue to stay on that trajectory, just you know.

Blaylock as a leader? Bounce any ideas or tips off of him?

Definitely. Me and Blay, me and Blay go back and forth every day, you know what I mean? Just pointing different things out and talking techniques and talking scheme and things of that sort. And of course he's very experienced, he has a lot of reps under his belt, so I listen with open ears to what he says. It's the same when I speak to him, you know what I mean? Just we're back and forth with each other, so definitely. I love having a guy like that around me.

Started out as a walk-on at Arizona, long transition all the way to where you are now?

Yes, sir. Yeah, it's definitely been a long journey. Along the way, I just learned to view every obstacle as an advantage, you know what I mean? Just figured out a way to use it to my advantage, so I just grew each year, you know what I mean? And the point I'm at now, it's been a long road and I'm far from my final destination, I know that. So I'm just continuing to work with where my mindset is at.

Why'd you pick UCLA?

I love the culture here, the coaches, coach Kelly and coach Norwood, the secondary coach, you know what I mean? So it just felt like home when I took my visit, you know what I mean? And I knew this was the place I could come to and grow as a man and as a player, and those were the two most important things to me when I was making the decision, so.

Primary contact in recruiting you?

Uh, all the guys was really reaching out to me. They were showing a lot of love, so I heard from really everybody on the staff. The head coach to, you know, the assistant coaches and the recruiting people. I can't really, like, pinpoint one person, everybody was reaching out to me.

UCLA calling itself 'Transfer U' – is there a culture among the transfers here?

Uh, everybody here is UCLA Bruins. That's how I view it, you know what I mean? Regardless of where they were at before here, whether it was a different university or a high school, you know what I mean? Once we're here, we're all brothers, we're all Bruins, nobody is really labeled as, like, 'Oh, he's the guy from here, he's the guy from here.' That's your teammate, your brother, he's a Bruin as well.

Stay in touch with the guys from Wyoming?

Definitely, most definitely. All those guys, those are some of my brothers for life too. I got guys from Arizona I still speak with, so I keep a lot of the guys close to me. You know, you just build relationships with them over the years, it doesn't go away overnight.

Running back at Arizona State?

Yes, sir. Xazavien Valladay.

Friends with him?

Yeah, that's one of my close friends.

Really?

Yes, sir. Him and CJ Coldon, he's at Oklahoma now. Those were two of my closest friends over there, so I keep in contact with both of them.

Bill McGovern coaching you guys up in the tackling drills?

Oh, we were doing the tackling drill? Oh, we were just working our technique, you know, just fundamentals of the football game, so just running through the bag and things of that sort.

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