WATCH: Azizi Hearn Talks Transferring to UCLA Football, Connection With Young Corners

Several Bruin defensive backs have spoken highly of Hearn and their ability to connect with him early in spring camp.

UCLA football cornerback Azizi Hearn spoke to reporters after practice Wednesday. Hearn talked about his journey as a walk-on at Arizona to a transfer at Wyoming, his thoughts on returning to Southern California, the connections he had to UCLA in the past and how he’s gotten along with young defensive backs Jaylin Davies and Devin Kirkwood. 

AZIZI HEARN

How are you liking UCLA?

I love it, honestly. This is home for me. So I’m just enjoying every day, working as hard as I can.

Working with the 1s, expecting to get that kind of action early?

Yes sir. That was the standard I set for myself and I worked to put myself in that position and now I’m just trying to make sure that I can learn as much as I can every day and just grow to having a bigger role on this team and this defense.

Learning defensive terminology alongside your teammates?

I’m really enjoying and I’m learning something new every single day. All of the defensive coaches here are very detail specific so it really helps me. They take their time and pull me to the side or watch extra film and getting everything we need to do.

One teammate you work with the most?

I go – in the secondary, I talk to Blay and Church, those guys, you know, they’ve been here and are very familiar with this defense so they’ve helped me a lot since I’ve been here, little terminologies and things like that.

Objective in the transfer portal, why UCLA?

I was looking for somewhere that was home, somewhere I could go to grow as a man and as a player. Those were the two things that were key to me. So everybody that was recruiting me, and everybody I was talking to, all of my questions to them were surrounding those goals in mind. So I chose UCLA for those reasons. I felt like it would help me grow as a player and as a man and just in the two and a half, three weeks I’ve been here, I’ve always taken steps forward.

Jaylin Davies relationship, both transfers but with different experience levels?

I like him, I like him a lot, man. I got love for him already and I know I’m going to be able to teach him a lot and I learn from his as well. I don’t know everything, but he’s a young guy and he definitely listens. If I be like, you should do this like this or just check this out, he definitely has his ears open, his eyes open, and he pays attention. He’s going to be a great player for us in the future I think.

Going against offense with DTR and Charbonnet?

I’m enjoying it. they’re both competitive guys. They’ll sprint to the end of the drive, you know, just to get their steps in, you’ll see, so I like it. It’s constant competition and I love it. I can’t wait to see what they do in the fall.

Devin Kirkwood relationship?

Right, right. Again, I learn from him the same way he learns from me. I feel like I got a lot that I can teach him as well and I don’t try to force everything to the guys younger than me in one day. Like, I’m thankful I got some time here so I’ll just be able – I’ll give him as much as I can while I’m here. He’s a great player as well and he’s going to be a great player in the future and now for us.

UCLA on your recruiting radar coming out of high school?

Of course, I had dreams of playing here. It’s like a home school for me, so definitely I was interested in UCLA back then.

Finally getting here after long journey?

It’s actually – it’s crazy now because like you said, I’ve had a long journey. I’ve been reflecting recently, just learning everything I can from the past years and I’m just enjoying every day working as hard as I can now that I’m here.

Starting as a walk-on motivate you now?

That still fuels me to this day, honestly, because I’ve been through a lot since I’ve been in college. Everybody goes through things in their own ways, I’ve been through a lot personally and I still kind of have a chip on my shoulder you could say, just coming into the college game like that. So that still walks me to this day and it always will as long as I’m playing football.

Evaluation of team halfway through?

That is like, that’s a good question. The challenging thing, and this is a standard that I’ve set for myself and the team has set is that the next day has to be better than the past day, you know what I mean? So it’s all about having good days and stacking them and eventually, if you do that, you’ll get to where you want to be.

UCLA guys you knew from before?

A lot of the guys I knew left. Like Jordan, I knew Jordan. Kyle Philips, I played against him and with him in high school. Yeah, Mitchell. Me and Mitchell went to Santiago together our freshman and sophomore year of high school. So yeah, most of them are gone now, but I was familiar with some of the guys that were here.

They talk to you about UCLA during transfer process?

Definitely, definitely and they all spoke highly of this school so that helped me with my decision a lot, going back to your question, so those guys helped me a lot with my decision.

Seeing Kyle and Jordan chase the NFL dream?

I’m extremely happy for them. Like I said, I played with and against both of them, I think, we were all in the same graduating class coming out of high school if I’m not mistaken. So I’m just happy for them like it’s my success, you know what I mean. I just remember when we were in high school and we all took our steps over the years and to see them put themselves in that position, it’s just exciting and I can’t wait to meet them up there.

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