El Paso's Ed Stansbury excited to see alma mater UCLA in Sun Bowl
When it was announced on Dec. 4 that UCLA would be coming to the 89th Annual Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl to play Pittsburgh, perhaps nobody in El Paso was more excited than Ed Stansbury and his family.
The 1997 graduate of Irvin High School is a former two-year starting fullback for the Bruins and has been a longtime follower of the program.
"My son West had a feeling it would happen and we're really excited for this game," said Stansbury, who wrapped up his eligibility in 2001 with UCLA. "We love UCLA, we love the football program and for them to come here means a great deal to our family, to myself."
Stansbury was a standout passer and rusher for the Rockets before going to UCLA, where he was a solid contributor for the Bruins.
He played in a Rose Bowl and also played in a Sun Bowl for the Bruins. In 2000, Stansbury played in the Bruins' 21-20 loss to Wisconsin in the Sun Bowl, a game that will forever be one of his greatest memories as a player.
"Being able to walk onto the field in my hometown with my family there, my former teammates in the stadium, coach Tony Shaw there ... that was a really special experience," Stansbury said. "It was a tough loss that day. I wish we had been able to win, but it was a great experience that day being back home and sharing my hometown experiences with my UCLA teammates, coaches and people I knew."
Stansbury was the primary blocker for running back DeShaun Foster, who went on to play in the NFL and who is now a running backs coach at UCLA. The two have remained close through the years and plan on spending time together for this year's Sun Bowl.
"DeShaun is a great friend and he's done great with his career. I'm happy for him and proud of him," Stansbury said. "We plan to have him and some of the players over to the house here in El Paso leading up to the game. We developed a great friendship at UCLA and continued that friendship since then. He was a great player and I'm glad to see he's helping others with his knowledge."
The Dec. 30 Sun Bowl will be the second UCLA game this season that Stansbury will witness live. Stansbury and his family attended UCLA's home game against Utah on Oct. 8, a 42-32 win for the Bruins.
"That was a special moment too for our family. We go visit California often but hadn't been there for a home game, but this year it was great and we were able to get a tour of the facilities," Stansbury said. "Once UCLA was announced for the Sun Bowl, we got our tickets right away and Dec. 30 can't get here soon enough. As a family, we'll really enjoy the leadup to the game, spending time with old friends and being able to see the team live again is a blessing."
Stansbury has been a major contributor to the El Paso community since his return to El Paso in 2015. He is a past president of the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame and plays a major role in the El Paso high school football All-Star game, which takes place every December and will take place Dec. 17 at the SISD Student Activities Complex.
At Irvin, he passed for 5,595 yards and threw 49 touchdowns for the Rockets. He was a state champion in the discus as a sophomore and a runner-up as a junior, and played on the basketball team for three years. He also was a USA TODAY honorable mention All-American as a football player.
"To this day, Ed is one my best friends," said Ruben Torres, who was Stansbury's backup at quarterback at Irvin and now is a high school football coach in Texas. "Our relationship is more like brothers. He's a mentor to me and at Irvin, I had the best seat in the house. He was a great player and we relied on each other, we had a strong bond. He handled things so well with all the attention he received and having to deal with the recruiting aspect of it. He went on to a great career at UCLA and for him to be able to see his alma mater come back to his hometown is special for him. I know when he played in the game in 2000, it was special for me and so many. To see an Irvin Rocket out there on the Sun Bowl field in the postseason on TV was a big deal for me and for so many."
More: What to know about Pitt, UCLA What to know about 2022 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl teams Pittsburgh and UCLA
Felix F. Chavez may be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com and @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso's Ed Stansbury excited to see alma mater UCLA in Sun Bowl
