LOS ANGELES — Garrett DiGiorgio ditched the scooter two years ago. Almost every student athlete has one, trips back and forth from the Westwood Village to campus, made simpler with the zip of an electric scooter.
But as the hefty 6-foot-7 offensive lineman’s career at UCLA began to wind down, he didn’t want the expediency of effortless transportation. Relishing Westwood was top of mind for the redshirt senior, the longest-tenured starter on the Bruins, as he gazed up at the brickwork of Royce Hall or Kaplan Hall, meticulously crafted buildings at the heart of UCLA’s North campus that he called his “favorite thing on campus.”
Suddenly, the moments when DiGiorgio spent extra time in the center of Bunche Hall – which houses the Oak Hills native’s geology and geography courses – became his study time cove. Trees sprawl from the interior of the “Waffle,” which students called the building with an abundance of exterior square windows, before being named after Ralph Bunche, the UCLA alumnus and Nobel laureate.
And what about the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden – curated and created by the Hammer Museum – in front of the UCLA film and theater departments, where DiGiorgio would relax with yoga? Each piece of the university is giving DiGiorgio special vibes as the clock on his collegiate eligibility winds to zero when the Bruins (3-8, 3-5 Big Ten) head to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to play the No. 19 Trojans (8-3, 6-2) on Saturday.
“I’m looking to go out on top,” said DiGiorgio, a part of UCLA’s last two victories away at USC. “3-2 against these guys.”
DiGiorgio’s final year in Westwood unexpectedly tested the limits of his renewed captaincy. A 0-4 start led to UCLA firing head coach DeShaun Foster and players’ meetings with athletic director Martin Jarmond. And when Tim Skipper became interim coach, DiGiorgio vocalized a need for voting on team captains.
Yes, the Bruins elected the same four players that Foster had hand-selected during the preseason, but the idea of putting the power of leadership back in the players’ hands appealed to the cheerful giant
“I just wanted the voice to be more into the team,” he said.
Skipper identified DiGiorgio, who came to him with the idea, as a leader, even with the captain’s vote still to come. The Bruins’ coach called the 320-pound DiGiorgio “a warrior,” a teammate whom players turn to for advice while also holding his peers accountable. During the coaching switch, DiGiorgio helped clean the locker room – now a point of pride for the program in 2025, despite the eight-loss campaign that’s hardly gone to plan.
Skipper said he sees DiGiorgio as a tough guy – a phrase underscored by the wraps on his hands, a firm handshake that’s strengthened by a tight cloth grip over his palms, and arm and leg sleeves – who is willing to play through any ailment, including back spasms in recent weeks.
“He does a lot of things that are not seen by everybody,” Skipper said of DiGiorgio. “He’s always working, even when people aren’t watching him. So just a joy to have here. He gives me the ideas too – things that he has on his mind and things he thinks we can do differently.”
Senior center Sam Yoon is at the heart of the Bruins’ offensive line. He’s watched as DiGiorgio has played at tackle, moved into the interior at guard and back again – a bird’s-eye view of his teammate’s willingness to shift positions to help the team win.
“Garrett has been a pillar of this program for the five years that he’s been here,” Yoon said. “But he’s really stepped it up vocally this year. He’s always been a phenomenal player, a phenomenal person. First-in, last-out kind of guy, always doing extra work. But vocally, he’s been great this year for us.”
DiGiorgio said he’s internalized the need to be a “brother” over his five years at UCLA, being there for his teammates on and off the field. And while he doesn’t see himself as a “top dog,” he’s made it a point to push himself and his peers to be their best selves, something he said began to click following UCLA’s stunning victory against Penn State.
The players had heard from coaches all preseason that they could compete with any team in the nation. But the proof of ability against the Nittany Lions shined as the Bruins’ “want” became clearer on the field, victory by victory, he said.
Last week, following UCLA’s loss to Washington, DiGiorgio relished the time on the field. He posted on social media about his gratitude for the Rose Bowl grounds and his teammates as Senior Day festivities commenced.
As he walked toward the locker room, a UCLA football sports information staffer asked DiGiorgio if he would take part in the postgame press conference in place of quarterback Nico Iamaleava (who left the game with neck spasms). Always a captain, DiGiorgio eloquently spoke about his journey in Westwood – and Pasadena – wrapping up his collegiate career with a bow.
“I was scared I was gonna cry on the stage, almost, cause, like, I was just trying to soak in everything that was going on, from the night, from the senior night too – it’s just unreal,” he said.
If it’s up to DiGiorgio, maybe it’s time for his teammates to hop off the scooter and walk just a little bit more – take in the sights and sounds before a new chapter starts anew.
“I’ve grown to appreciate this campus so much more than the first couple of years when I came in,” DiGiorgio said. “And it just shows how much love a person can have for the campus and for the program and for the people that they brought in and made a part of my life as well.”