Danny Moloshok / AP

UCLA's Maurice Drew is congratulated by teammate Marcedes Lewis after Drew scored a touchdown on a 46-yard reception against Oregon State on Saturday. Maurice Jones, Drew's No. 1 fan and grandfather, had a heart attack in the stands during a game earlier this fall at the Rose Bowl and died shortly afterward. Drew now has Jones-Drew stitched on the back of his jersey.

Drew, amiable and polite, hasn’t let either his or his team’s success go to his head, even with his impressive numbers this fall.

He leads the nation in punt returns with an average of 30.85 that includes three long touchdowns. The Bruins’ junior is No. 2 in the country in scoring at 13.71 points a game, with four touchdown receptions and nine by rushing. He is averaging 185.57 all-purpose yards a game to lead UCLA to a 7-0 record.

Now Los Angeles has three Heisman Trophy contenders, with Drew joining USC’s Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush among the nation’s best players.

UCLA running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who recruited Drew, said the grandfather’s influence on Drew is evident.

“He’s very kind with his words, very humble, very well-spoken and doesn’t take anything for granted,” Bieniemy said. “Just like his grandfather.”

Maurice Jones’ background as a probation officer made him well-versed in the ways of the world, so he had a lot to pass along to his grandson.

“He always taught me that no matter how big you are, or what the sport is, it’s how big your heart is,” said Drew, who at 5-foot-8, 205 pounds was overlooked by many recruiters.

Among the other bits of wisdom, Drew recalled:

• “He always told me the truth would set you free. I tried lying some as a kid, but he always knew. As I got older, anything he wanted to know, he got out of me.”
• “He always said, ‘I’d rather be two hours early than a minute late.’ So for games at 8 in the morning, I used to be there at 5:30, waiting for the sun to come up.”
• On the ballet-gymnastics lessons to improve agility: “When I was 6 or so, my grandmother heard about some football player doing it, so she convinced him (grandfather) to take me. It ended up being fun. Balancing on those beams and swinging on those bars, I kind of learned how to keep my balance, shift my weight when I get hit.”
• “He whipped me a couple of times. He told me it hurt him more than it hurt me. I never believed it.”

Drew said his grandfather, who had had heart problems, seemed even to prepare him for his death.

“He had called me on Thursday before the game and was telling me how he wasn’t feeling too good,” Drew recalled. “I guess he was kind of getting me ready. When I heard what had happened, that passed through my mind. By the time I got to the hospital, he had passed.”

UCLA coach Karl Dorrell had sent Drew off the field immediately to join his family.

“I was the one who broke the news to him. I’ve never had to do anything like that,” Dorrell said. “It was hard.”

After an interview, Drew is off to hit the books, mentioning that he got an A on a recent essay and hopes to be an academic All-American.

“That’s for my grandmother. That’s her thing,” he said, smiling.

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