LadyBruin24@ucla.edu
6”5, 350 lbs, UCLA former Defensive Tackle, #99 Vache Sevajian is making his mark in the sports industry with a heavy hand. Although he plays football as if he’s been playing his whole life, this young and talented player discovered his passion for football only a mere few years ago, after he came to UCLA.
Being a part of the Track & Field team and the Football team at Maranatha High School, Sevajian focused on Shot Put (SP) more than any other sport. During his senior year in high school, Sevajian was ranked No.11 in the state in SP (59-4.75). He won the CIF Southern Section Division IV Shot Put title with a throw of 57-5, which gained him much fame in the San Gabriel Valley region and nearby communities. He placed seventh at the State Meet with a mark of 59-4.25 He also finished fifth at the Master Meet with a throw of 58-2. He was then recruited on a Varsity scholarship to be a part of the UCLA team. However, Sevajian’s true talent was yet to be discovered…
As a first year at UCLA, Sevajian started off strong as a young Armenian athlete. By his second year, he had already advanced to compete in Pac-10 Tournaments. While his success on the field was steadily growing, football coaches would constantly attend Sevajian’s practices and meets and urge him to join the football team.
Time passed on and after much consideration, Sevajian went to Coach Car Dowell and asked if there was a spot on the team; obviously, no coach could turn down a 350 lb guy ready to crush anything standing in his way. Once that decision was made, Sevajian left Track & Field. His entire life changed and his passion for football soon developed. Sevajian’s love for football began to unravel, as he went on to play as the Defensive Tackle for the UCLA football team for the next two years.
Sevajian underwent many battles and struggles a collegiate athlete must undergo in order to be successful. During his fourth year, Sevajian suffered from a peck injury and had to sit out the entire season. In the end, this only made him hungrier for his dreams and mentally better equipped to deal with the high demands of being a professional football player.
Football soon took over Sevajian’s life, not only affecting him greatly, but his family and friends as well. “Football becomes your life, causing you to never see your family or friends anymore,” he stated. Sevajian soon understood what type of future and career this would lead to and his determination prepared him for the real world.
Not only does Sevajian excel on the field, but in the classroom as well. In 2009, Sevajian successfully received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science at UCLA. “I worked hard in all of my classes and I tried to break the stereotype of football players achieving below the standard,” remarked Sevajian. Being an athlete at UCLA comes with great responsibilities, such as attending mandatory study hours every single week and maintaining a certain grade point average.
With great success comes great pride, and Sevajian is proud to be a Christian Armenian. This football star values Armenian History and has taken many classes pertaining to the Armenian language and history at UCLA. “We’re a culture of warriors of over 5000 years old and I do everything in my power to preserve it,” he claims.
Besides hitting the books and the football field, many of Sevajian’s hobbies include hunting, racing, lifting, and being one of the top 50 grippers in the world. Off the field, Sevajian is a funny and charismatic guy with a big heart. Making headlines in papers and on web browsers, many say, “He has more horsepower in his hands than most people can even imagine.” In 2007, Sevajian was certified as the No. 3 Gripper at the Captain of Crush event. Sevajian was the “first man in 2008 to achieve this universal benchmark of world-class grip strength,”- stated by Randall J. Strossen, of Ironmind.
From the moment Sevajian came to UCLA, he was known as the big man on campus. Some of his teammates call him the “Crazy Armenian,” his friends refer to him as “The Bench Press King,” and others simply call him “Big Vach.” Walking through the UCLA campus was no easy task for Sevajian, since everyone could spot him from far away and approach him. Before a game at the Rose Bowl, in the locker room, at the gym, or even on the metro, Armenians are always yelling out his name and introducing themselves to him. Sevajian uses this fame as a means to expose and introduce to people the Armenian people and community.
Much training and preparation is necessary in order to become a successful football player and Sevajian definitely has the tools to make it in the real world. Taking into consideration all of the personal struggles Sevajian has undergone while being a full-time college student, football player, son, and friend to many, Sevajian has come a long way from where he started off. His triumphs as a young 23-year-old Armenian athlete do not go unnoticed, and to many in the Armenian community Vache Sevajian is a hero.
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