UCLA coach and former Tustin star DeShaun Foster going into school’s football hall of fame

DeShaun Foster talks to his UCLA players during spring practice. (Photo courtesy UCLA Athletics).

A ceremony inducting former Tustin High School football star DeShaun Foster, new head coach at UCLA, into Tustin’s football hall of fame will be held at halftime of the Tillers’ season opener on Friday, Aug. 23, vs. El Toro at Northrup Field, according to Athletic Director Ringo Bossenmeyer.

Foster will become the second member inducted into the Tustin Football Hall of Fame. Former legendary coach Myron Miller was inducted last year.

Foster will attend the ceremony and Miller, who was Foster’s coach, is also expected to be there, Bossenmeyer said Thursday.

“DeShaun’s tremendous success both on and off the field has helped put Tustin on the map,” said Tustin Coach Anthony Lopez. “We were tremendously proud of him when he was named the head coach at UCLA. We have had many great players come through our program, but DeShaun is without a doubt the face of Tustin Football.”

Foster was asked at his press conference Wednesday about the honor.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of great players come from Tustin. To be in that hall of fame with the rest of the greats, I’m pretty excited.”

Foster capped his remarkable Tustin career as a running back and linebacker in 1997 and is fondly remembered by fans, teachers and players.

“DeShaun Foster’s on the field accomplishments while at Tustin High School are absolutely mind-boggling,” Bossenmeyer said. “He holds not only the single season Orange County rushing record of 3,398 yards, but also is in the Top Ten all-time in the history of the CIF Southern Section in scoring for a season and a career and rushing touchdowns for a season and a career.

“In addition, DeShaun was the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 1997 as well. I believe his legendary head coach while at Tustin Myron Miller, summed up his prep career best when he stated to me this afternoon that DeShaun was the best two-way player he had ever seen in his 54 years as a high school coach.

“Again, not the best player Coach Miller had ever coached, but the best two-way player he had ever seen. We are beyond proud to honor Deshaun for his incredible contributions to Tustin High School and the manner in which he has always represented Tustin High School on and off the field.”

Foster spent 11 seasons, including 10 at UCLA, coaching in college before being named head coach. He was named the Bruins’ associate head coach in 2023.

In college, Foster had an outstanding playing career with the UCLA Bruins, wrapping up his career second on the all-time touchdowns scored list (44), third on the school’s all-time rushing list (3,194 yards) and fifth on the all-time Bruin scoring list (266 points), according to UCLA athletic officials.

He earned first-team All-Pac-10 selections in 2000 and 2001.

Foster continued his career on the professional level with a seven-year NFL career with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers and played for Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

The induction at Tustin will be Foster’s second. In the fall of 2022, Foster was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

The El Toro vs. Tustin game will begin at 7 p.m.

Foster is preparing his UCLA team for the season opener on Saturday, Aug. 31 in Honolulu.

(Information from the press conference and Foster background provided by UCLA Athletics).

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—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com