Blond, buff UCLA running back Carson Steele misses his pet alligator, Crocky-J

Carson Steele’s smile radiates California sunshine. His blond locks symbolize California cool.

His pet alligator back home in Greenwood, Ind., signifies something entirely different. Something more authentic, perhaps?

Certainly, the alligator he named Crocky-J at age 9 even though it’s not a crocodile provides insights into Steele’s upbringing and ties to his family.

First, football. Steele rushed for 1,556 yards last season at Ball State, a member of the midmajor Mid-American Conference. Only one other Football Bowl Subdivision back returning in 2023 rushed for more yards.

He was hugely disappointed that no Power 5 conference team recruited him out of Center Grove High. Most of his junior year was spent sidelined with a foot injury and his senior year was abbreviated because of the pandemic.

So he attended nearby Ball State and rushed for 891 yards in 2021 before breaking out as a sophomore.

“I was upset at first, but then I was, ‘Hey, I get to play college football,’ ” he said. “It was a blessed opportunity. I took it and ran with it.

“If I had been a freshman trying to jump to the Pac-12, it would have been a crazy jump. But this is my third year of college football. … It definitely helped me being in college already to be able to jump to this level.”

Did owning an alligator help Steele’s development? His father, Joseph, had his son lifting weights before Steele started kindergarten. By age 8, he had him pushing parked cars until the wheels rolled.

So why not an alligator as a Christmas present a year later?

“I was asking my dad about a turtle or a lizard,” Steele said. “We were at my grandma’s house and I opened the box and it was in a burlap sack. It started wiggling around.

“I opened it up and boom, a half-a-foot alligator shot down the hallway. Grandma about fell over.”

Joseph Steele about fell over laughing. What began as a prank is now a lifelong companion for Steele — alligators live up to 50 years — and a guaranteed conversation starter.

“We’ve grown up together,” Steele said. “He’s all heated up in a big tank in the room next to mine [in Indiana].”

The hospitality Steele showed a potentially dangerous reptile is similar to the warm welcome this ball carrier, who Kelly has called “a beast,” received from fellow Bruins running backs.

“When you’ve got a new guy coming in, a lot of people are like, ‘Man, you really don’t want this kid coming in and taking reps,’ but all the running backs have been so nice, helping me, and they’ve all pushed me as well,” Steele said. “Even guys who haven’t seen the field before but know the playbook. … I’m very thankful for those guys.”

Premier running back Zach Charbonnet has departed for the NFL, but Steele has competition. TJ Harden (325 rushing yards, 7.4 yards per carry in 2022) and Keegan Jones (320 rushing yards, 4.4 yards per carry, 21 receptions) are the most experienced returners.

Would his current teammates want to meet Crocky-J? Maybe when the Bruins join the Big Ten in 2024 they’ll travel close enough to Indiana for a visit.

“Everybody hypes about wanting to meet him,” Steele said with a mischievous laugh, “but when I ask, they say no.”