BY DOUG DULL

Jim Sochor never expected a Mel Gibson film to be such an important factor in his trip to Scotland. Sochor was much more concerned with X's and O's and playbooks than movies.

But the former UC Davis football coach credits Braveheart, Gibson's Academy Award-winning movie, with helping prepare the Scottish Claymores for their run to the World League of American Football championship.

Sochor, currently the head coach of the men's golf team at UC Davis, spent last spring as the offensive coordinator for the Claymores, one of six teams in the NFL-sponsored WLAF. The Claymores started as underdogs, but won the World Bowl championship game over the Frankfurt Galaxy at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.

After drafting, teaching and practicing with the team for a few weeks, Sochor and the Claymores went to see Braveheart on the eve of their season-opening game in London. Inspired by the story line of the movie, which depicts Scotland's struggle for independence from England, the Claymores upset the Monarchs the next day, setting the tone for the rest of their championship season.

"Several members of our team dressed in kilts that night," recalls Sochor. "England is still an old enemy, and the team felt the competitive spirit. I think they'd rather beat London than win the World Bowl."

Though the Claymores, like the other WLAF teams, consist chiefly of NFL and American college players, the team immersed itself in the Scottish culture and played to win for that country.

"They play for themselves and for Scotland," said Sochor. "The [Scots] have great pride in their country. When they played the national anthem before a game, you really felt the emotion and their love of country."

Sochor, who came to be a member of the Claymore coaching staff at the invitation of longtime friend and Claymore Head Coach Jim Criner, said he was pleasantly surprised with the reception the team and the sport received in Scotland.

"We were 6-0 at Murrayfield," Sochor said of the team's strong showing at home. "The year before, they were drawing between 8,000 and 9,000 [spectators]. This year, we were close to 14,000 per game. They get around 10,000 for soccer matches, and we drew almost 40,000 for the World Bowl.

This was Sochor's first experience with professional football; as head football coach at UC Davis from 1970 through 1988, Sochor had never coached players who were getting paid to play.

"It doesn't matter if you're coaching Little League, high school or the pros, you're doing the same thing," Sochor said. "You're coaching players; you're teaching techniques. The players have a different skill level, but there's not that much difference between college and the pros."

The Claymores, named after a large two-edged sword formerly used by Scottish Highlanders, had the league's Most Valuable Offensive Player--Shawn LaChapelle from UCLA. He was one of the many bright spots in a league made up of players who are trying to catch the eye of an NFL team.

"This is a chance in their careers to take the next step and gain or maintain a foothold in the NFL," said Sochor. "That's why they were all business. They were very coachable and very likable."

Two former Aggies, Aaron Bennetts and Khari Jones, also played for the Claymores this season. Another former Aggie player, Lance Casazza, served in the front office for the Claymores.

One unique aspect to the WLAF was the use of "national" or non-American players on each roster. Sochor said the Claymores included players from Scotland, Ireland, Finland and New Zealand, among other countries. One of the Scottish players, Gavin Hastings, was the leading career scorer in Scottish rugby. A man Sochor described as the "Michael Jordan of Scotland," Hastings was one of two place kickers on the Claymore squads.

Every other series of possessions was designated as a "national" series, with some of the national players required to be on the field. Other innovations for the WLAF included a 35- second play clock (which started immediately when the whistle blew following each play) rather than the 40-second clock used in the NFL. Sochor also liked the use of a speaker in the quarterback's helmet, allowing the coaches to communicate with the player while he's on the field.

Although Sochor had initially planned to combine some golf and a little sight-seeing with his football coaching, he said football took over the better part of his trip. His wife, Donna, and two daughters, Terri and Holly, were able to do some touring, but Sochor's days and nights were filled with practices and film sessions. Sochor did get to visit other European cities, however, for road games.

"We got to play in two Olympic stadiums," he said. "Barcelona was by far the best stadium in the league. Amsterdam had hosted the 1928 Olympics, and it was kind of like old Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, except worse."

During the season, Sochor kept tabs on the UC Davis golf team, which enjoyed its best season in some time. With Assistant Coach Cy Williams assuming the head coach's role, the Aggies reached the NCAA Division II nationals for the first time since 1991, finishing 15th.

"We knew we had a good team going into the season," said Sochor, who had received regular faxes on the Aggies' progress. "Cy did a wonderful job with them. I was always wondering how the [Aggies] did. We'd put in a hard day's work, and when we got back to the hotel, those faxes were waiting; it was uplifting to see how the team was doing."

The World Bowl victory occurred on a Sunday, and Sochor and his family left for home the next Thursday. That allowed some time for him to see some of the sights he'd missed.

"It was a magical experience being at St. Andrews, even more than I thought it would be," Sochor said of golf's birthplace. "There were a lot of things to see and do. I'd love to spend more time there."

And, according to Sochor, he'll get that chance. He's been asked to rejoin the Claymores' coaching staff again next spring.

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Doug Dull is assistant athletic director at UC Davis.