Four Good Men

August 22, 2017 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features

By: Jordan Moore

The Trojans were given the same task as they are every year when Fall Camp breaks. Vote for two offensive captains and two defensive captains.

But as the coaches went to tally the votes, four men stood head and shoulders above the rest in the minds and hearts of their teammates. Three of them play defense.

And so, head coach Clay Helton went with his four strongest leaders, regardless of position, announcing that QB Sam Darnold, LB Cameron Smith, OLB Uchenna Nwosu and DB Chris Hawkins will serve as the 2017 team captains.

"I am very proud of each man and the way they have led our football team on and off the field," Helton praised. "I could not think of four better men to take us into the 2017 season."

As the program transitions every offseason, new voices emerge, especially during summer workouts. During that time, Nwosu and Hawkins took control of the room.

Hawkins earned the team's respect thanks to his "unselfish" play, Helton explained. Last year, he never made waves despite splitting time in a safety rotation. Plus, he has a wise head on his shoulders, having already graduated from USC.

Nwosu has come a long way during his college career. He is now "the rock of our defensive front," said his head coach.

Smith prefers to lead by example, which he has done brilliantly on the field. Helton gushed about "the way he's played and conducted himself" as a starter since the moment he stepped foot on campus.

Darnold's "poise" and "consistency" are not only winning attributes on the field, but traits admired by his teammates. The quarterback is always the focus during tight games and Darnold has proven that he can handle the pressure.

"It's another dream come true," Darnold said about being named captain. "I was just talking to Cam, Uchenna and C-Hawk about it. It's kind of special when the players vote you as the captain because that means you have the trust of the whole team and you can talk to them about anything, no matter what."

While all four men will have the honor of wearing the captain's 'C' and walking arm-in-arm to midfield before every game, they will continue fulfilling the roles that got them to this point.

"I'm not going to change," said Darnold. "I'm just going to continue to do what I do."