University Southern California Trojans
2001 Draft Bios and Stats
February 02, 2001 | Football
Feb. 2, 2001
2001 USC SENIOR FOOTBALL PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES
SULTAN ABDUL-MALIK
SHAMSUD-DIN ABDUL-SHAHEED
DAVID BELL
MATT CHILDERS
ENNIS DAVIS
ERIC DENMON
STANLEY GUYNESS
ANTOINE HARRIS
BRENT McCAFFREY
ZEKE MORENO
JOHN MORGAN
MATT NICKELS
BRENNAN OCHS
IFEANYI OHALETE
PETROS PAPADAKIS
TREVOR ROBERTS
RYAN SHAPIRO
MARKUS STEELE
MIKE VAN RAAPHORST
(44) SULTAN ABDUL-MALIK-- Defensive End, 6-3, 240, Sr.*/Sr.
CAREER: In his career as a 3-year starter, Abdul-Malik had 22.5 sacks for minus 135 yards.
2000: The quick Abdul-Malik--known for his ability to make sacks--returned to his more natural defensive end position as a senior in 2000 (where he started in 1997 and 1998) after spending 1999 starting at linebacker. Overall in 2000 while appearing in all 12 games (he started all but the Oregon and Stanford contests), he had 27 tackles, including 11 for losses of 42 yards (with 3.5 sacks for minus 21 yards), plus 1 deflection, 1 forced fumble (at Arizona State, which USC recovered) and 1 blocked PAT (against Washington State). He had 7 tackles at Stanford (4 were for losses with 2 sacks, both game highs), 4 stops versus Arizona State (he also forced a fumble in the second overtime which USC recovered to seal the victory) and Washington State (2 for losses, he also blocked a PAT) and 3 tackles against Colorado (with a sack) and San Jose State (2 for losses).
1999: After starting the previous 2 years at defensive end, Abdul-Malik started at strongside linebacker as a junior in 1999. Overall in 1999 while starting all 12 games, he had 27 tackles, including 7 for losses of 23 yards (with 4 sacks for minus 20 yards), plus 2 deflections and 1 fumble recovery (at Notre Dame). He had 7 tackles (2 for losses, with a sack), recovered a fumble and broke up a pass at Notre Dame, and had 3 stops each against San Diego State, Oregon State and Stanford.
1998: Abdul-Malik started for his second season at defensive end as a sophomore in 1998. Overall in 1998 while starting all 13 games, he had 34 tackles, including 10 for losses of 55 yards (with a team-high 8 sacks for minus 52 yards), plus 2 deflections and a blocked field goal. He had 5 tackles against TCU in the Sun Bowl and 4 stops against Arizona State and UCLA. He blocked a field goal against Washington. He was named to the 1998 Football News All-American honorable mention and All-Pac-10 second team.
1997: Abdul-Malik started at defensive end in USC's last 9 games of 1997 as a redshirt freshman (he backed up Lawrence Larry there for the first 2 contests). He was named to the 1997 Sporting News Freshman All-American first team. Overall while appearing in all 11 games in 1997, he had 26 tackles, including 15 for losses of 64 yards (with a team-best 7 sacks for minus 42 yards), plus 3 deflections and 2 forced fumbles (against Washington State and UNLV). He had 5 tackles (2 were sacks) against Washington State, 4 stops versus California (3 were sacks) and UNLV (2 for losses), and 3 tackles (2 for losses, with a sack) at Notre Dame.
1996: Abdul-Malik redshirted as a freshman linebacker in 1996, his first year at USC.
HIGH SCHOOL: He was named a 1995 Super Prep All-American, Super Prep All-Far West, Blue Chip All-Western, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-CIF Division II, Los Angeles Times All-San Gabriel Valley first team, Pasadena Star News All-West Valley first team and All-Pacific League Defensive Co-MVP as a senior at Arcadia (Calif.) High. He made 127 tackles (88 solo), 4 sacks, 4 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles as a linebacker in 1995, and also rushed for 500-plus yards and 5 TDs as a fullback.
He added 90 tackles and 3 interceptions as a 1994 junior while being named to the Pasadena Star News All-West Valley second team. In his career, he posted 300-plus tackles, 31 tackles for losses, 15 sacks, and 7 interceptions.
PERSONAL: He's a public policy and management major at USC. His father, Ed Powell (now Wali Abdul-Malik), starred at linebacker for USC in 1972 through 1974, earning All-Pacific-8 in 1974 (Troy played in 3 Rose Bowls during his career and won the national championship in 1972 and 1974). His mother, Sheila, played in the Trojan Marching Band. His first name (Sultan) means "King" and his last name (Abdul-Malik) means "Server of God." His brother, Hassan, is a junior safety on Cal State Northridge's football team, while brother Saeed is a senior defensive end at UNLV. He enjoys listening to music. His sports hero is Muhammad Ali.
SULTAN ABDUL-MALIK ON: His emotional style of play: "That's how I've played since my freshman year in high school. That's my game. I never go out there with my head down. I go out there excited. I don't think I could go out there on a business-like level. This is a game, like checkers is a game. It's fun. If it wasn't fun, I wouldn't be out there playing. Football is a game of excitement. You just have to find the right way to let it go. I have to calm down a little so I don't get any celebration penalties."
His impressive performance in 1997: "It was a combination of things I did working hard in the off-season and also being given the chance to play the 'strike' position. That gave me a chance to do a lot of things, a lot of stunts, a lot of movement...Any playing time I got, I took advantage of. But I didn't expect it to be easy, because I had never played a down of college football."
His game-ending midfield 10-yard sack of Ron Powlus in USC's 20-17 win at Notre Dame in 1997: "It was the most exciting play I've ever made. I feel blessed to have had the chance to make that last sack. The coaches told me to just contain the quarterback on that play, but I was just so excited that I started to contain, then ran inside and sacked the quarterback...It was really exciting to finish a game like that. I saw Powlus just laying there kind of in disbelief. The next thing I saw were a bunch of people running onto the field and hugging each other...The last four plays of the game, I was really sucking air. But when the quarterback said 'Hike,' the whole thing just engulfed me and I didn't even think about being tired out there."
His spectacular sack of Washington State's Ryan Leaf in 1997, while he leaped over a Cougar defender: "The coaches rewound it 10 times when we were watching the video the next day. Everybody was laughing about it."
His USC background: "My whole life I grew up around USC football and my mom also played in the band here one year. So I've got USC blood in me. I always knew I'd come here. It was always in the back of my mind. It was home...You could say I was one of those cases of being 'born and raised a Trojan.' I guess I wasn't going to go anywhere else but here. I think some of the other college coaches were a little intimidated when they came around to try to recruit me...My parents never shoved USC down my throat. In fact, my father never forced football on me or my brothers...When I told my parents I was going to go to USC, I'm sure I saw a little gleam in my father's eyes...The first college football game I ever attended was the 1990 USC-Notre Dame game at the Coliseum. It was just an exciting feeling being there. I remember thinking to myself, 'This is the kind of environment I want to play in one day.'"
His father: "He was my first coach on my Pop Warner team. He taught me how to play. I've been learning from him ever since. He's a big reason why I came to USC...He's everything to me. He's my life mentor. He keeps me on the straight road and gives me advice whenever he can. He has helped me every day...We're real close. He advises me a lot. Instead of a kidding around type of thing, it's more like he wants to guide me. He wants me to do well in school and on the football field. We have a good relationship. I really appreciate what he has done for me to get me here. Without him, I wouldn't be here...He keeps me focused on the balance between football and school...I always think, wow, he played here and now he sees me starting to have success like he did. I know he's so happy seeing me here, continuing where he left off...It's a motivation, following in his footsteps. Sometimes I think about it, but I'm also trying to continue where my dad left off, keep going, moving forward and better the family name...I want to achieve what he did and more. I want to continue from where he was. I've just got to make him proud...He told me that when I went out the tunnel for my first game, I was going to get a big rush seeing all those people. He told me what I was about to see because he had already experienced it. I was looking forward to whatever he said was going to happen...Once, I was watching highlights of one of his games against Notre Dame. It was like I was watching myself play. He was doing the same things 20-something years ago that I do today, the same little moves and everything."
His Islamic faith: "Islam is a big influence. I really believe without God I wouldn't be where I am today. If I stay strong in my faith, that right there will help me keep doing what I'm doing. If I lose faith in God, everything will go downhill from there." Muhammad Ali, his sports hero: "He reminds me of my dad. Muhammad Ali was a non-Muslim athlete who changed. He went through all of the adversity and was still the best at what he did. If he could make it as a Muslim athlete, I know I could. He's a great example of what you can do."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Getting Sultan back on the line really adds another dimension to our defense. He's most comfortable there and is capable of making a big play on every snap. He's a dominant pass rusher."
Phil Collin, South Bay Daily Breeze: "Abdul-Malik is the hands-down winner as USC's most emotional presence on the field. Playing on emotion got him to USC, it got him onto the field for the Trojans, and pushing the limit on post-play antics is part of his game. He's the life of the party on the field."
His father, Wali Abdul-Mali: "It really sent chills down my spine as I sat in the stands for the (1997) Florida State opener and he ran out onto the field for his first varsity game. I was really so proud of him...I really respect him a lot. To see how he has blossomed into a young man. He's very responsible. I like his work ethic. I like the way he does things...My wife told me that when Sultan puts his hands on his hips on the field, he does kind of look like I did. It is eerie, especially now that he's playing on the same Coliseum field I did, against some of the same opponents, and dressing in the same locker room."
Former USC defensive line coach Jeff McInerney: "He plays fast and his practice habits are good. His feet never stop. Every good pass rusher you see does that. If he doesn't beat you with his first move, then he gets you with his second."
USC defensive line coach Ed Orgeron: "He's an old-fashioned, 'Yes sir, no sir' type of kid. There's no question that he's been raised well and that he has a great respect for the game."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 26 | 15/64 | 3 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.) | 34 | 10/55 | 3 * | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 27 | 7/23 | 2 | 1 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 27 | 11/42 | 2 ** | 0 |
| CAREER | 114 | 43/184 | 10 *** | 1 |
**? Includes 1 blocked PAT
*** Includes 1 blocked field goal and 1 blocked PAT
GAME-BY-GAME WITH SULTAN ABDUL-MALIK
2000
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Penn State* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado* | 3 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| San Jose St.* | 3 | 2/8 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 7 | 4/22 | 0 | 0 |
| California* | 1 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 4 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 4 | 2/6 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.). | 27 | 11/42 | 1 | 0 |
1999
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| San Diego St.* | 3 | 1/6 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona* | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 7 | 2/2 | 1 | 1 |
| Stanford* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| California* | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 1 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 1 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| La. Tech* | 2 | 2/13 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.). | 27 | 7/23 | 2 | 1 |
1998
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Purdue* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Diego St.* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 3 | 1/8 | 0 | 0 |
| Florida State* | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 4 | 2/11 | 0 | 0 |
| California* | 1 | 1/6 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 3 | 1/8 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington* | 3 | 1/6 | 2 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 2 | 1/13 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 4 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| TCU (Sun)* | 5 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.)... | 34 | 10/55 | 3 | 0 |
1997
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Florida State | 2 | 1/2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State | 5 | 2/14 | 1 | 0 |
| California* | 4 | 3/22 | 0 | 0 |
| UNLV* | 4 | 2/7 | 1 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 1 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 3 | 2/11 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 2 | 1/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington* | 1 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 1 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 1 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 2 | 1/2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 (Fr.)... | 26 | 15/64 | 3 | 0 |
(52) SHAMSUD-DIN ABDUL-SHAHEED--Defensive End-Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 250, Sr.*/Sr.
2000: As a senior in 2000, the experienced Abdul-Shaheed once again saw extensive time at defensive end, serving as the backup to Matt Childers for USC's first 10 games and then starting against UCLA and Notre Dame. Overall in 2000 while appearing in all 12 contests, he had 26 tackles, including 6 for losses of 20 yards (with a 3-yard sack). He had 6 tackles against Washington State, 4 versus Oregon State and UCLA, and 3 against Arizona State and Notre Dame. He missed part of 2000 spring practice after having surgery on a dislocating left shoulder.
1999: Abdul-Shaheed started USC's final 5 games of 1999 (California, Arizona State, Washington State, UCLA and Louisiana Tech) at defensive end as a junior. He was the often-used backup to Matt Childers in the other games. Overall, while appearing in 11 games in 1999, he had 22 tackles and 5 deflections. He had 5 tackles against both Oregon State (with a deflection) and Washington State, and 3 stops (with a deflection) against Stanford. He was suspended for the Hawaii opener for a team rules violation which occurred in the spring of 1999.
1998: Abdul-Shaheed started 7 games on the defensive line as a sophomore in 1998 and was an often-used backup the rest of the time. He started 5 games (San Diego State, Oregon State, Florida State, Arizona State and California) at end and twice (Washington and Stanford) at tackle for an injured Aaron Williams. Overall while appearing in all 13 games in 1998, he posted 25 tackles, including 6 for losses of 24 yards (with 5 sacks for minus 18 yards), and broke up a pass. He had 4 stops against Purdue and Florida State.
1997: Abdul-Shaheed, who was moved from linebacker to defensive end in 1997 spring practice, was a reserve at the position as a redshirt freshman in 1997. His only action in 1997 came late in the game at Oregon State, when he made a 7-yard sack and forced a Beaver fumble on the contest's final play.
1996: Abdul-Shaheed redshirted as a freshman linebacker in 1996, his first year at USC.
HIGH SCHOOL: His 1995 honors included Super Prep All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Bluechip All-Western, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-CIF Division IX, Los Angeles Times All-Central City first team and All-Camino Real League MVP as a senior at Verbum Dei High in Los Angeles (Calif.). He recorded 135 tackles (95 solo), 16 sacks, 6 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions on defense in 1995 and posted a 91% blocking grade as an offensive lineman.
As a 1994 junior, he earned Los Angeles Times All-Central City second team and All-Camino Real League first team honors as he had 120 tackles, 12 tackles for losses, 7 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions.
He added 79 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions (including a 70-yard TD return) as a 1993 sophomore while being named to the All-Camino Real League second team. Current Trojan Kenechi Udeze also prepped at Verbum Dei.
He also was on Verbum Dei's track team (shot put and discus, with a best of 49-7 in the shot and 162-0 in the discus).
PERSONAL: He's a political science major at USC. His nickname is "Havoc."
SHAMSUD-DIN ABDUL-SHAHEED ON: His role of occupying blockers instead of making tackles: "That's my job. If I can create a double team and make the linebackers free, then we win. It's not about who makes the tackle. If I do my job, that's good for the whole defense...It feels good to do what I'm doing. Of course, I want to sack quarterbacks, cause fumbles and take them back for a score. But a more realistic goal for me is to get better week after week. And make big plays."
Moving from linebacker to end in 1997: "It has worked out pretty well. I'm getting more chances to play and I can better use my assets--my quickness and my hands. I'm also seeing and learning the game on a different level...I'm able to succeed despite my size because it's mainly about leverage. I feel comfortable there. It's more physical than linebacker, but I've just got to get my hands on the lineman first and stop his charge at me...At defensive end, you're reading the offensive line, the blocking schemes. Your key is the tackle, since you're playing him straight up, and the tight end. At linebacker, your key is the guards."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Shamsud-Din is a poised veteran who gives us a solid performance game in and game out."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 1 | 1/7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.) | 25 | 6/24 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 22 | 0/0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 26 | 6/20 | 0 | 0 |
| CAREER | 74 | 13/51 | 6 | 0 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH SHAMSUD-DIN ABDUL-SHAHEED
2000
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Penn State | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Jose St. | 1 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State | 4 | 1/3 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon | 1 | 1/3 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| California | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State | 6 | 1/8 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 4 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 3 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 26 | 6/20 | 0 | 0 |
1999
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| San Diego St. | 0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oregon | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State | 5 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| Arizona | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 3 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| California* | 2 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 2 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 5 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| La. Tech* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 22 | 0/0 | 5 | 0 |
1998
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Purdue | 4 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| San Diego St.* | 3 | 1/5 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 1 | 1/3 | 0 | 0 |
| Florida State* | 4 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| California* | 3 | 1/4 | 1 | 0 |
| Wash. State | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 2 | 1/6 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA | 1 | 1/5 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| TCU (Sun) | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.) | 25 | 6/31 | 1 | 0 |
1997
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Oregon State 1 | 1/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 (Fr.)... | 1 | 1/7 | 0 | 0 |
(37) DAVID BELL--Placekicker-Punter, 6-0, 190, Sr.*/Sr.
CAREER: In his career, 113 of Bell's 243 kickoffs (46.5%) were not returned past the 20 (with 62 touchbacks).
2000: Bell, a strong-legged placekicker, handled USC's kickoffs for his fourth season as a senior in 2000. He had touchbacks on 27 of his 59 kickoffs (45.8%) in 2000 (8 others were not returned past the 20, another 16 didn't advance past the 30 and 3 were unsuccessful on-side kicks). He also took over the placekicking duties for USC's last 3 games (Washington State, UCLA and Notre Dame) and hit 11-of-12 PATs and 1-of-4 field goals. He etched his name into Trojan lore by nailing a 36-yard field goal with 9 seconds to play to beat UCLA (he had missed a 24-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter), it was only his second field goal in 6 career attempts (he had missed 3 previous tries in 2000). He also nailed all 5 PATs against the Bruins. For his performance against UCLA, he was named the Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week. Against Washington State, he hit 3-of-4 PATs (his 42-yard field goal try hit the upright) against Washington State and all 3 of his PATs versus Notre Dame. He had a 42-yard field goal attempt blocked versus California. He also was the backup punter behind Mike MacGillivray, but wasn't called upon in that capacity.
1999: Bell handled USC's kickoff duties for his third season as a junior in 1999. Some 38 of his 67 kickoffs weren't returned past the 20-yard line (including 15 touchbacks). He also was 1-of-2 on field goals (a 38-yarder against Louisiana Tech, he missed a 52-yarder versus Stanford) and hit both PATs he tried (both against Louisiana Tech). He made 6 tackles on kickoffs.
1998: Bell handled USC's kickoff duties as a sophomore in 1998. Some 21 of his 70 kickoffs were not returned past the 20-yard line (including 8 touchbacks). He also made 5 tackles on kickoffs. He tried a PAT kick against Washington, but it was blocked.
1997: Bell redshirted as a sophomore placekicker in 1997.
1996: Bell, the last signee in the 1996 recruiting class, handled USC's kickoff duty in the last 10 games of 1996 as a first-year freshman and proved effective. Some 15 of his 47 kickoffs were not returned past the 20-yard line (including 12 touchbacks). He also made 1 tackle (at Houston).
HIGH SCHOOL: He was a 2-time (1994 and 1995) All-CIF Division I placekicker at Western High in Anaheim (Calif.). As a 1995 senior, he also made Los Angeles Times All-Orange County first team, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Orange League while hitting 34-of-39 PATs, 8-of-15 field goals (including 5 of 40-plus yards, with bests of 53 and 51 yards), putting 78% (42-of-54) of his kickoffs into the end zone as touchbacks, averaging 40.0 on punts and also playing running back and linebacker.
In 1994 as a junior, he made Los Angeles Times All-Orange County second team, Orange County Register All-Orange County second team and All-Orange League.
PERSONAL: He's a public policy and management major at USC. His sports hero is Walter Payton.
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "David has a powerful leg, but has yet to be put under the pressure of kicking the ball through the uprights when the game is on the line. If he gets his chance, he needs to deliver."
GAME-BY-GAME WITH DAVID BELL
2000
| ? | PAT-PAT ATT | FG-FGA | MADE | MISS |
| California | 0-0 | 0-1 | -- | 42 BL |
| Wash. State | 3-4 | 0-1 | -- | 42 WL |
| Notre Dame | 3-3 | 0-0 | -- | -- |
| 2000 (Sr.). | 11-12 | 1-4 | -- | -- |
| ? | KICKOFFS | WITHIN 20 |
| Penn State | 6 | 5 (including 5 touchbacks) |
| Colorado | 4 | 4 (including 3 touchbacks) |
| San Jose State | 6 | 5 (including 3 touchbacks) |
| Oregon State | 4 | 2 (including 2 touchbacks) |
| Arizona | 4 | 2 (including 2 touchbacks) |
| Oregon | 4 | 3 (including 2 touchbacks) |
| Stanford | 6 | 5 (including 5 touchbacks) |
| California | 4 | 2 (including 1 touchback) |
| Arizona State | 6 | 3 (including 2 touchbacks) |
| Wash. State | 4 | 2 (including 1 touchback) |
| UCLA | 7 | 1 |
| Notre Dame | 4 | 1 (including 1 touchback) |
| TOTAL | 59 | 35 (including 26 touchbacks) |
1999
| ? | KICKOFFS | WITHIN 20 |
| Hawaii | 10 | 7 (including 1 touchback) |
| San Diego St. | 5 | 3 (including 2 touchbacks) |
| Oregon | 5 | 3 (including 1 touchback) |
| Oregon State | 7 | 4 (including 1 touchback) |
| Arizona | 5 | 1 (including 1 touchback) |
| Notre Dame | 5 | 2 (including 1 touchback) |
| Stanford | 6 | 4 (including 2 touchbacks) |
| California | 1 | 1 (including 1 touchback) |
| Arizona State | 4 | 1 (including 1 touchback) |
| Wash. State | 7 | 4 (including 2 touchbacks) |
| UCLA | 4 | 3 (including 2 touchbacks) |
| La. Tech | 8 | 5 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 67 | 38 (including 15 touchbacks) |
1998
? PAT-PAT
ATT Washington 0-1 (BL) 1998 (So.)... 0-1
?
KICKOFFS WITHIN
20 Purdue 6 3 (including 2
touchbacks) San Diego St. 6 2 Oregon State 9 3 (including 1
touchback) Florida State 3 2 (including 2
touchbacks) Arizona State 6 1 California 6 0 Wash. State 7 1 Oregon 4 1 (including 1
touchback) Washington 5 3 (including 2
touchbacks) Stanford 6 2 UCLA 4 0 Notre Dame 3 1 TCU (Sun) 5 2 1998 (So.)... 70 21 (including 8
touchbacks)
1996
? KICKOFFS WITHIN
20 Oregon State 5 3 (including 1
touchback) Houston 6 1 California 3 1 (including 1
touchback) Arizona 3 1 (including 1
touchback) Arizona State 5 4 (including 4
touchbacks) Wash. State 6 2 (including 2
touchbacks) Washington 3 0 Stanford 4 0 UCLA 7 3 (including 3
touchbacks) Notre Dame 5 0 1996 (Fr.). 47 15 (including 12
touchbacks)
(58) MATT CHILDERS--Defensive End, 6-4, 260, Sr.*/Sr.
2000: As a senior in 2000, Childers started for his second consecutive season at defensive end. He started USC's first 10 games of 2000 before breaking his right arm against Washington State and being sidelined for the rest of the season. Overall in 2000, he made 34 tackles, including 9 for losses of 35 yards (with 4 sacks for minus 25 yards), plus had a co-team-high 2 fumble recoveries (against Oregon and at Arizona State, in the second overtime to seal USC's win) and 1 forced fumble (against Colorado, which USC recovered to set up a TD). He had 8 tackles at Oregon State (2 were for losses), plus 6 stops at Arizona State, 5 at Stanford and 3 against Penn State and Colorado. He suffered a broken knuckle in 2000 fall drills.
1999: After sitting out the 1998 season, Childers started USC's first 7 games at defensive end as a junior in 1999. He sprained his left shoulder against Stanford and was slowed coming off the bench at California, then missed the next 2 contests (Arizona State and Washington State) while recuperating, before coming off the bench (playing behind Shamsud-Din Abdul-Shaheed) for the final 2 games. Overall while appearing in 10 games in 1999, he made 24 tackles, including 7 for losses of 37 yards (including a co-team-high 5 sacks for minus 33 yards), deflected 3 passes and forced 2 fumbles (against Oregon and Oregon State, which USC recovered and led to TDs). He had 6 tackles against San Diego State, 4 against UCLA (2 were sacks) and 3 each versus Oregon, Oregon State (2 for losses, plus 2 deflections) and Arizona.
1998: Childers sat out his 1998 junior year after transferring from Kansas State. He signed with the Wildcats in the spring of 1998 from Chabot College in Hayward (Calif.) and went through spring drills, but then left. After the 1998 season, he had arthroscopic surgery on a dislocating left shoulder.
JUNIOR COLLEGE: He starred at Chabot College in Hayward (Calif.), where he was coached by former USC assistant Tony Caviglia. As a 1997 sophomore at Chabot, he earned Super Prep JUCO 100, Prep Star Top 100, J.C. Grid-Wire All-American second team, J.C. Athletic Bureau All-State Region II first team and All-Golden Gate Conference first team honors while notching 17 sacks.
In 1996 as a freshman, he made All-Golden Gate Conference honorable mention while posting 12 tackles for losses and 8 sacks.
HIGH SCHOOL: He prepped at Castro Valley (Calif.) High, winning All-League Defensive MVP honors as a 1995 senior. He was All-League first team as a 1994 junior.
He also played soccer, baseball and volleyball at Castro Valley.
PERSONAL: He's a public policy and management major at USC.
MATT CHILDERS ON: Playing at this level: "When I was in junior college, I just played to play, stay in shape and have fun. I never thought I'd end up anywhere. Now, I figure, whatever happens, happens. I've done fine so far without planning things. Sometimes things don't work out like you plan them. I'm the first one in my family to go to college. I just do what I'm supposed to do and try to stay out of trouble."
Sitting out the 1998 season: "It was tough to sit out that year after transferring. I had to stay tough mentally. I knew that as I got more reps in practice, I'd get my chance to show what I could do. Also, I lost a bit of weight so I felt a lot quicker. It was easier for me to be a more effective pass rusher."
His brief stay at Kansas State: "I went there because they had a great defense and I thought they would contend for the national title. But they wanted me to gain a lot more weight. I did for a while, but I didn't think I carried the weight well. I lost a lot of the quickness that I used to have. And it was a lot different than it is in California. It was just so slow and there's nothing to do. I really missed California. It was great to be back here."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Matt is a poised veteran who gives us a solid performance game in and game out. He is maybe our most consistent linemen."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 24 | 7/37 | 3 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 34 | 9/35 | 0 | 2 |
| CAREER | 58 | 16/72 | 3 | 2 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH MATT CHILDERS
2000
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Penn State* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado* | 3 | 1/5 | 0 | 0 |
| San Jose St.* | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 8 | 2/8 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona* | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 |
| Stanford* | 5 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 |
| California* | 1 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 6 | 1/1 | 0 | 1 |
| Wash. State* | 2 | 2/15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.). | 34 | 9/35 | 0 | 2 |
1999
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Hawaii* | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Diego St.* | 6 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 3 | 1/9 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 3 | 2/8 | 2 | 0 |
| Arizona* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 1 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| California | 1 | 1/1 | 1 | 0 |
| UCLA | 4 | 2/18 | 0 | 0 |
| La. Tech | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.). | 24 | 7/37 | 3 | 0 |
(99) ENNIS DAVIS -- Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 300, Sr.*/Sr.
CAREER: In his career, Davis made 146 tackles (36 for losses of 115 yards, with 15 sacks), plus 12 deflections.
2000: The big, imposing Davis started for his third season at defensive tackle as a senior in 2000. Overall while starting all 12 games in 2000, he made 53 tackles, including 10 for losses of 53 yards (with a team-high 6 sacks for minus 44 yards), plus had 3 deflections and forced a fumble (at Oregon State, which USC recovered). He was a 2000 The Sporting News All-American third team, All-Pac-10 second team and The Sporting News All-Pac-10 second team pick, as well as USC's Defensive Lineman of the Year and a team captain. He also participated in the Senior Bowl. He had 7 tackles against Stanford and Notre Dame, 6 at Arizona State (with a sack), 5 versus Colorado (2 were sacks), Oregon State and Oregon, 4 against Penn State (2 for losses, with a 17-yard sack), Arizona (1 for a loss) and UCLA (with a sack) and 3 versus Washington State (with a deflection). He had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage in his left elbow and left knee after 2000 spring practice.
1999: Davis started for his second season at defensive tackle as a junior in 1999. Overall while starting all 12 games in 1999, he had 31 tackles, including 7 for losses of 22 yards (with a co-team high 5 sacks for minus 18 yards), 2 fumble recoveries (versus Oregon State that led to a USC TD and Notre Dame), 1 forced fumble (against Oregon State that led to a USC TD), 2 interceptions (against Stanford and a 30-yarder for a TD against Arizona State), 4 deflections and 1 blocked PAT (against Louisiana Tech). He did all this despite not being at full health all season after a 1998 knee injury. He had 6 tackles each at Oregon, Arizona and Arizona State (with the scoring interception), 5 (4 were losses, including 3 sacks) at Notre Dame (with a fumble recovery) and 3 versus California and Oregon State (he also recovered a fumble, forced another and broke up a pass). He earned 1999 All-Pac-10 second team honors in 1999. He was a 1999 pre-season All-American first teamer. He missed 1999 spring drills while recuperating from a knee injury.
1998: Davis started 11 games (all but Arizona State and Notre Dame) at defensive tackle as a much-improved sophomore in 1998. Overall while appearing in all 13 games in 1998, he made 47 tackles, including a team-best 13 for losses of 31 yards (with 3 sacks for minus 15 yards), and also deflected 4 passes, recovered a fumble and forced a fumble. He had a huge game against Arizona State (6 tackles, 1 blocked field goal, and a forced fumble which he recovered) and he added 6 stops at Washington State, 5 (with 2 for losses) at both Oregon and Stanford, and 4 versus Notre Dame. He added 5 stops against TCU in the Sun Bowl before tearing ligaments in his left knee and having post-season surgery. He made the 1998 All-Pac-10 first team and was USC's Defensive Player of the Year.
1997: As just a redshirt freshman, Davis saw lots of action as the backup to Cedric Jefferson at a defensive tackle spot in 1997. Overall while appearing in all 11 games in 1997, he made 15 tackles, including 6 for losses of 9 yards (with a 4-yard sack), plus 1 deflection. He had 4 tackles at Washington and 2 against California, Notre Dame, Stanford and Oregon State.
1996: Davis redshirted as a freshman defensive tackle in 1996, his first year at USC. He suffered a sprained right ankle in practice prior to the Houston game and was out for 3 contests (Houston, California and Arizona). After the 1996 season, he had surgery to remove bone chips in his right shoulder.
HIGH SCHOOL: He was a 1995 Super Prep All-American, Bluechip All-American, Schutt Sports All-American, USA Today All-USA second team, Student Sports Hot 100, Bluechip Best of the West, Super Prep All-Farwest, Bluechip All-Western, Student Sports All-West Coast, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State, All-L.A. City 3-A MVP, Los Angeles Times All-Valley, Los Angeles Daily News All-Valley first team and All-Pac-8 League Defensive MVP as a senior two-way lineman at Reseda (Calif.) High. He posted 115 tackles, 9 sacks, 4 deflections and 3 fumble recoveries in 1995 (he had 10 unassisted tackles in 5 different games). Reseda won the L.A. City 3-A title in 1995.
As a 1994 junior, he made All-L.A. City 3-A, Los Angeles Times All-Valley second team, Los Angeles Daily News All-Valley second team and All-Pac-8 League while getting 105 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception and 1 blocked punt.
He added 75 tackles, 4 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries as a 1993 sophomore while winning All-Pac-8 League honors.
He also played basketball and was on the track team (shot put) at Reseda.
PERSONAL: He's a public policy and management major at USC. His sports hero is Bruce Smith.
ENNIS DAVIS ON: Coming back in 1999 from his knee injury: "Yeah, it's frustrating. But I had another year so I wasn't worried. I didn't stress out as I might have. Things went cool for me in 1999, but I wasn't able to be me. I was close. Yeah, I thought about 'What if?' If I hadn't hurt my knee, I'd be through school. But it doesn't affect me much because I can still make it happen. Now I want to be the best defensive tackle in the nation in 2000. It definitely has made me hungrier. Now I have a chance to set the tone for the rest of my life. I was feeling good right before 1999 fall camp started, and I thought I'd be fine. I was extremely happy and running around and then after that first practice my knee swelled up huge. They had to drain it out and I missed two days. I was mad at the coaches because they were taking me out of practice. When I realized I wasn't 100 percent, that was really when I knew I had some healing to do."
The best part of his game: "My strong point is holding up well to double teams."
Being out of shape when he first came to USC: "I barely made it through the first practice. When I first came here, everyone knew I was out of shape. In high school, I never worked out. I was just bigger than everyone...My high school coach has a picture of me that USC sent them and he was surprised by how in-shape I looked."
His habit of always wearing a watch, even to high school practices: "I wore my watch to every practice at Reseda, and here at USC I wear it in the weight room. It wasn't like I was looking at it the whole time in practice. Growing up, I never had a watch. My friends had watches. I never had keys, I never had jewelry because I'd always lose things. I never took my watch off because I was scared I'd lose it."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Ennis has shown very positive signs of being completely back to his old, dominating self. It's almost unbelievable to see the difference in him from the past two years."
USC defensive line coach Ed Orgeron: "It's amazing for him to come back and do what he's did after his injury. He wasn't really at full strength in 1999. He had a good year, but not as good as he could have had. But he gave us everything he had. He's very similar to (ex-Miami All-American defensive lineman and NFL first rounder) Cortez Kennedy. He's lost a lot of weight, he's listened to his coaches and he's added a lot of quickness. He's coming around to play the way I thought he would."
USC strength coach Matt Schiotz: "Everyone told me he was 300-and-some pounds and a little soft. But if I had to name the top 10 workers in the weight room, Ennis would be up there. He's done everything we've asked. Ennis Davis is not lazy."
Reseda High coach Joel Schaeffer: "He is a gut-level, emotional-type football player. He has good lateral movement, good pursuit, and good speed for a big kid. He can chase down people and make a lot of tackles on the wide side of the field...Sometimes you see guys who develop too fast in high school and they don't have any room to grow. Ennis was really just starting to develop in his senior year."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 15 | 6/9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.) | 47 | 13/31 | 5* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 31 | 7/22 | 5** | 2 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 1 | 30 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 53 | 10/53 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAREER?? | 146 | 36/115 | 14# | 3 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 1 | 30 |
** Includes 1 blocked PAT
#? Includes 1 blocked field goal and PAT
GAME-BY-GAME WITH ENNIS DAVIS
2000
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Penn State* | 4 | 2/18 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado* | 5 | 2/9 | 0 | 0 |
| San Jose St.* | 2 | 1/1 | 1 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 5 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona* | 4 | 1/5 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 5 | 1/2 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 7 | 1/8 | 1 | 0 |
| California* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 6 | 1/7 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 3 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 4 | 1/3 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 7 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 53 | 10/53 | 3 | 0 |
1999
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Oregon* | 6 | 1/6 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 3 | 1/8 | 1 | 1 |
| Arizona* | 6 | 1/2 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 5 | 4/6 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 0 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 |
| California* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 6 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| La. Tech* | 1 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 31 | 7/22 | 5 | 2 |
1998
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Purdue* | 2 | 1/2 | 1 | 0 |
| San Diego St.* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 5 | 2/2 | 1 | 0 |
| Florida State* | 3 | 2/4 | 1 | 0 |
| Arizona State | 6 | 2/7 | 2 | 1 |
| California* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 6 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 5 | 2/3 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington* | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 5 | 1/7 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 1 | 1/3 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame | 4 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| TCU (Sun)* | 5 | 2/3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.) | 47 | 13/31 | 5 | 1 |
1997
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Florida State | 1 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| California | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| UNLV | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon | 1 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 4 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State | 2 | 2/2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 (Fr.)... | 15 | 6/9 | 1 | 0 |
(50) ERIC DENMON -- Center, 6-1, 280, Sr*./Sr.
2000: Denmon started for his second season at center as a senior in 2000, but after starting USC's first 5 games he sprained his right ankle against Arizona and was sidelined for the next 5 contests. He then appeared briefly as Lenny Vandermade's backup in USC's final 2 games (UCLA and Notre Dame). He was a USC team captain.
1999: Denmon started 9 games (all but the Oregon State, Arizona and Louisiana Tech contests) at center as a junior in 1999. He appeared in 10 games overall (he played as Matt McShane's backup at Arizona). He missed the Oregon State game with a sprained right knee which he suffered at Oregon and he missed the Louisiana Tech game with a sprained right ankle which occurred versus UCLA. He made 1 tackle (after a USC fumble at Notre Dame). He was a 1999 All-Pac-10 honorable mention pick. After the season, he had arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee.
1998: Denmon started 3 games (Purdue, Oregon and Washington) at center as a sophomore in 1998 and served as Matt McShane's backup the rest of the season. Overall, he appeared in 11 games (he missed the Oregon State and Florida State games because of a sprained left ankle suffered against San Diego State).
1997: Denmon began his 1997 sophomore season as a backup center behind Jonathan Himebauch, but he tore cartilage in his left knee prior to the Washington State game and had arthroscopic surgery. Because of the early-season injury, he was allowed to redshirt. He did not see any action in the Florida State opener. He missed 1997 spring practice while recuperating from 1996 post-season arthroscopic knee surgery.
1996: Denmon served as the backup center behind Himebauch as a first-year freshman in 1996. He played briefly in 4 games (Illinois, Oregon State, Houston and Washington). After the season, he had arthroscopic surgery to remove cartilage from his right knee.
HIGH SCHOOL: He was selected to the 1995 Bluechip All-Southwest Super 25, Super Prep All-Southwest, Bluechip All-Southwest, All-State, All-District, All-Area and All-Metro teams as a senior center and linebacker at Carter High in Dallas (Tex.). Tom Lemming named him as the nation's No. 1-rated prep center. He had 35 tackles, 4 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions on defense in 1995. He made the 1993 and 1994 All-District teams. Carter went 28-6 in his 3-year career, including 10-0 in his 1993 sophomore year. He also played basketball, baseball and track at Carter.
PERSONAL: He's a sociology major at USC. His cousin, Rod Jones, played for the Cincinnati Bengals. His sports hero is Michael Jordan.
ERIC DENMON ON: Gaining 40 pounds since his sophomore season: "I was used to being pretty careful about what I ate and only eating three meals a day. But the coaches told me I had to change my habits, eat as much as I could with five or six meals a day and a lot of protein, if I was going to get bigger. My favorite meal was chopped fried chicken and rice, covered in gravy, from a nearby soul food place. I'd eat there four or five times a week."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Eric is a solid player and has worked hard to get ready for his senior year. But he needs to stay healthy."
Former USC offensive line coach Steve Greatwood: "Eric is a great example of what you try to teach and coach. He's a perfect role model for young kids of what you can do if you put your mind to it and compete. Some guys come to school assuming they are going to have immediate success, and when they don't, they just resign themselves to being second- or third-stringers. But Eric fought through all of those things and told himself, 'I'm going to start,' and he did just that."
USC offensive lineman Lenny Vandermade: "Watching him shows me that even if you aren't the biggest or strongest guy you can dominate defensive linemen if your technique is sound and you do what your coaches tell you."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
(19) STANLEY GUYNESS -- Wide Receiver, 6-2, 195, Sr.*/Sr.
2000: Guyness, whose USC career was hampered by injuries, did not see any action as a reserve wide receiver in his 2000 senior season.
1999: Coming off a 1998 knee injury, Guyness saw brief action in the San Diego State and Oregon State games as a reserve wide receiver as a junior in 1999. He missed the Hawaii opener and 1999 spring practice while recuperating from the injury. He was slowed after mid-season by a strained hamstring.
1998: Guyness was a reserve wide receiver as a sophomore in 1998, but did not see any action. He tore ligaments in his knee in practice prior to the UCLA game and had surgery. He was slowed in 1998 spring practice because of a fractured right wrist.
1997: As a redshirt freshman wide receiver, Guyness was sidelined all of 1997 with a sprained right ankle.
1996: Guyness redshirted as a freshman wide receiver in 1996, his first year at USC.
HIGH SCHOOL: His 1995 honors included Parade All-American (he was listed as the No. 1-ranked wide receiver), Super Prep All-American, Bluechip All-American, Schutt Sports All-American, USA Today All-USA second team, Student Sports Hot 100, Bluechip Best of the West, Super Prep All-Farwest, Bluechip All-Western, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Los Angeles Times All-Orange County second team, Orange County Register All-Orange County second team, and Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team as a senior at Los Alamitos (Calif.) High. He had 46 receptions for 989 yards (21.5 avg.) with 12 TDs in 1995.
As a junior in 1994, he made the Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team third team while making 42 catches for 747 yards (17.8 avg.) with 10 TDs and also rushing for 264 yards (an 11.6 avg.) with 4 TDs. In his career, he rushed for more than 500 yards. Current Trojans Sagan Atuatasi, Ifeanyi Ohalete and Bernard Riley also prepped at Los Alamitos.
He also ran track at Los Alamitos, with bests of 10.6 in the 100 meters and 49.0 in the 400 meters.
PERSONAL: He's a public policy and management major at USC. His sports heroes are Jerry Rice and Jim Brown.
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Stanley's had a hard-luck career because of injuries, but he seems to finally be over that hurdle and is headed in the right direction."
Former USC wide receivers coach Mike Sanford: "Stanley's a real smooth, Johnnie Morton-type of wide receiver. He's very smooth and runs good patterns. He just needs to get more physical for the college game, but that will come as he matures."
(81) ANTOINE HARRIS--Tight End, 6-4, 250, Sr./Sr.
CAREER: In his career as a 4-year starting tight end, Harris had 61 receptions with 7 touchdowns.
2000: Harris, a dominating blocker and able receiver, started at tight end for his fourth season as a senior in 2000. Overall while appearing in 11 games in 2000, he caught 28 passes for 353 yards (12.6 avg.) with 5 TDs. His 28 catches in 2000 was a personal season best (and the most by a Trojan tight end since Bradford Banta had 31 in 1993) and his 5 TD catches led USC in 2000 (and was the most by a USC tight end since 1995). He was a 2000 All-Pac-10 honorable mention selection and participated in the Hula Bowl.
After not catching a pass in the Penn State game, he had 2 catches for 28 yards against Colorado, then added 2 receptions for 21 yards against San Jose State, including an 8-yard TD midway through the fourth quarter to start USC's comeback, and 3 catches for 21 yards at Oregon State. After missing the Arizona game with a sprained neck, he returned to catch 4 passes for a career-best 73 yards against Oregon, including a 7-yard TD and a non-scoring 49-yard catch-and-run. He then had a 12-yard grab at Stanford, had 3 catches for 34 yards against California, 2 catches for 29 yards at Arizona State (including a 24-yard TD), an 11-yard catch against Washington State. He had 4 catches for 62 yards, with an 8-yard TD, at UCLA, and a game-best and career-high 6 catches for 62 yards (with a 10-yard TD) against Notre Dame.
1999: Harris started for his third season at tight end as a junior in 1999. Overall while appearing in all 12 games in 1999, he made 8 catches for 98 yards (12.3 avg.) with a TD. He had 2 catches against both Oregon State (36 yards) and Louisiana Tech (17 yards). He caught a 13-yard touchdown versus San Diego State. He also made 1 tackle (against Arizona State). He did not start against UCLA (but he did play) after straining his left hamstring at Washington State.
1998: Harris started at tight end for his second season as a sophomore in 1998. Overall while appearing in all 13 games in 1998 (an ankle sprain forced him to come off the bench against Oregon State and Florida State), he had 13 receptions for 154 yards (11.8 avg.) with 1 TD. He had a pair of catches against Purdue (6 yards), San Diego State (21 yards), Washington (10 yards) and UCLA (25 yards, including a 4-yard TD), while his 66-yard catch-and-rumble at Washington State set up USC's final TD. After the season, he had arthroscopic surgery to remove torn cartilage in his right ankle.
1997: Harris started all of 1997 at tight end, becoming USC's first-ever true freshman to start at tight end. He was named to the 1997 Sporting News Freshman All-American second team. Overall in 1997, he caught 12 passes for 160 yards (13.3 avg.). He led USC with 4 catches for 52 yards at Notre Dame. He also had 3 grabs for 34 yards versus Stanford. In his debut in the Florida State opener, he caught 2 passes for 28 yards, both for first downs.
HIGH SCHOOL: His 1996 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Schutt Sports All-American, USA Today All-USA honorable mention, Super Prep All-Farwest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best of the Rest, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Southern Section first team, All-CIF Division I Defensive MVP, Los Angeles Times Glenn Davis Award (as the top Southern California prep football player), Los Angeles Times All-Los Angeles Lineman/Linebacker of the Year, and All-Del Rey League MVP as a senior at Loyola High in Los Angeles (Calif.). He had 22 catches for 460 yards (20.9 avg.) and 7 TDs as a tight end and 68 tackles with 12 sacks, 4 caused fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 interceptions (he returned 1 for a TD) as a defensive end in 1996.
As a 1995 junior, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Junior second team and All-Del Rey League honorable mention while catching 16 passes for 224 yards (14.0 avg.) with 1 TD. During his 2 seasons as a starter, Loyola went 23-5 and played in 2 CIF Division I finals. Current Trojans Mike MacGillivray and Ray Kasper also prepped at Loyola. Harris was coached at Loyola by ex-USC tailback Steve Grady. Harris also played basketball at Loyola.
PERSONAL: He's an international relations major at USC. His late stepfather, Robin (he died in 1990), was a standup comic and actor who appeared in movies such as "Mo' Better Blues," "House Party," "Do The Right Thing," and "Harlem Nights." The cartoon series, "Bebe's Kids," is based on characters in Robin's comedy routine.
ANTOINE HARRIS ON: His goals: "I have team goals and I have personal goals. I want us to go to the Rose Bowl and win a national championship, and I hope to one day be drafted into professional football. I want to be the best tight end ever in USC football. In all of college football."
His improvement: "I've become more of a football player. It's a matter of watching film and learning the elements of the game. Going against guys like (ex-USC Butkus Award winning linebacker) Chris Claiborne has made me better. It's not easy to get by those guys. Getting open depends on the style of the person covering me. If they're faster, like a strong safety, I'll use my size. If it's a linebacker, I'll try to outrun him."
Blocking: "Definitely, blocking is my strength. In high school, we ran all the time and only passed when we needed to. I'm more comfortable run blocking. You're going forward and you're more aggressive. But pass blocking is more fun. It's a style type of thing--if you lunge at a guy, he'll get to the quarterback. So you've got to be more patient, and I'm learning to be patient."
Starting as a freshman: "I didn't expect to come in and start. My goal was to get some playing time and work my way into a starting job in the next couple of years. When the coaches were telling me I had an opportunity to start, I figured they were saying that to get my confidence up. But to have that opportunity, it's something that everyone dreams about...It was beneficial for me. If I had redshirted, I probably would have been stronger and faster and gotten a better feel for the academics in my first season. But stepping in taught me a lot. You learn techniques. In high school, I was pretty much the biggest guy out there. Here, you're playing against real men." His stepfather: "When I was a kid, going around with him, having fun, it never dawned on me that he was an actor, that he was famous. To me, he was just my dad. It never dawned on me until the last couple of years all that he did...I knew what he was doing, but was never really aware of all that. My dad was just doing his job. I didn't look at him like a big-time actor or a big-time comedian. It was just my dad...It's a special feeling to know that someone you loved so much, everybody looked at on such a higher level. That really didn't hit me until the last couple of years...My teammates always ask, 'Antoine, have you got the tapes (of his stepfathers performances) yet?' Then they'll come over and next thing I know I'll have 70 people in my house. I'm more of a quiet person. I usually don't show them. But when I do, everybody would want to be at my house. And then everybody would look at me to be the comedian and I don't have any jokes...My advice to people who went to his comedy shows: Never get up when he's on stage, and don't walk in late, either. He'd get all over you...All the jokes he told, they were like everyday things. He'd use people in his jokes, but he didn't denigrate them. They'd laugh at themselves...He was funnier at home. He'd fall asleep and we'd think he was dreaming, but he'd be talking, saying all kinds of things. Nothing but jokes. My mom and I were saying we wish we had recorded it...For a while, after he died, I thought the Lord was punishing me for some reason. I had no idea why. I was mad, because why would God take away two father from me (his birth father died in 1983)? I decided later on it was an obstacle, a challenge, to find out what life is really like, to find out what life is like without a father. I took it pretty bad. I kind of held it in. I didn't talk to anybody. I took my frustrations out on my friends. That was a bad way of handling it. Finally, my mom and I sat down and talked about it...My mom, she was always there for me, and the rest of my family was too. When he first died, for like three months I was holding it all in. It built up in anger and the only thing I really did was fight at school. My fifth grade year I got in a lot of trouble. My friends just thought I had a bad temper. But my mom and the principal at the school knew why. They understood...He never got to see me play in high school because he had died. The biggest game I remember feeling bad about was my senior year. We lost the championship game. I had dedicated it to him and played my hardest. I wanted to win so bad, but we didn't win. I just wanted him physically there. It would have meant the world...I just look at my little brother (Robin Jr., born shortly after Robin's death in 1990) and see my dad. He always wanted to have a son of his own, and though he didn't have the chance to meet his son, he got his wish."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Antoine has worked hard throughout his career, and particularly in this off-season, to have a great senior year. He's more serious than ever. He's a nice combination blocker and receiver from the tight end spot."
| ? | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 12 | 160 | 13.3 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.) | 13 | 154 | 11.8 | 1 | 66 | 0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 8 | 98 | 12.3 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 28 | 353 | 12.6 | 5 | 49 | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAREER | 61 | 765 | 12.5 | 7 | 66 | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH ANTOINE HARRIS
2000
| ? | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Colorado* | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 0 | 21 |
| San Jose St.* | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 1 | 13 |
| Oregon State* | 3 | 21 | 7.0 | 0 | 8 |
| Oregon* | 4 | 73 | 18.3 | 1 | 49 |
| Stanford* | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 |
| California* | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 0 | 18 |
| Arizona State* | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 1 | 24 |
| Wash. State* | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 |
| UCLA* | 4 | 62 | 15.5 | 1 | 35 |
| Notre Dame* | 6 | 62 | 10.3 | 1 | 18 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 28 | 353 | 12.6 | 5 | 49 |
1999
| ? | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| San Diego St.* | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 1 | 13 |
| Oregon* | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Oregon State* | 2 | 36 | 18.0 | 0 | 20 |
| Arizona* | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 |
| California* | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 0 | 25 |
| La. Tech* | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 0 | 11 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 8 | 98 | 12.3 | 1 | 25 |
1998
| ? | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Purdue* | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 0 | 4 |
| San Diego St.* | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | 12 |
| California* | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 |
| Wash. State* | 1 | 66 | 66.0 | 0 | 66 |
| Oregon* | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Washington* | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 9 |
| Stanford* | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 |
| UCLA* | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 1 | 21 |
| TCU (Sun)* | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1998 (So.) | 13 | 154 | 11.8 | 1 | 66 |
1997
| ? | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Florida State* | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 |
| California* | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 0 | 23 |
| Arizona State* | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 | 16 |
| Notre Dame* | 4 | 52 | 13.0 | 0 | 22 |
| Oregon* | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Stanford* | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 0 | 18 |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 12 | 160 | 13.3 | 0 | 23 |
(68) BRENT McCAFFREY--Offensive Tackle, 6-5, 275, Sr.*/Sr.
2000: The solid, veteran McCaffrey, whose father played at USC in the early 1970s, started for his third season at left offensive tackle as a senior in 2000. He had arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee after 2000 spring practice. He was a 2000 All-Pac-10 honorable mention selection and won USC's Offensive Lineman of the Year Award.
1999: McCaffrey started for his second season at left offensive tackle as a junior in 1999. Because of a sprained right ankle suffered at Arizona, he did not start against Notre Dame, Stanford or California, but he played in those games. He was a 1999 All-Pac-10 honorable mention pick. McCaffrey, who worked on his grandfather's Fresno (Calif.) farm as a youngster, was named to the 1999 All-American Farm Team by Successful Farming magazine.
1998: McCaffrey started all of 1998 at left offensive tackle as a sophomore and did a very consistent job. After the season, he had arthroscopic surgery to remove cartilage from his right ankle.
1997: McCaffrey served as the backup to Ken Bowen at right offensive tackle as a redshirt freshman in 1997. He saw brief action against Stanford and Oregon State.
1996: McCaffrey redshirted at offensive tackle as a first-year freshman in 1996. He enrolled at USC in the spring of 1996 after sitting out the sport in 1995 following a fine prep career.
JUNIOR COLLEGE: McCaffrey attended Fresno (Calif.) City College as a part-time student in the fall of 1995, but did not play football.
HIGH SCHOOL: McCaffrey earned 1994 All-Fresno and All-Northwest Yosemite League honors as a senior 2-way lineman at Bullard High in Fresno. He also played in the Fresno City/County All-Star Game. He also played volleyball at Bullard.
As a 1993 junior, he played offensive and defensive line at San Joaquin Memorial High in Fresno, where he also played basketball.
PERSONAL: He's a planning and development major at USC with a B- average (2.82 GPA). His father, Bob, starred at center for USC in 1972 through 1974 and was honored as USC's Lineman of the Year in 1974 and junior varsity MVP in 1971 (Troy played in 3 Rose Bowls during his career and won the national championship in 1972 and 1974). Bob played in the 1975 College All-Star Game and then spent 1975 with the Green Bay Packers. Brent's uncle, Mike McCaffrey, was a 3-year (1966-68) letterman defensive end at California who co-captained the 1968 Golden Bear team and was a 2-time (1967-68) All-Pac-8 selection (he played with the Buffalo Bills in 1970). Brent's mother, Karen, and an aunt and uncle also attended USC.
BRENT McCAFFREY ON: Playing left tackle: "If you look back at USC's history, we've had a lot of great left tackles. That's important to me, to follow the tradition and become one of the best left tackles."
His quickness: "One of my biggest assets is that I have good feet. I can make up for what I lack size-wise by getting in the way."
Winning a starting job in 1998: "I was pretty low at the end of the 1997 season. My parents helped me out a lot, helped keep me motivated even when I was depressed about the lack of opportunities...For me, the coaching change (from John Robinson to Paul Hackett) was great. I wasn't getting any opportunities before. This was a fresh start for me and I went into spring ball with a clean slate because nobody knew what I could do. I just wanted to do what I can to move up the charts...I remember talking to Mike Lamb (a former USC lineman and one-time USC radio analyst). He told me that in 1983 he was in the same position I was. There was a coaching change and the next thing he knew, he was starting...Going into that spring camp, I felt every job was open and I was going to bust my hump. I entered camp thinking, 'Why not give 110 percent? What's the worst that can happen? I make a mistake and I'm still second or third string? That's not a big deal.'"
His decision to attend USC: "After watching USC's 1991 season-opening upset loss to Memphis State, I made a vow I wanted to come here and my goal was to help re-establish our dominance...When a USC coach called me during my senior year in high school, I thought it was a practical joke. I had dreamed about playing here so long, I wasn't going to pass it up...I was raised in a family that was all USC. It has been a dream of mine to come here and if I had to wait an extra semester to come here (while attending a junior college), I was willing to make that sacrifice...We sat down and talked, and my dad agreed that I should sit out a year. At the time, I was too small to be playing. There was no way I'd be able to play...When I first got here, it woke me up to what college football is all about. The intensity, the hitting, the body getting banged up. It was great for me. It gave me the extra maturity I needed physically and mentally, learning about life, being able to live without my parents helping me...Just like every other guy here, I came to this university for the pressure. I want to be the best and I want to get our football team back to the top of the nation, not just the Pac-10, but the nation."
His father: "He's held in his excitement and emotions to make sure that I stay focused. He gives me pointers here and there. He really stresses watching game film. He was a student of the game when he played and told me one of the biggest things that helped him was watching his own films. He's been great for me because he hasn't let it get to me. It's easy to slack off after you get a starting job. He tries to keep me focused on what I have to do to improve my game and reminds me that if I don't work hard enough, someone can take my job...There's some pressure because my dad was here and I'm following in his footsteps. But I accept the challenge. The more pressure I can get, the happier I'll be."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Brent is a solid, steady, veteran lineman who should have a good senior year. He is one of the better pass protectors around."
Former USC offensive line coach Steve Greatwood: "Brent is the best pass protector we have. By far, he's the most consistent, with the best technique."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1998 (So.) | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
(9) ZEKE MORENO--Linebacker, 6-3, 245, Sr./Sr.
CAREER: In his career, Moreno has 285 tackles, including 33 for losses of 151 yards (with 10 sacks), plus 5 interceptions (1 for a TD), 11 deflections and 4 fumble recoveries (3 returned for TDs).
2000: Moreno was among the premier middle linebackers in the nation while starting for his third season as a senior in 2000. Overall in 2000 while starting all 12 games, he led USC in tackles (for the second consecutive year) with 103, including 15 for losses of 57 yards (with 4 sacks for minus 35 yards), plus had 3 deflections, 2 fumble recoveries (both returned for TDs) and a forced fumble (against Oregon, which USC recovered). He was a 2000 Football News All-American honorable mention and All-Pac-10 second team pick, as well as USC's MVP, USC's Player of the Game versus Notre Dame and a team captain. He participated in the Senior Bowl. He also was USC's long snapper.
He topped Troy with 6 tackles (including 3 for losses) against Penn State, then added 7 stops and broke up a pass versus Colorado and had 6 stops (2 for losses) against San Jose State. At Oregon State, he had a game-best 11 tackles (3 for losses, including 2 sacks) and returned a fumble 80 yards for a TD (the second year in a row he did so against the Beavers). He had 8 tackles (2 for losses, with a sack) against Arizona, added 7 stops (1 for a loss), 2 deflections and forced a fumble which USC recovered against Oregon, had a game-high 12 tackles (1 for a loss) at Stanford and led USC with 8 tackles against California. He had 10 tackles at Arizona State while playing all game at weakside linebacker for an injured Markus Steele (it was the first time in his career he played that spot). He also started at that weakside spot for the final 3 games: he had a team-best 8 tackles against Washington State and returned a fumble 56 yards for a TD (his second scoring runback of 2000 and third of his career), tied for the team lead in tackles at UCLA with 6 (1 for a loss) and his 14 tackles (2 for losses, with a sack) tied for the game high against Notre Dame (he was named USC's Player of the Game versus Notre Dame).
1999: Moreno had quite a 1999 junior year as he started for his second season, this time at middle linebacker after playing strongside linebacker in 1998. Overall while starting all 12 games, he led USC in tackles with 108, including 7 for losses of 46 yards (with 4 sacks for minus 37 yards), plus had 3 interceptions (versus San Diego State, Oregon State for a 71-yard TD and UCLA), 2 fumble recoveries (against Oregon State for a 17-yard TD runback and UCLA), 5 forced fumbles (versus Oregon which led to a USC TD, Arizona which was run back for a USC TD, Washington State, UCLA and Louisiana Tech), and 5 deflections. He was third in the Pac-10 in tackles (9.0), tied for first in forced fumbles (5, tied for fourth in the nation) and tied for third in fumbles recovered (2). He was a 1999 All-Pac-10 honorable mention pick. He was also the backup long snapper, but didn't have to do that duty.
He had 3 tackles at Hawaii, a game-high 13 stops against San Diego State and also intercepted a pass, then added 15 tackles and a forced fumble at Oregon. Then, with his Trojan predecessor Chris Claiborne in attendance watching from the sideline, he had a fabulous outing against Oregon State: he scored twice (on a 17-yard fumble runback and a 71-yard interception return) and made a game-best 13 tackles (with an 11-yard sack) to earn Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week, Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week and Compaq National Interception of the Week honors. At Arizona, he had 6 stops (including a 14-yard sack) and forced a fumble which teammate Antuan Simmons returned 44 yards for a TD. He had 6 tackles at Notre Dame, added a game-high 12 tackles against Stanford, tied for the team lead in tackles at California with 7 (with a sack), had 13 tackles against Arizona State, and had 8 tackles (with a sack) and forced a fumble at Washington State. Against UCLA, he led USC with 7 tackles (2 were sacks), forced a fumble which he recovered, and made a one-handed interception inside the Trojan 10-yard line. He then had 5 stops, broke up 2 passes and forced a fumble (which the Trojans recovered at the USC 22-yard line) against Louisiana Tech.
1998: Moreno was set to serve as the backup to Mark Cusano at strongside linebacker as a sophomore in 1998, but when Cusano was slowed by injuries throughout the 1998 season, Moreno ended up starting 12 games (all but California) and filled in admirably. Overall in 1998 while appearing in all 13 games, he posted 66 tackles, including 10 for losses of 34 yards (with a 9-yard sack), deflected a pass, intercepted a pass and forced 2 fumbles. He also served as the backup long snapper.
Moreno had 2 tackles in the Purdue opener, 3 against San Diego State, 5 against Oregon State, 2 against Florida State and Arizona State, and 1 against California. He had a game-best 9 tackles (including 4 for losses) at Washington State, then added 8 stops at Oregon. He had 11 tackles (3 for losses) at Stanford and forced a fumble which Aaron Williams recovered and ran in for a TD. He had an interception (which set up a field goal) to go with his 3 stops at UCLA. Against Notre Dame, he had 2 stops (1 for a loss) and forced a fumble at the USC 2-yard line which Ken Haslip recovered. He had 7 tackles (1 for a loss) against TCU in the Sun Bowl.
1997: Moreno showed his future potential while appearing in 10 games (all but the Florida State opener) as a reserve linebacker and on special teams as a first-year freshman in 1997. Overall in 1997, he made 8 tackles, including a 14-yard sack (against Stanford), deflected 2 passes, intercepted a pass (at Oregon State, which he returned 19 yards to set up a USC field goal) and forced a fumble (against Stanford, on the sack). He had 5 tackles versus Stanford. He also returned 2 short kickoffs for 33 yards (16.5 avg.), a 21-yarder against Stanford and a 12-yarder versus UCLA.
HIGH SCHOOL: He earned 1996 Super Prep All-American, Student Sports All-American, Prep Star All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star Best in the West, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best of the Rest, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF San Diego Section Defensive MVP, and San Diego Tribune All-San Diego Defensive MVP as a senior at Castle Park High in Chula Vista (Calif.). He had 147 tackles in 1996 as Castle Park went 13-0 and was the CIF San Diego Section champ. He returned an interception 80 yards for a TD.
As a 1995 junior, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Junior first team, All-CIF San Diego Section first team and All-League with 90 tackles, 9 sacks and 3 interceptions on defense and 400 yards on 60 carries (6.7 avg.) with 3 TDs on offense.
He was a 1994 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore Super 25 and All-League pick as a sophomore. He also played baseball at Castle Park.
PERSONAL: He's majoring in general studies at USC. His real first name is Ezekiel. He likes to write poetry in his spare time. He is part American Indian. His brother, Moses, was a 3-year (1995-97) starting quarterback at Colorado State who now plays for the San Diego Chargers. His mother, Arcinia Arenas, played fullback and linebacker with the Mighty Mommas in a San Diego women's tackle football league for a season when Zeke was little.
ZEKE MORENO ON: Playing inside linebacker: "It's so much easier than on the outside, where you're up on the line. You get so much more action in the middle. In the middle, you're back so far that you can move around and make plays. That's something I like doing. I like making plays."
Replacing Chris Claiborne, USC's 1998 Butkus Award-winning inside linebacker: "I don't feel I had any footsteps to follow. I just had to keep doing what got me here in the first place and do the same things I need to do to get me to the next place. I don't feel I had any pressure on me, or I didn't let it get to me."
Playing outside linebacker in 1998: "I had to adjust playing on the outside. At first I had a hard time adjusting, but now I'm comfortable. I knew my day would come. I just had to be patient. When it came, I was ready."
His attitude: "I take the game seriously, but to the point that I enjoy it. Some people get too stressed out that they can't even enjoy the game, but that's not me. Before games, I'm not uptight. I'm just trying to make people laugh. That relaxes me. I'm not really a talker. I'm not the type of guy who will yell and get pumped up. I'm to myself in the locker room. Some people like to get really fired up. I stay out of their way. There are guys who say they are the best, and guys who are the best. The way I get fired up is to bring a smile to my face. It helps me get rid of the butterflies. I look at the fans, the crazy people, the weirdos. Or I'll get a flashback to something funny that happened when I was little."
His speed: "People underestimate my speed. Now that I've slimmed down, I think I'm faster than ever."
His philosophy: "I was raised to be humble. I'm not selfish. I know my success is because of the rest of the defense, too. It's not all me. There's nothing wrong with celebrating and being happy about the way you're playing, but you can't pretend you're better than anyone else."
Wearing No. 9: "No. 9 was my high school number. It was kind of superstitious. And I always like single-digit numbers. I think they make you look faster. And now back in San Diego, people want to wear No. 9. People say, 'Hey, I got your number.' That's cool."
Competing as a youngster with his brother, Moses: "We joke around about it now and compare what each other has done. That competition is building us. It was survival of the fittest. There was five of us boys, but that is what made us better. We always strove to make each other better."
The 100-plus foster children his parents have taken in over the past 15 years: "There are so many different cases. You feel so bad. They come scared to our house. You don't approach them right away. Little by little, you'll say hi and start talking to them. Pretty soon they open up. Our family takes care of long-term kids and it's hard because I get so attached to them. And it's tough when they leave because I miss them. Sometimes we'd say, 'Not another one,' but then my mom would say, 'Pobrecito (poor little one),' and tell us their story and we'd cry. She told us a lot of kids didn't have what we had."
His mother: "I've always admired my mother. She raised five boys on her own. She always taught me to be strong, respectful and polite. She gives me a lot of strength. When I see her working hard, it just pushes me to work even harder...My mom was always there for us. I just love the strength she has. All of our personalities, all our characters, all our attitudes reflect here...My mom was very hardworking and was always into athletics and having us compete...My mom is tough. When we wrestle at home, she can bring me down...It's one of those things that's hard to believe, 'Yeah, my mom played football.' She's 5-10, very tall, very strong. She doesn't work out, but she'll say, 'Feel this. Want to see my muscle?' And it's just a rock. She's naturally strong. I always talk to my mom on game day. She asks me what the game plan is. I always answer, 'Just win.'"
His Latino heritage: "I'm proud of who I am and I accept the role I play. I want to be a good role model not only to thousands of Latinos out there, but I always want to represent my mom and dad. In football, there is a stereotype of not that many Latinos in the NFL. I hope I can be one who changes that image. People feel our sports are more like baseball and soccer. You don't see that many Hispanics that have the size to play football. That's a stereotype that's been around. But you can't judge a book by its cover. I just want to set an example to show other young Latinos that they have options. I let them know that as Latinos, we can be successful in whatever we do. It doesn't come easy. I worked hard to get where I'm at. It's about choices and hopefully, by them seeing my success, they'll make the right ones. It's so good to be at the Coliseum and hear from the stands, 'Hey primo, way to represent.' It's great to see my own race cheering me on. These people have accepted me as part of their family. If people feel like I am out there playing for all Latinos, in a way, I am. I do represent a lot of people out there."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "As good as Zeke is, I expect him to take his game to the next level in 2000. He has to compete all year to be the best in the nation, and I think he will do that. He is one of the most savvy and athletic linebackers in the country."
His mother, Arcinia Arenas: "Zeke is so fun loving. He's just like me. Everywhere we go, we try to make people laugh and feel comfortable...When he was 4 or 5 years old, he'd say, 'I want to play football just like my mom.'...Zeke was always talented. Whenever a grandfather or uncle would come over and see him play, they would be so impressed they would return just to see him. He was a bulldozer, but he was so good, so loving. Zeke doesn't have any dainty aunts. Until my boys were in the ninth grade, if we wrestled I could flip them over. But when they got to the 10th grade and I'm a trophy. If they could flip me over, then they've developed their strength. I'm proud that people can relate to him. Especially if little kids with brown hair look at my Ezekiel and think, 'That could be me.'. Zeke would get so mad when I told him the background of the foster kids we took in, that their parents had abused them or it was a drug baby. He would say, 'Mom, how could they do that?' He would get so attached to the kids. They have to leave sometimes to go with their family or they get adopted, but it was real hard on him. He'd come home from school and say, 'Where's the baby, Mom?' and I'd tell him that she had to leave. He'd get so mad at me and just go to his room."
Tom Reynolds, USC Report: "On the field, Moreno USC's ferocious inside linebacker?stalks every play, searching for a ball carrier to pounce on. He is like a cat searching for prey. Off the field, Moreno couldn't be any more the opposite of his on-field demeanor. He is a soft-spoken, God-fearing momma's boy (by his own admission). But don't call him soft."
David Cisneros, Daily Trojan: "Ask anybody who knows him. They'll tell you what a wonderful guy he is. They might tell you how he has become a role model. And they'll tell you he's a hell of a middle linebacker. Moreno displays character rarely seen in sports."
Arizona head coach Dick Tomey: "He's an incredible player. There was nobody in our conference who was as outstanding at linebacker in 1999."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 8 | 1/14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 0 | 19 |
| 1998 (So.) | 66 | 10/34 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 108 | 7/46 | 5 | 2 * | 3 | 76 | 25.3 | 1 | 71 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 103 | 15/57 | 3 | 2 ** | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAREER | 285 | 33/151 | 11 | 4 # | 5 | 101 | 20.2 | 1 | 71 |
** Includes 2 returned for touchdowns
#?Includes 3 returned for touchdowns
GAME-BY-GAME WITH ZEKE MORENO
2000
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Penn State* | 6 | 3/8 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado* | 7 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
| San Jose St.* | 6 | 2/3 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 11 | 3/16 | 0 | 1 |
| Arizona* | 8 | 2/15 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 7 | 1/1 | 2 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 12 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| California* | 8 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 10 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 8 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 |
| UCLA* | 6 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 14 | 2/12 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 103 | 15/57 | 3 | 2 |
1999
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Hawaii* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Diego St.* | 13 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Oregon* | 15 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 13 | 1/11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 71 | 71.0 | 1 | 71 |
| Arizona* | 6 | 1/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 6 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 12 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| California* | 7 | 1/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 13 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 8 | 1/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 7 | 2/5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| La. Tech* | 5 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 108 | 7/46 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 76 | 25.3 | 1 | 71 |
1998
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Purdue* | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Diego St.* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 5 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Florida State | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| California | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 9 | 4/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 8 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington* | 11 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 11 | 3/15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 3 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Notre Dame* | 2 | 1/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| TCU (Sun)* | 7 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.)... | 66 | 10/34 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 |
1997
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| California | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 5 | 1/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State | 0 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 0 | 19 |
| UCLA | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 8 | 1/14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 0 | 19 |
(47) JOHN MORGAN--Safety, 6-2, 200, Sr.*/Sr.
2000: Morgan, a reserve strong safety, tore ligaments in his left knee during 2000 spring practice and had surgery. He missed his 2000 senior season.
1999: Morgan, a one-time walk-on who received a scholarship at the end of 1999 fall camp, was a reserve free safety and key special teams player as a junior in 1999. Overall while appearing in 11 games in 1999, he made 6 tackles (including 1 for a loss of 1 yard). He had 2 stops at California. He broke his left hand at Notre Dame, but continued to play with a cast. He missed the Louisiana Tech game after spraining his neck versus UCLA.
1998: Morgan redshirted as a walk-on junior safety in 1998, his first year at USC after transferring from a junior college.
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Morgan played safety at Saddleback Junior College in Mission Viejo (Calif.) in 1996 and 1997. Current Trojans David Munoz and Ryan Kaiser also attended Saddleback.
HIGH SCHOOL: He prepped at Dana Hills High in Dana Point (Calif.), where he was a 1994 and 1995 All-South Coast League pick while playing quarterback and defensive back. He also played soccer (fullback) and baseball (centerfield) at Dana Hills, earning 2-time All-South Coast League honors in both sports.
PERSONAL: He's an economics major at USC. His father, Mike, lettered as a flanker at USC in 1970 and 1971.
JOHN MORGAN ON: Being a walk-on: "When I was a walk-on, I would do football during the week and then work weekends. That lifestyle didn't give me much of a chance to sleep, and didn't help me to get my schoolwork done, even though I basically maintained my grades. Now, I pay bills without a problem and get a lot more rest."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "It's unfortunate that John got hurt, because he was making a move for the strong safety job before the injury. He's a good, steady player."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 6 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH JOHN MORGAN
1999
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Hawaii | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| California | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 6 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 |
(87) MATT NICKELS Wide Receiver, 6-2, 200, Sr.*/Sr.
2000: Nickels, a one-time walk-on who received a scholarship as a senior in 2000, began the season as an unknown commodity while backing up Kareem Kelly at split end. But he ended up being a key component of the USC offense while starting 4 games (Arizona and Oregon at split end and Arizona State and Notre Dame at flanker) and finishing third on the Trojans in receptions. Overall in 2000 while appearing in all 12 games, he had 32 receptions for 408 yards (12.8 avg.) with 3 TDs. He also ran 18 yards on 2 reverses (9.0 avg.) and made 2 tackles on special teams.
He had 3 catches for 26 yards against Colorado, including an 8-yard TD (his first as a Trojan). He made a spectacular 2-point conversion grab versus San Jose State. At Oregon State, he had 2 grabs for 35 yards (including an acrobatic 12-yard TD on the side of the end zone). He started against Arizona and came through with career bests in receptions (a game-high 7) and yardage (72 yards) while catching a 7-yard TD. He had 1 catch for 16 yards against Oregon, then 3 for 65 at Stanford, 2 for 44 yards versus California, 4 for 55 yards at Arizona State, 5 for 57 yards against Washington State, 4 for 30 yards at UCLA and 1 for 8 yards versus Notre Dame.
1999: Nickels was a walk-on reserve wide receiver in 1999 as a junior. He appeared sparingly in 5 games in 1999 (Hawaii, San Diego State, California, Arizona State, Louisiana Tech), but did not catch a pass.
1998: Nickels was a student at USC in 1998, but did not play football.
DARTMOUTH: Nickels was a wide receiver at Dartmouth in 1996 and 1997, but did not see any action. The 1996 Big Green went 10-0 to win the Ivy League title (Dartmouth finished second in 1997 at 8-2).
HIGH SCHOOL: He was a 3-year (1993-95) starting wide receiver at Santa Margarita High in Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.). He also started at safety as a junior and senior. He won 1994 and 1995 All-South Orange County first team and All-Seaview League first team honors while catching 30-plus passes for 10-plus TDs each season. Current Trojans Carson Palmer, David Munoz and Spencer McCroskey also prepped at Santa Margarita.
He also was on the basketball (forward) and track (high jump, relays) teams at Santa Margarita, and both squads won the CIF title in 1996.
PERSONAL: He is a sociology major at USC. He likes to play guitar.
MATT NICKELS ON: His role: "I definitely think I have a role. It's as a blocking receiver and a possession receiver. I'm definitely not a breakaway receiver."
Getting a scholarship: "It's a dream come true. It makes all the hard work worthwhile. But when you get down to it, I just want to be on the field, even if I didn't get a scholarship."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "One of the biggest surprises this past spring was the play of Matt. He's a sure-handed receiver who runs great routes. He just makes play after play after play."
| ? | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| 2000 (Sr.). | 32 | 408 | 12.8 | 3 | 34 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 0 | 15 |
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH MATT NICKELS
2000
| ? | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Colorado | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 1 | 13 |
| Oregon State | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 1 | 23 |
| Arizona* | 7 | 72 | 10.3 | 1 | 19 |
| Oregon* | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 | 16 |
| Stanford | 3 | 65 | 21.7 | 0 | 34 |
| California | 2 | 44 | 22.0 | 0 | 34 |
| Arizona State* | 4 | 55 | 13.8 | 0 | 18 |
| Wash. State | 5 | 57 | 11.4 | 0 | 16 |
| UCLA | 4 | 30 | 7.5 | 0 | 9 |
| Notre Dame* | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 32 | 408 | 12.8 | 3 | 34 |
(48) BRENNAN OCHS--Fullback, 6-2, 230, Sr.*/Sr.
2000: Ochs was a reserve fullback and special teams performer as a senior in 2000. Overall in 2000 while appearing in 5 games (Penn State, Colorado, San Jose State, UCLA and Notre Dame), he made 2 tackles on special teams, but did not touch the ball on offense.
1999: Ochs started USC's first 3 games of 1999 (Hawaii, San Diego State and Oregon) at fullback as a junior, then served as a backup to Charlie Landrigan the rest of the season. He also played on special teams. He appeared in all 12 games in 1999, but did not carry or catch the ball.
1998: Ochs was a backup fullback and special teams player as a 1998 sophomore. He even started the Purdue opener. Overall in 1998 while appearing in 9 games (all but Oregon, Washington, UCLA and Notre Dame), he ran for 8 yards on 4 carries (2.0 avg.) and caught 2 passes (both versus Purdue) for 19 yards (9.5 avg.).
1997: Ochs, who came to USC as a walk-on but earned a scholarship in 1997, was a reserve fullback as a redshirt freshman in 1997. He saw brief action in 4 games (Arizona State, Washington, Stanford, Oregon State), primarily on special teams (he did not carry the ball or make any tackles). He missed USC's first 3 games of 1997 while recovering from a pre-season hamstring pull.
1996: Ochs redshirted as a walk-on freshman running back in 1996, his first year at USC. He was sidelined all season with a sprained left ankle suffered in pre-season drills.
HIGH SCHOOL: He was named to the 1995 Max Emfinger All-Northeast, All-State, All-Montgomery County and All-Conference teams as a senior fullback and middle linebacker at Georgetown Prep in Rockville (Md.). He ran for 637 yards (11.0 avg.) and 7 TDs on 58 carries in 1995. His 11.0 rushing average topped all Maryland preps. He also caught 19 passes for 272 yards (14.3 avg.) with 4 TDs. His blocking helped spring his team's running back to a 1,400-yard-plus season. On defense, he led Georgetown Prep in tackles with 78, including 9 for losses (with 4 sacks), plus 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries in 1995. Georgetown Prep went 10-0 in 1995, winning its league championship and ranking in Maryland's Top 5.
As a 1994 junior, he played fullback and outside linebacker at St. Albans High in Washington, D.C. His team won the Interstate Athletic Conference title. He had a 91-yard scoring run, the team's longest play in 1994.
As a prep, he also was on the track team, competing in the sprints, shot put and discus.
PERSONAL: He's a political science major at USC with a B average (3.12 GPA). He made 1999 Pac-10 All-Academic first team and the 1998 and 2000 Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention squads.
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Brennan is a smart, solid player. He's an experienced, veteran fullback."
| ? | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| 1998 (So.) | 4 | 8 | 2.0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 13 |
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH BRENNAN OCHS
1998
| ? | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Purdue* | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 13 |
| San Diego St. | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.) | 4 | 8 | 2.0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 13 |
(31) IFEANYI OHALETE--Safety, 6-2, 225, Sr./Sr.
2000: After starting all of 1999, the experienced Ohalete started USC's first 5 games (Penn State, Colorado, San Jose State, Oregon State and Arizona) at free safety and was DeShaun Hill's backup in the next 2 contests (Oregon and Stanford) while bothered with a sore right ankle he hurt in the Arizona outing. But he learned before the California game that he had a season-ending stress fracture in that ankle. Overall in 2000 while appearing in 7 games, he had 29 tackles, including 1 for a loss of 2 yards, and 3 deflections. Until his injury, he also was the holder on all placekicks. He made 5 tackles against Penn State, tied for the game high in tackles with 9 versus Colorado, had 5 more stops (1 for a loss) with a deflection against San Jose State, then added 7 tackles and 2 deflections at Oregon State and 2 stops versus Oregon.
1999: Ohalete started all of his 1999 junior season at free safety. Overall in 1999 while appearing in all 12 games, he made 84 tackles (third on USC), including 3 for losses of 13 yards (with an 8-yard sack), broke up a team-best 15 passes, intercepted 2 passes (against California, which set up a USC TD, and Louisiana Tech), forced a co-team-high 5 fumbles (against Hawaii to set up a TD, Oregon State, Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA) and recovered a team-high 3 fumbles (versus Oregon to set up a TD, Arizona State and UCLA). He tied for first in the Pac-10 in both forced fumbles (5, tied for fourth in the nation) and fumbles recovered (3) and tied for second in pass deflections (15). He was a USC captain. He had 3 tackles against Hawaii (with a sack and a forced fumble) and San Diego State (with a deflection). He had 11 tackles and recovered a fumble at Oregon, then made 8 tackles against Oregon State (with a forced fumble). At Arizona, he had 5 stops with 2 deflections and a forced fumble, then added 7 tackles at Notre Dame and 9 versus Stanford. At California, he had 4 stops, 2 deflections and an interception. He had 12 stops (1 for a loss) with 1 fumble recovery, a forced fumble and 2 deflections against Arizona State. He led USC with 11 tackles at Washington State. Against UCLA, he made 5 tackles (1 for a loss), recovered a fumble which he forced and had a deflection. He had 6 stops, an interception and 2 deflections against Louisiana Tech.
1998: Ohalete backed up Grant Pearsall at strong safety and was a key special teams player as a 1998 sophomore. He even started 4 early-season games (San Diego State, Oregon State, Florida State and Arizona State) when Pearsall was nursing an injury and did a solid job. Overall in 1998 while appearing in all 13 games, he made 52 tackles, including 4 for losses of 6 yards, deflected 8 passes, intercepted 3 passes and blocked a punt. He was named USC's Special Teams Player of the Year.
In the Purdue opener, he had 7 tackles, then he added 5 against San Diego State, 2 versus Oregon State and 5 at Florida State. Against Arizona State, he ran back a blocked fourth quarter punt 14 yards for the decisive TD (he also had 6 tackles). Then, against California, he blocked a punt to set up a USC field goal and intercepted a pass in the end zone to go with his 3 tackles. He had 4 tackles and an interception at both Washington State and Oregon. He made 3 tackles against Washington, 2 at Stanford, 6 at UCLA and 3 against Notre Dame. He had 2 tackles against TCU in the Sun Bowl before being sidelined with a sprained right ankle.
1997: Ohalete served as a backup, first at the rover linebacker spot for the first part of his 1997 first-year freshman season and then at strong safety. He also played on special teams. Overall while appearing in all 11 games in 1997, he made 3 tackles (1 each against California, UNLV and Notre Dame). He also recovered an onside kick late in the UCLA game.
HIGH SCHOOL: He earned 1996 Super Prep All-American, Student Sports All-American, Prep Star All-American, USA Today All-USA honorable mention, Super Prep All-Farwest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Prep Star Best in the West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best of the Rest, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, Los Angeles Times All-Orange County first team, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team and All-Sunset League first team as a senior at Los Alamitos (Calif.) High. He had 28 solo tackles and an Orange County-high 9 interceptions (with 2 returned for TDs) in 1996, despite missing 4 games with a deep thigh bruise and an ankle injury. As a wide receiver on offense, he averaged 25.6 yards per catch.
As a 1995 junior, he made the Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team first team. He had a school-record 15 career interceptions as a 3-year starter.
He also played baseball and basketball at Los Alamitos. Current Trojans Sagan Atuatasi, Stanley Guyness and Bernard Riley also prepped at Los Alamitos.
PERSONAL: He's a business administration major at USC. His nickname is Ife. His middle name is Eberachukwu. In part, his name means, "Nothing surpasses God." He is half Nigerian and has spent time with his father's tribe, Ebo, in a pair of trips to Nigeria when he was younger. His half brother, Earl Simpson, played football at Texas A&M and another, Carl, plays pro basketball overseas. He was born in Springfield, Ill. His sports hero is Hakeem Olajuwon.
IFEANYI OHALETE ON: Playing safety versus linebacker: "I'm a lot more comfortable playing safety. Playing linebacker was fun at times, getting to do all the hitting, but I didn't like being in the mix of all those linemen...I like both safety positions. At strong safety, you're around the ball a lot more, being that it's more involved in run support. At free, you cover more and play pass defense. In our defense, they're both interchangeable, there are a lot of similarities."
Visiting Nigeria: "I remember how much love there was for family members and I remember how much respect there was for your elders, which is a lot different from how it is here."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Ifeanyi is an experienced veteran who had some bright moments last year. The move to strong safety suits his skills. He's a savvy player who can be an enforcer. He gives us the flexibility to use him at either safety spot."
Former USC secondary coach Dennis Thurman: "He has all the signs you look for in great defensive backs."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So.) | 52 | 4/6 | 9* | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 84 | 3/13 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 29 | 1/2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAREER?? | 168 | 8/21 | 27* | 3 | 5 | 6 | 1.2 | 0 | 6 |
| ? | PR | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| 1998 (So.)... | 1** | 39 | 39.0 | 1 | 25 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH IFEANYI OHALETE
2000
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Penn State* | 5 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado* | 9 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Jose St.* | 5 | 1/2 | 1 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 7 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 |
| Arizona* | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 29 | 1/2 | 3 | 0 |
1999
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Hawaii* | 3 | 1/8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Diego St.* | 3 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 11 | 0/0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 8 | 0/0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona* | 5 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 7 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 9 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| California* | 4 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 12 | 1/1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 11 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 5 | 1/4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| La. Tech* | 6 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.). | 84 | 3/13 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
1998
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Purdue | 7 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Diego St.* | 5 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Florida State* | 5 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 6 | 1/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| California | 3 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State | 4 | 1/1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Oregon | 4 | 1/1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 3 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA | 6 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame | 3 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| TCU (Sun) | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (So. | 52 | 4/6 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 0 | 6 |
1997
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| California | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNLV | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
(35) PETROS PAPADAKIS--Tailback, 6-1, 210, Sr.*/Sr.
CAREER: He had ran for 621 yards and had 16 rushing touchdowns in his career.
2000: The hard-running and off-the-wall Papadakis, whose father and brother played at USC, made a near-miraculous recovery after suffering a season-ending foot injury in 1999 to become a backup tailback who was used primarily in short yardage situations as a senior in 2000. He missed 2000 spring practice while recovering from the resulting foot surgery. Overall in 2000 while appearing in all 12 games, he ran for 153 yards on 63 carries (2.4 avg.) with a team-best 8 TDs (he also caught an 11-yard pass). His 8 rushing TDs were all 5 yards or less. He was a USC's Most Inspirational Player and a team captain.
In the opener against Penn State, he had 29 yards on 11 carries (with a 2-yard TD on his first carry of 2000 after missing the 1999 season with a broken foot). He added 23 yards on 5 tries against Colorado, then ran for 52 yards and a career-best 3 TDs (1, 5 and 3 yards) on a career-high 15 carries (his 5-yard score was the game winner with 2:34 to play) against San Jose State (he also had an 11-yard reception). He scored on a 1-yard run against Arizona, then scored a pair of 2-yard TDs while gaining 22 yards on 12 tries at Stanford. He had 10 yards on 5 carries versus California, then ran for a short TD at Arizona State.
1999: Papadakis was set to be on the field often in 1999 as a senior tailback in a variety of situations (in short yardage downs, in two-back formations, as Chad Morton's backup, as a potential starter and possibly returning kickoffs)...until he severely broke his right foot in 1999 fall camp and was sidelined for the season. So he redshirted the 1999 season.
1998: Papadakis was the backup tailback to Chad Morton in 1998 as a junior. He even started 4 games (Oregon State, Arizona State, Washington State and Stanford) for an injured Morton. Used primarily in short yardage situations, he proved equally capable of breaking long runs. Overall in 1998 while appearing in all 13 games, he gained 365 yards on 93 carries (3.9 avg.) with a team-best 8 rushing TDs and he caught 3 passes for 26 yards (8.7 avg.). He also made 1 tackle (against San Diego State) on special teams.
He had a game-high 118 yards on 13 carries (both career bests, he since upped his career high in attempts) against California, with a career-long 65-yard TD run (a 58-yard TD run was shortened to 41 yards because of a late penalty behind the play). The next week at Washington State, he was again the game's top runner, this time getting 84 yards on 6 tries, including a 53-yard scoring burst. He had 2 short TD runs at Stanford and 1 at UCLA and against TCU in the Sun Bowl.
1997: Papadakis, who came to USC as a walk-on after transferring from California but earned a scholarship in 1997, was a reserve tailback and key special teams player as a sophomore in 1997. Overall while appearing in 10 games in 1997 (he did not play at California), he rushed for 103 yards on 24 carries (4.3 avg.). He had 54 yards on 7 carries against Stanford. He also made 1 tackle (at Notre Dame). He missed the last half of 1997 spring practice because of a sprained left ankle.
1996: He redshirted as a running back at USC in 1996.
1995: Papadakis originally signed with California and actually participated in practice for 1 week with the Bears in the fall of 1995, then left there and enrolled at USC in the spring of 1996.
HIGH SCHOOL: He made the 1994 Student Sports All-State honorable mention, All-CIF Division II first team, Los Angeles Times All-South Bay first team, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay Co-MVP and All-Bay League Offensive MVP as a senior running back at Peninsula High in Rolling Hills (Calif.). He rushed for 2,026 yards on 217 carries (9.3 avg.) with 22 TDs in 1994. Ten of his TD runs were at least 40 yards and he scored at least 2 TDs in 7 different games. He ran for 288 yards in 1 game. Peninsula went 11-2 and advanced to the CIF Division II semifinals. Current Trojan Scott Huber also prepped at Peninsula.
PERSONAL: He's majoring in English/American literature at USC. He is a popular figure on local and national sports talk radio shows. As part of the "Read Across America" program, he has read books to local elementary school classes in 2000. He has worked many years at his family's renowned Greek restaurant in San Pedro, Papadakis Taverna. Petros is a third generation Trojan. His father, John, lettered 2 years (1970-71) as a linebacker at USC (he was Troy's most inspirational player in 1971). His brother, Taso, was a linebacker with the Trojans (he lettered in 1994 and 1996).
PETROS PAPADAKIS ON: Himself: "I'm a walking contradiction. I'm the only person in the world who can sit on the fence and watch himself go by...I've always kind of been a little bit eccentric in certain situations. But if I don't know the people, I'm kind of quiet."
His 1998 success: "I've got confidence now...I became more comfortable with running the ball and making decisions in general. Usually I'm really scared of doing something bad...It used to be just my legs going and by the time I figured out what I was supposed to be doing, I'd be back in the huddle. I feel more comfortable carrying the ball now, reading the keys, having confidence in my blockers. And I'm kind of trying to open my eyes more now!...Early on, though, I was starting to get down. I started to miss keys and miss holes, which is not good. I was thinking maybe I was just a short-yardage guy."
His running style: "I'm a powerful runner with some speed. I try to hit the hole going full speed. I just try to get at least 4 or 5 yards a carry...Basically, it's just more comfortable for me to run into people. It hurts, but I just try to get a couple yards, and that's what's gotten me to where I am right now...I was never a very fancy runner. I don't have moves like Chad Morton. I can't do that kind of stuff. I would if I could. The truth is, I'm not cat-like, I can't reverse my field, do a flip and score. I run straight ahead and over people. But I am pretty fast...I'm not the most instinctive runner. I have to think to do certain things. If I let myself go, I'll run right up (offensive guard) Travis Claridge's back and he'll beat me up after practice. And that's not good!"
His speed: "Teams kind of misjudge my speed. No one has seen me go anywhere in about 5 years. I don't look particularly fast when I go 1 yard."
Being a football player: "No one thinks I play football. I'm not that big and I'm not that muscular. One of my professors came up to me and said, 'I hear you play football.' And then he said, 'Are you a walk-on or a kicker?'...People used to mistake me for my brother, who also wore the same number. When they called roll in class, they'd look at me confused because he's a big guy...I've always been a little eccentric. I reveled in obscurity for 3 years in high school, then I ran for 2,000 yards as a senior and everyone started to like me...It happened so fast. Nothing had changed in my mind. I was still a confused high school student. All of a sudden, I was getting scholarship offers and everyone liked me again. I was cool and popular. It was so weird...I'm not impressed with myself at all. I'm shocked that I'm here at USC, playing tailback...I never liked working out. I still have to force myself to get up in the morning. I don't like the weight room and I don't even like running, even though I'm a running back...I'm not Mr. Football. I don't breathe pigskin and I don't have laces in the back of my head, but I play for a reason. I value my relationship with my teammates and I do things for them because they do things for me...I like the regimen of football and I'm proud of myself for being able to handle it...I always thought that if I ever played college football, the world was going to smile upon me. Like I'd be walking out of my house in the morning and the sun would be singing a song and smiling and the picket fences would come alive and be holding hands. That's just not the way it is. Nobody really cares. Which is cool. I like that better."
His popularity with the media: "I just feel like the media is starved for somebody to say something different than, 'We really have to play hard this week.' That's all good stuff, but I deal with that in meetings every day. I deal with that for six hours with coaches."
Football games: "Every game is a mental challenge. Part of you wants to hide and part of you wants to kill somebody. Part of you wants to go perform and part of you wants someone else to perform. Personally and collectively, it's an emotional rollercoaster."
His improvement: "I feel more comfortable with the ball. Every year in college I get more and more used to running the ball. I'm more relaxed. And I'm catching the ball, which is good for me. The 1997 season wasn't easy for someone like me designated as the third-string running back, not even knowing if I would play. I know all I can do is run hard."
Originally going to California before coming to USC: "I left for Berkeley the day I graduated from high school. I liked it there, but I got very homesick and nostalgic. I wasn't ready emotionally, so I came home...I wanted to be a Berkeley poet-sage. When I came home, I was enticed to come to USC and play football...It was a bad decision to go to Cal and it was a bad decision to leave. It still bothers me in the sense that I signed a scholarship, made a commitment to them and didn't fulfill it. But it would have happened anywhere because I was unprepared. That's why I respect incoming freshmen, because I know what they go through."
His USC roots: "USC is the best place to be for me. I was born going to USC games. The Trojans were my heroes...My grandfather (Tom) loved USC. He got the whole thing started. He has never missed a Trojan home game...When I saw my jersey and my name on my locker, I felt I was home. It was like a homecoming to me. Every time I run out of the tunnel, it's just such a great feeling. I couldn't even sleep the night before the first game...If someone had told me when I was 16 years old that I'd be wearing a Trojan uniform and running out of the tunnel onto the field at Notre Dame like I did, I wouldn't have believed them. I realize how fortunate I am. I realize I'm getting a free education because of my football scholarship."
Playing time: "I found out at a young age that life deals up adversities and doesn't always go the way you want it to go. I'm ready when my chance comes. And if it doesn't, I'm not going to feel sorry for myself. I'm going to know in my heart that I gave it all I had."
His love of literature: "When I was in high school, I was obsessed with Jack Kerouac. I loved the whole beatnik thing. Then I got into Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller. That's why I wore No. 22 when I first got here...I'll read, like Henry James now. I read 'Moby Dick' for the first time. John Updike, that was pretty depressing. Sylvia Plath? She's really depressing. The dead Greeks are way beyond me. Philosophy doesn't move fast enough for me...I'm not much of a writer. I don't watch much TV. I'm not much of a social guy. I just read. I can't add. I don't have a mind for business. I don't have a linear kind of mind. Not that I have any kind of mind. But if I am any kind of thinker, I'm an abstract thinker and literature kind of suits me. I took a class in Confucianism Thought. I took it because I thought it would keep me centered."
His family's athletic background: "Everyone in my family, we all play the same. We're not the most athletically gifted family, but we play with heart. It's good to bring heart to everything you do, or there is no point to it."
His brother, Taso: "I have always had great respect for him. I admire his optimism and relentless pursuit of his goals. I think of the hardships and injuries he has gone through and how he has handled everything like a man...He's my hero. He's the greatest. He's gone through more adversity than I could dream...A lot of the reason my family members have lost their minds over my play has to do with Taso having so much misfortune here. It really broke all our hearts. He gave everything he had here, like his entire body, without every getting any recognition."
His father, John: "My dad is still bigger than life. Dinner at my house is like holding court, or being in Parliament, or something. But it's cool. It really is...My dad's into philosophy. He says, 'Become a philosopher, like the Greeks. Be a man.' My father, he thinks he's Achilles or Agamemnon. He used to come home from the restaurant at 3 in the morning and gather Taso and me together and say, 'You're a Papadakis, everybody loves you, you're a Greek!'...If you listen to him, you'd think I'm up for the Heisman...If I ran 30 yards backwards and got tackled for a safety, he'd say, 'It's not your fault. You did everything right.'"
His family's restaurant, Papadakis Taverna: "The restaurant is like a living thing. It's like it's alive, or animated. It's like we all pump life into it...It's an exciting place to go. It's not exactly the kind of place where you'd have a quiet conversation. We just beat out Chucky Cheese as Gourmet Magazine's Most Fun restaurant! My father's kind of a psycho, so it's really loud. There's a lot of dancing. Greeks sing a lot and they break things, but I don't dance and sing and I haven't broken anything in a long time...I've done everything there, peeled carrots, washed dishes, everything. Now, on certain nights, I run the place."
The craziest thing he's done: "I used to run naked in the summer when we used to condition on Fridays. I did. At Howard Jones Field. For the last run, I used to strip naked!"
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "We all can't wait for Petros to return, because he brings so much to our team. He can hit it up hard in the middle and do some damage, yet he's fast enough to break off some big runs. He just needs to get healthy and return to his 1998 form when he was such a vital part of our offense."
Steve Bisheff, Orange County Register: "Petros is a smiling, self-deprecating person who is unlike any college football player you've ever met. In another time, in another world, you could picture him as this brilliant, toga-wearing Greek scholar who dabbled in athletics."
Matt Deringer, USC Report: "He is a joking, goofing, self-deprecating player who appreciates life the way his head coach does a three-deep zone. A football talent who by his own admission has more trouble asking out a coed than taking out a linebacker. He's an English/American Lit major who can read a defense as easily as he does T.S. Eliot. A power runner whose less-than-Jerome Bettis build often gets him mistaken for a kicker. He's a short-yardage back with...speed?"
Robyn Norwood, Los Angeles Times: "Petros Papadakis is like no Trojan tailback before him. What Heisman Trophy winner ever referred to the Industrial Revolution on sports talk radio? What human being ever referred to the Industrial Revolution on sports talk radio? Only a few minutes before that, he was telling reporters how before his big game, he could feel his confidence plunging, like Javert into the Seine in the scene from 'Les Miserables.' Literature is a powerful interest, and he has been known to walk off the practice field quoting Shakespeare. At least it sounded like Shakespeare."
Mike Waldner, South Bay Daily Breeze: "The young man is articulate. He's intelligent. He's fresh. He's quick. He's refreshing. He's fun. He's a walking, talking whirlwind. He is opinionated. If he has no opinion, give him a tick or two and he'll generate one. He has 4.4 speed in the 40. That's slow compared to his mind when he's operating at full throttle...He is no cliche. He's an original...On the field, Papadakis lacks style. He doesn't zip, spin or juke. He's not Barry Sanders. But he has the size and the speed."
Phil Collin, South Bay Daily Breeze: "The guy does leave an impression. It's not just the nonstop chatter, it's the content of the chatter. One minute he'll be referring to Flaubert, the next he'll talk about his favorite book, Catch 22, or he'll break out into a Sinatra song...He wouldn't follow in anyone's footsteps. He was the kid who could rankle any teacher or parent. For the hours Taso spent lifting weights, Petros could either be found reading, pestering somebody, or generally finding mischief."
Former USC offensive guard Travis Claridge: "Petros is a good-hearted guy. He's a nut, too. I've never met anyone like him. He's come a long way. The line loves to see a mad Greek running behind them."
USC quarterback Mike Van Raaphorst: "I bet a lot of people didn't know he was fast. But everybody on the team has seen him run 40s. He just needs a chance to get out in the open. Once he's in the open, he's fast. Once he gets ahead, you're not catching him from behind."
His brother and former teammate, Taso: "Petros is a funny guy. He's a good storyteller and he's a ham. He likes to be in the spotlight...He approaches football in a different way than I did. I approached it like a locomotive. He's very theatrical, very dramatic. I believe he perceives the game the same as I do, no matter what comes out of his mouth."
His father, John: "I'm very proud of him. I'm amazed by him like everyone else is. He has some amazing gifts."
| ? | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| 1997 (So.) | 24 | 103 | 4.3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (Jr.) | 93 | 365 | 3.9 | 8 | 65 | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 17 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 63 | 153 | 2.4 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 |
| CAREER | 180 | 621 | 3.5 | 16 | 65 | 4 | 37 | 3.4 | 0 | 17 |
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1997 (So.) | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 (Jr.) | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAREER | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH PETROS PAPADAKIS
2000
| ? | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Penn State | 11 | 29 | 2.6 | 1 | 9 |
| Colorado | 5 | 23 | 4.6 | 0 | 7 |
| San Jose St. | 15 | 52 | 3.5 | 3 | 11 |
| Oregon State | 4 | 3 | 0.8 | 0 | 5 |
| Arizona | 3 | 2 | 0.7 | 1 | 1 |
| Oregon | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 12 | 22 | 1.8 | 2 | 6 |
| California | 5 | 10 | 2.0 | 0 | 8 |
| Arizona State | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 |
| Wash. State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Notre Dame | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2000 (Sr.). | 63 | 153 | 2.4 | 8 | 11 |
1998
| ? | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Purdue | 8 | 22 | 2.8 | 1 | 8 |
| San Diego St. | 10 | 26 | 2.6 | 0 | 5 |
| Oregon State* | 6 | 11 | 1.8 | 0 | 3 |
| Florida State | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Arizona State* | 8 | 10 | 1.3 | 0 | 7 |
| California | 13 | 118 | 9.1 | 1 | 65 |
| Wash. State* | 6 | 84 | 14.0 | 1 | 53 |
| Oregon | 4 | 11 | 2.8 | 0 | 5 |
| Washington | 9 | 26 | 2.9 | 1 | 7 |
| Stanford* | 12 | 39 | 3.3 | 2 | 7 |
| UCLA | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 |
| Notre Dame | 9 | 8 | 0.9 | 0 | 4 |
| TCU (Sun) | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 1 | 2 |
| 1998 (Jr.) | 93 | 365 | 3.9 | 8 | 65 |
1997
| ? | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| UNLV | 5 | 17 | 3.4 | 0 | 6 |
| Arizona State | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 11 |
| Washington | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 0 | 11 |
| Stanford | 7 | 54 | 7.7 | 0 | 18 |
| Oregon State | 7 | 18 | 2.6 | 0 | 10 |
| 1997 (So.) | 24 | 103 | 4.3 | 0 | 18 |
(77) TREVOR ROBERTS--Offensive Guard-Offensive Tackle, 6-4, 305, Sr.*/Sr.
2000: Roberts was set to start at left offensive guard as a senior in 2000, but a sprained left foot suffered in 2000 fall drills sidelined him for USC's first 4 games. He returned for the Arizona game and played in that contest as Lenny Vandermade's backup, then he was back in the starting lineup for USC's final 7 games. He had surgery on a fractured left wrist during 2000 spring practice.
1999: Normally an offensive guard, Roberts backed up Brent McCaffrey at offensive left tackle as a junior in 1999, but started 3 mid-season games (Notre Dame, Stanford and California) when McCaffrey was injured. He appeared in 6 games in 1999 (he missed the Hawaii, San Diego State and Oregon contests with a right ankle sprain suffered in fall camp and the Arizona State, Washington State and UCLA games with a broken left wrist suffered at California).
1998: Roberts was a backup to Travis Claridge at offensive right guard as a sophomore in 1998. He saw brief action in 2 games in 1998 (Florida State and Washington State). He missed the first half of 1998 spring practice because of a strained calf muscle.
1997: As a redshirt freshman reserve offensive guard, Roberts did not see any action in 1997 while bothered all season by a sprained right ankle suffered in the pre-season.
1996: Roberts redshirted as a freshman offensive guard in 1996, his first year at USC.
HIGH SCHOOL: He made the 1995 Super Prep All-Farwest, Bluechip All-Western, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State, All-CIF Southern Section, All-CIF Division IV, Los Angeles Times All-Inland Empire first team, Riverside Press Enterprise All-Riverside County first team, All-Mountain View League and Cal-Hi Sports All-Academic as a senior at Norco (Calif.) High. Norco went 12-1 in 1995.
As a 1994 junior, he was selected to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Junior, All-CIF Division IV, Riverside Press Enterprise All-Riverside County and All-Mountain View squads (Norco was the CIF Division IV runnerup).
A 3-year starter, he was a member of the All-Mountain View squad as a 1993 sophomore when Norco was the CIF Division IV champion (with a 14-0 record).
He also played basketball and baseball at Norco.
PERSONAL: He's a public policy and management major at USC with a B- average (2.96 GPA). His sports hero is Walter Payton.
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Trevor is a somewhat experienced player and it appears his time has come. He had a very solid spring."
(49) RYAN SHAPIRO Linebacker, 6-0, 230, Sr.*/Sr.
2000: Shapiro, a one-time walk-on who received a scholarship in 2000, was a reserve weakside linebacker and special teams player as a senior in 2000. Overall in 2000 while appearing in all 12 games, he made 2 tackles.
1999: Shapiro was a reserve linebacker and key special teams player as a walk-on junior in 1999. Overall in 1999, he made 1 tackle (versus Stanford) while appearing in all 12 games. He was moved to linebacker (from fullback) in 1999 spring drills.
1998: Shapiro was a reserve fullback as a walk-on sophomore in 1998, but did not see any action.
1997: Shapiro was a reserve fullback as a walk-on redshirt freshman in 1997, but did not see any action.
1996: Shapiro was a student at USC in 1996, but did not play football.
HIGH SCHOOL: He was a 2-year (1994-95) starter at Carson (Calif.) High. As a 1995 senior, he earned All-Southern Pacific League first team honors while starting at linebacker (getting 100 tackles, including 8 for losses, with 2 sacks, plus 5 forced fumbles and 1 interception) and tight end (15 catches with 2 TDs). He started on the defensive line as a 1994 junior, notching 60 tackles. A fine student, he had a 4.09 GPA and was the Academic Player of the Year in L.A. City. He was also Carson's salutatorian.
PERSONAL: He has an A- average (co-team-high 3.72 GPA) and received his bachelor's degree in business administration from USC in May of 2000. He is currently taking classes for his master's degree in communication management. He was a 2000 Pac-10 All-Academic first team pick. His sister, Kelly, is a sophomore javelin and hammer thrower on the USC women's track team.
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Ryan is a senior who has paid his dues and worked hard. He can contribute for us on defense and especially on special teams."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAREER | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH RYAN SHAPIRO
2000
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Oregon State | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.). | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
1999
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Stanford | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.). | 5 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
(55) MARKUS STEELE--Linebacker, 6-3, 220, Sr./Sr.
2000: Steele started for his second season at weakside linebacker as a senior in 2000. Overall in 2000 while starting USC's first 8 games, he had 61 tackles, including a team-best 17 for losses of 48 yards (with 3 sacks for minus 15 yards), plus 1 deflection and 1 fumble recovery (against Oregon State). He was ninth nationally in tackles for a loss (1.89 avg.). He suffered an ankle sprain late in the California game and missed the Arizona State and Washington State contests (he then played some against UCLA and Notre Dame). He missed 2000 spring practice while recovering from shoulder surgery. He participated in the East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl.
Steele had 3 stops against Penn State, then tied for the game high in tackles with 9 (2 were sacks) versus Colorado and had a game-high 12 tackles (4 for losses) against San Jose State. He added 7 stops (1 for a loss) and also recovered a fumble at Oregon State, had 5 stops (4 for losses) with a deflection against Arizona, had 9 tackles (3 for losses) against Oregon, and added 7 stops (1 for a loss) at Stanford. He had 7 stops, including 2 for losses (with a sack) against California, before spraining his ankle late in the game (that kept him out of the Arizona State and Washington State games). He played briefly off the bench at UCLA, but didn't make a stop, then had 2 tackles off the bench versus Notre Dame.
1999: Steele, who came to USC from a junior college, made an immediate impact in fall camp and started all of 1999 at weakside linebacker as a junior. He upheld the USC tradition of outstanding defensive players wearing the No. 55 jersey, including NFLers Claiborne, Junior Seau and Willie McGinest. Overall in 1999 while appearing in all 12 games, he made 91 tackles (second on USC), including a team-best 12 for losses of 33 yards (with 3 sacks for minus 15 yards), 6 deflections, 1 interception (against San Diego State), 3 forced fumbles (against San Diego State, Oregon and Notre Dame), and 2 fumble recoveries (versus Hawaii, which he returned 46 yards for a TD, and San Diego State). He did not start (but played) against Stanford and California while bothered by shoulder and ankle sprains. He was third in the Pac-10 in forced fumbles (3) and tied for third in fumble recoveries (2). He was a 1999 Football News All-American honorable mention and All-Pac-10 honorable mention pick. After the season, he had surgery to repair a dislocating left shoulder.
He began his college career at Hawaii with 4 tackles (1 was a sack), 2 deflections (1 led to a USC interception) and a recovered fumble which he returned 46 yards for a TD. Against San Diego State, he made 9 tackles (2 for losses, with a sack), intercepted a pass and forced a fumble which he recovered. He had a game-high (and 1999 USC individual high) 16 tackles at Oregon, added 4 stops against Oregon State, posted a game-high 14 tackles (2 for losses) and a deflection at Arizona, and had a game-high 12 tackles at Notre Dame (2 for losses, with a sack) and forced a fumble. Against Stanford, he had 4 tackles despite playing a limited role while bothered by a left shoulder sprain. He tied for the team-high in tackles at California with 7 (with 3 for losses). He had 9 tackles with a deflection against Arizona State, added 4 stops (1 for a loss) at Washington State, had 6 tackles against UCLA and 2 versus Louisiana Tech.
JUNIOR COLLEGE: He was picked to the 1998 J.C. Grid-Wire All-American first team, J.C. Athletic Bureau All-American Defensive MVP, Super Prep JUCO 100, J.C. Athletic Bureau All-State Region IV Defensive MVP and All-Mission Conference Northern Division Defensive MVP as a sophomore at Long Beach (Calif.) City College. In 1998, he posted 93 tackles, 17 tackles for losses, 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery (for a TD), an interception (for a TD) and 2 blocks. He also carried the ball 4 times for 39 yards (9.8 avg.). Long Beach City was 10-1 in 1998 and ranked third in the state and sixth nationally.
As a 1997 freshman, he made the J.C. Athletic Bureau All-State Region IV first team and All-Mission Conference Northern Division first team while making 96 tackles, 20 tackles for losses, 8 sacks and 2 interceptions. Current Trojan DeShaun Hill also attended Long Beach City.
HIGH SCHOOL: He prepped at Chanel High in New Bedford (Ohio), where he starred in football (middle linebacker and tailback) and basketball (power forward). He ran for 17 touchdowns in just 6 games as a senior. He was sidelined by a broken ankle midway through his junior year.
PERSONAL: He's a history major at USC. He has a newborn daughter, Jordan (born during the 2000 season).
MARKUS STEELE ON: His hopes for the 2000 season: "I want to get bigger and stronger and knowing the whole defense comes back in 2000 makes it more fun. It will give me a chance to get more exposure, get a feel for the game. I still have a lot to learn."
His 1999 season: "I didn't think I would be as successful. My plan was to learn my way into the program during my junior year and have a nice senior year. It went better than expected. Leaving early for the NFL crossed my mind. It wouldn't have been bad, but I figured I could help myself more if I stayed and got my degree. I just got here and I want to experience college life."
Playing outside linebacker: "I like being an outside linebacker. It shows people how fast you can move side-to-side and I get to blitz a lot. The quarterback looks for pressure from the other side, so I think my blitzing screws teams up."
His ability: "I'm faster than some running backs and I can keep up with them because I was one myself once. I can often tell where the offensive line is going to go and what the offense is going to run. I try to always be around the ball. My mentality is to get to every play. You never know when the ball will pop out. I try to pattern my style after (NFL star) Derrick Brooks. We both are a little smaller but are very fast. He has a complete game and that's what I try to have as well."
His demeanor: "Most people figure I play some sport, but not football. Some people say I'm too nice to play that kind of sport. I don't want to have a football mentality every moment of my life. It's something I can turn off and on. I want to be a regular student like everyone else."
Wearing No. 55: "I had to take a couple of days to think about if I wanted to wear that number and decide if I wanted that much pressure. I didn't want to be compared to anyone else. But the coaches told me how much the number meant to the program and that they didn't want just anyone wearing it. I knew then that they had a lot of confidence in me. At first, I didn't think too much about number 55. Then, when I realized who wore that number here before me, I wanted the pressure. I wanted to live up to the expectations of the others who wore it at USC. I knew that wearing that number meant I had to put up quickly. It's a great honor to wear that number after all the great players who have worn it. My hope is to continue to carry on the tradition."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "Markus, quite simply, is an impact player. He has great speed and is a real hitter. It was amazing how well he made the jump from junior college to Division I football last season. We missed him this past spring, but we expect to have him back at 100% in the fall."
USC cornerback Kris Richard: "Markus can play. He had a lot of hype coming in and he backed it up. When you watch him on film, it's pretty amazing. To be as fast as he is at that position. He plays fast and he hits hard. And he is so intelligent on the field."
Former USC tailback Chad Morton: "He's fast, real fast. People try comparing him to (ex-USC Butkus Award winner) Chris Claiborne, but they're not the same type of players. Chris would run through people and rough you up. Markus' game is to get to the ball and cover well. He's very fast. He'll catch you if you're not running your fastest."
USC safety DeShaun Hill, Steele's junior college teammate: "The first time I saw him with pads on, I knew what the deal was. I started calling him 'freak' because he has freaky athletic ability. He's fast enough to play defensive back but strong enough to take on offensive tackles. He's just amazing. He's just scratching the surface."
Phil Collin, South Bay Daily Breeze: "He makes numerous highlight film-type plays with his relentless pursuit and ability to slither away from blocking schemes designed to slow him down."
Scott Wolf, Los Angeles Daily News: "His speed and size make him attractive. He could probably even play strong safety in the NFL because of his athleticism."
Former USC linebackers coach Shawn Slocum: "He's a guy with the ability to make plays all over the field. He's just plain fast. He comes off the edge and slithers through. What stands out is his range and that he plays with violence."
USC football television analyst Craig Fertig, a former Trojan player and assistant coach: "People are starting to run away from him. But, hey, go ahead. He'll catch them."
Long Beach City College head coach Larry Reisbig: "He's the best player I've ever had. Sure, he's got great athletic ability, but he's much more than just a great athlete. He has a real feel for the game and how the position is supposed to be played. He'd constantly talk to the coaches and watch as much film as he could. He's a great leader and a wonderful kid to coach."
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 91 | 12/33 | 6 | 2* | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 61 | 17/48 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAREER | 152 | 29/81 | 7 | 3* | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH MARKUS STEELE
2000
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| Penn State* | 3 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado* | 9 | 2/7 | 0 | 0 |
| San Jose St.* | 12 | 4/5 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 7 | 1/1 | 0 | 1 |
| Arizona* | 5 | 4/10 | 1 | 0 |
| Oregon* | 9 | 3/12 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford* | 7 | 1/4 | 0 | 0 |
| California* | 7 | 2/9 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 (Sr.). | 61 | 17/48 | 1 | 1 |
1999
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR | INT | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
| Hawaii* | 4 | 1/4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| San Diego St.* | 9 | 2/10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 |
| Oregon* | 16 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State* | 4 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona* | 14 | 2/2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame* | 12 | 2/6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 4 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| California | 7 | 3/8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State* | 9 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wash. State* | 4 | 1/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA* | 6 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| La. Tech* | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 (Jr.). | 91 | 12/33 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 |
(11) MIKE VAN RAAPHORST--Quarterback, 6-5, 220, Sr.*/Sr.
CAREER: He is ninth on USC's career passing list (249 completions) and 17th on the Trojans' all-time total offense chart (3,042 yards). He also owns the USC single game passing yardage record (415 yards versus Stanford in 1999, 27th on the Pac-10 list) and total offense mark (390 yards against Stanford in 1999). He started 15 games in his 4-year career.
2000: The heady, experienced Van Raaphorst, who starred both on the field and in the classroom, backed up Carson Palmer at quarterback as a senior in 2000. But he was tested enough to step in and run USC's offense without a hitch. His only appearance in 2000 came when he replaced Palmer to open the second half of the Washington State game his first action in 13 games dating to the ninth game of 1999 and led USC to all of its 27 points by going 17-of-28 (60.7%) for 234 yards and 3 TDs (tying a career best). He also was the backup holder on all placekicks, but didn't perform that duty.
1999: Van Raaphorst began his 1999 junior year as the backup quarterback behind Carson Palmer for 3 games, but he soon took over the starting duties for 5 games (Oregon State, Arizona, Notre Dame, Stanford and California) for an injured Palmer before giving way to John Fox for USC's final 4 outings (he was Fox's backup in those games). Overall in 1999 while appearing in 8 games, he was USC's leading passer as he completed 139-of-258 passes (53.9%) for 1,758 yards with 8 TDs and 9 interceptions. His 139 completions in 1999 was good for 14th on USC's season passing ladder. He also had 38 carries for ?169 yards (-4.4 avg.) and made 2 tackles. He was a classroom star, too. He won USC's Bob Chandler Award (top underclassman athlete/student/leader).
In the opener at Hawaii, he relieved Palmer when USC opened up a big lead and completed 5-of-10 passes for 83 yards. He didn't play in the next game against San Diego State. When Palmer broke his collarbone at Oregon, Van Raaphorst came in and performed brilliantly, completing 20-of-36 passes for 227 yards (all then-career bests) with a TD. He then got his first start of 1999 and responded well by completing 17-of-31 passes for 197 yards against Oregon State. At Arizona, he completed 23-of-41 passes for 291 yards, all then-career highs, and threw 2 TDs with an interception. The next game at Notre Dame, he posted near-identical numbers as he threw for a career-best 298 yards on 23-of-41 passing (equaling his career highs), with 2 TD tosses and an interception. Against Stanford, he set a USC single game record with 415 passing yards (27th on the Pac-10 list) and his yardage, completions (25) and attempts (51) set or equaled career bests for the third week in a row (he also had career highs with 3 TD passes, including a pair of 64-yarders, and 3 interceptions), his 390 yards of total offense was also a USC single game mark. He started at California and hit 14-of-24 passes for 156 yards with an interception before being relieved early in the third quarter by John Fox. Fox started the next game against Arizona State before giving way early in the second half to Van Raaphorst, who was 12-of-24 for 91 yards with 2 picks. He didn't play in USC's final 3 games (against Washington State, UCLA and Louisiana Tech).
1998: Van Raaphorst started USC's first 8 games of 1998 at quarterback as a sophomore, sharing time in those outings with Carson Palmer, then he gave way as Palmer played all of the final 5 contests. Overall in 1998, Van Raaphorst was 77-of-155 (49.7%) for 1,066 yards and 8 TDs with 4 interceptions. He also had 21 carries for ?54 yards (-2.6 avg.) with a TD. After the season, he had arthroscopic surgery to remove torn cartilage in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, which forced him out of 1999 spring drills.
He was 11-of-22 for 89 yards in the Purdue opener despite playing with a touch of food poisoning, 13-of-26 for 189 yards and 2 TDs (all then-career highs) against San Diego State and 12-of-26 for 174 yards with a 47-yard TD against Oregon State, but then struggled at Florida State while bothered with a pre-game stomach virus, going 1-of-9 for 5 yards. He hit 11-of-23 passes for a then-career-high 191 yards and 1 TD against Arizona State (he also ran for an 8-yard score), threw 2 TD passes while going 11-of-22 for a career-high 203 yards against California and was 9-of-15 for 99 yards and a TD at Washington State before becoming ill when he was hit in the stomach. At Oregon, he was 9-of-12 (including completing his final 6 tosses) for 116 yards and a TD. He did not see any action in USC's final 4 contests.
1997: Van Raaphorst began his 1997 redshirt freshman season as the backup to John Fox at quarterback, but won the job by mid-season and started twice (Washington and Stanford). He would have held onto the starting spot except for an ankle injury. Overall while appearing in 5 games (Arizona State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Washington and Stanford) in 1997, he was 21-of-46 (45.7%) for 218 yards and 1 TD with 2 interceptions. He also had 9 carries for ?10 yards (-1.1 avg.). He made his first career start at Washington, where he went 5-of-18 for 46 yards with 2 picks (but 5 of his throws were dropped) while playing the first half. He started again versus Stanford and went 12-of-21 for 128 yards and a TD before a sprained right ankle sidelined him late in the third quarter (he missed the next 2 games, Oregon State and UCLA). Before that, he filled in briefly for Fox against Arizona State (2-of-3, 23 yds), Notre Dame (2-of-3, 21 yds) and Oregon (0-of-1).
1996: Van Raaphorst redshirted as a freshman quarterback in 1996, his first year at USC. He was bothered by tendinitis in his right shoulder prior to the Illinois game and was sidelined the rest of the season (he had surgery prior to the California contest).
HIGH SCHOOL: He was named a 1995 Super Prep All-American, Bluechip All-American, Super Prep All-Farwest, Bluechip All-Western, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best of the Rest, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, All-CIF San Diego second team, All-CIF San Diego Division II first team, All-East County first team, All-Grossmont South League first team, and Student Sports All-Academic as a senior quarterback at Helix High in La Mesa (Calif.). He completed 52.0% of his passes (128-of-246) for 2,207 yards and 19 TDs (with just 5 interceptions) in 1995. Helix was 10-3 in 1995. Current Trojan Travis Watkins also prepped at Helix.
As a 1994 junior at Grossmont High in La Mesa, he threw for 978 yards while hitting 92-of-166 aerials (55.4%) and 9 TDs with just 2 picks despite missing 5 games with a broken thumb.
He passed for 1,087 yards and 6 TDs as a 1993 sophomore at Grossmont while earning All-League honorable mention notice. In his career, he hit 55.0% of his passes for 4,272 yards and 34 TDs.
He transferred back to Grossmont in the spring of 1996. At Grossmont, he also played volleyball (making All-East County second team and All-League second team as a junior) and basketball (earning All-East County second team and All-Grossmont League first team honors as a senior while averaging 16 points and All-East County first team and All-League first team notice as a junior while averaging 17 points, he also was a member of Grossmont's 1993 CIF championship team as a soph).
He starred in the classroom, too, posting a 4.38 prep GPA.
PERSONAL: He has an A- average (co-team-high 3.72 GPA) and received his bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism/political science from USC in May of 2000. He was accepted into USC's M.B.A. program and began courses in it in the fall of 2000. He made the 1999 Pac-10 All-Academic first team and the 1997, 1998 and 2000 Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention teams. He was a 2000 NACDA Foundation Preseason Games Scholar-Athlete (winning a $5,000 scholarship). He also won USC's Howard Jones/Football Alumni Club Academic Award and John Wayne Memorial Scholarship in 2000. His father, Dick, was a kicker with the San Diego Chargers in 1966 and 1967 after starring at Ohio State (his 44-yard field goal provided the Buckeyes' only points in a 32-3 loss to USC in 1963 and was the second longest against the Trojans at the time). Mike's brother, Jeff, lettered 4 years (1983-86) as a record-setting quarterback at Arizona State (he was MVP of the 1987 Rose Bowl) and his 95-yard TD pass to Aaron Cox in 1985 still ranks as the longest pass against USC. Another brother, Bill, was an offensive lineman at San Diego State in the mid-1990s and is now a minor league umpire.
MIKE VAN RAAPHORST ON: His USC career: "It's been a long road. I'd be lying to you if I said it's been easy. It's been very difficult. I've come to understand a lot of things are out of my hands and I just have to deal with them, but I've also learned to accept the things that I can change and work on that. Anytime you go from being the main guy to serving in a backup role is extremely difficult. But it has been a growing experience. God has challenged me with this. I hope I've dealt with it the right way. I've come too far in this school with all aspects of my life to just leave. It's been difficult, but I definitely have improved. It came with experience and learning the system better. Now, my reads have cleaned up a little. I now what to look for. I think I just make smarter decisions. I really enjoy it at USC. I've built a life here. I wasn't going to give it up. My career has been up and down, but I try to ride on an even keel, and I think my faith helps me with that. I came here to play football and as long as I'm doing that I'm going to give it everything I have, whether I'm the starter or the backup. God gave me the ability to work hard, so that's what I do."
Regaining the starting job in 1999 after Carson Palmer was injured: "God works in mysterious ways. It's like this is 'The Twilight Zone' or something. I was thankful for the opportunity, but I was sorry for what happened to Carson. It's funny. Things change. College football is an amazing game. A lot of people thought my career was over, and all of a sudden it's time to play. I felt bad for Carson, but we had to pick up the pieces and move on. I was prepared. As the backup, I had been preparing the same way as I did when I was a starter. Once I got the first series out of the way, I was fine. As a backup, you prepare, but you don't get as many snaps in practice and you don't expect to see much playing time. I just tried to stay involved mentally. It paid off. I knew what to do when I got in there."
Losing the starting job in 1998: "It was rough, but that was the situation I was in and I really can't do much to change what the coaches decide. I've got to do the best I can do. I felt that I steadily got better as the year went by...Carson is a great guy and we get along very well. We learn to separate things from football."
Competing for the quarterback job in 1997 as a redshirt freshman: "It was fun and interesting. I was disappointed I didn't win the job, because I don't like being the backup, but I accepted that role and did what I could do with it...It's about every emotion you can feel. You want your team to do well and for everyone to succeed, but at the same time you want to get in there and show what you can do...It was like being a pinch hitter. When you get your chance, you've got to go in there and do well. I went in there expecting the level of play not decreasing and hopefully increasing. That's the way I feel about myself and my ability."
Redshirting in 1996 and having shoulder surgery: "It wasn't the redshirting that hurt me, but not being able to practice because of the surgery. I missed six or seven weeks of practice that year. That really stunted my development as a quarterback. I had a bigger hole to catch up with going into the spring of 1997 and then the fall. I had to get back that lost time and I don't think I ever could chase it down."
Christianity: "Becoming a Christian has been a big part of my development, as an athlete and as a person. It has helped me a ton as far as keeping myself on an even basis, not letting my emotions get too high or too low...Being a Christian helps me out a lot. My attitude with everything is just different now. I think things would have definitely affected me before this, that I'd react differently...I was always raised in the church, but I never made it a conscious effort to fully devote myself to God. I look back on that and say that it was the highlight of my life. It wasn't one particular event that made it happen. It took me 20 years of learning and trying to do things on my own, and I finally realized that I couldn't do it alone. Now when I play, I have an audience of one, whereas before I was playing for everybody else...I'm sure my teammates have noticed the change. I've gone about leading my life differently and hopefully they recognize that. A lot of people question how you can go from one lifestyle to another. It was a drastic change. My thoughts are so different now. I used to go out with a lot of the guys and do a lot of the stuff that college guys tend to do. I just couldn't find happiness or solace in all that. But it's not like I've closed myself from hanging out with the guys on the team. Everybody has something to offer."
Brother, Jeff, who is a radio analyst on Arizona State football games: "It's not a secret that he pulls for me. Blood is thicker than anything. He's not going to shy away from that. But the USC-ASU week is the one week that we don't talk. Neither of us wants to give the impression that we're sharing any information about the other school."
Watching older brother Jeff in the 1987 Rose Bowl: "I decided right then I wanted to play in Pasadena some day."
Majoring in broadcast journalism: "It's interesting to learn all of the intricacies that are involved in broadcasting. It's definitely given me a different perspective on journalism. I know that reporters are out to get what they need for a story and that if they are saying or writing something negative, it's not necessarily their opinion but just their job."
WHAT OTHERS SAY: Former USC head coach Paul Hackett: "We have a very capable backup quarterback in Mike. He is bright, experienced, efficient and poised. He has shown he can do the job."
Former USC quarterbacks coach Ken O'Brien: "Mike is extremely talented and bright, and he's a hard worker who is always willing to do whatever it takes."
USC quarterback Carson Palmer: "Mike always helps me out. He's very smart. He knows the first read, the second read, the third read. He knows all the outlets. He's quick to see everything. He's not going to give up. That's just the type of person he is. When our roles changed, he never took a day off, never took a practice off. He was always there. I don't think anybody in the world could handle the situation as well as he has. He's always behind me, supporting me all the way. He's a great guy."
Arizona head coach Dick Tomey: "He would be playing first team quarterback for a lot of teams. He has an outstanding arm and he has a tremendous background. He's a good quarterback."
| ? | PA | PC | PI | PCT | YDS | TD | LG | TCB | YDS | AVG | TD | ?LG |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 46 | 21 | 2 | .457 | 218 | 1 | 27 | 9 | -10 | -1.1 | 0 | 6 |
| 1998 (So.) | 155 | 77 | 4 | .497 | 1066 | 8 | 77 | 21 | -54 | -2.6 | 1 | 11 |
| 1999 (Jr.) | 258 | 139 | 9 | .539 | 1758 | 8 | 64 | 38 | -169 | -4.4 | 0 | 19 |
| 2000 (Sr.) | 28 | 17 | 0 | .607 | 234 | 3 | 34 | 10 | -1 | -0.1 | 0 | 16 |
| CAREER?? | 487 | 249 | 15 | .511 | 3276 | 20 | 77 | 78 | -232 | -3.0 | 1 | 19 |
| ? | TAC | LS/YDS | DFL | FR |
| 1999 (Jr.). | 2 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
GAME-BY-GAME WITH MIKE VAN RAAPHORST
2000
| ? | PA | PC | PI | PCT | YDS | TD | LG |
| Wash. State | 28 | 17 | 0 | .607 | 234 | 3 | 34 |
| 2000 (Sr.). | 28 | 17 | 0 | .607 | 234 | 3 | 34 |
1999
| ? | PA | PC | PI | PCT | YDS | TD | LG |
| Hawaii | 10 | 5 | 1 | .500 | 83 | 0 | 43 |
| Oregon | 36 | 20 | 0 | .556 | 227 | 1 | 28 |
| Oregon State* | 31 | 17 | 0 | .548 | 197 | 0 | 37 |
| Arizona* | 41 | 23 | 1 | .561 | 291 | 2 | 35 |
| Notre Dame* | 41 | 23 | 1 | .561 | 298 | 2 | 58 |
| Stanford* | 51 | 25 | 3 | .490 | 415 | 3 | 64 |
| California* | 24 | 14 | 1 | .583 | 156 | 0 | 26 |
| Arizona State | 24 | 12 | 2 | .500 | 91 | 0 | 18 |
| 1999 (Jr.). | 258 | 139 | 9 | .539 | 1758 | 8 | 64 |
1998
| ? | PA | PC | PI | PCT | YDS | TD | LG |
| Purdue* | 22 | 11 | 1 | .500 | 89 | 0 | 17 |
| San Diego St.* | 26 | 13 | 0 | .500 | 189 | 2 | 53 |
| Oregon State* | 26 | 12 | 0 | .462 | 174 | 1 | 47 |
| Florida State* | 9 | 1 | 1 | .111 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Arizona State* | 21 | 11 | 1 | .524 | 191 | 1 | 44 |
| California* | 22 | 11 | 0 | .500 | 203 | 2 | 77 |
| Wash. State* | 15 | 9 | 0 | .600 | 99 | 1 | 32 |
| Oregon* | 12 | 9 | 1 | .750 | 116 | 1 | 70 |
| 1998 (So.) | 155 | 77 | 4 | .497 | 1066 | 8 | 77 |
1997
| ? | PA | PC | PI | PCT | YDS | TD | LG |
| Arizona State | 3 | 2 | 0 | .667 | 23 | 0 | 16 |
| Notre Dame | 3 | 2 | 0 | .667 | 21 | 0 | 12 |
| Oregon | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington* | 18 | 5 | 2 | .278 | 46 | 0 | 18 |
| Stanford* | 21 | 12 | 0 | .571 | 128 | 1 | 27 |
| 1997 (Fr.) | 46 | 21 | 2 | .457 | 218 | 1 | 27 |
