By Elizabeth McHughUSCRipsIt staff writer
"Beep, beep... beep, beep..." It's 8:15 a.m. on a Thursday morning and the droning sounds of Alex Parsons' alarm clock awake him from his slumber.
For most college kids, this is an hour unseen through all four undergraduate years, but for this senior offensive tackle, this is a "late morning."
"I got to sleep in this morning until a whopping 8:15," Parsons said. On most other days, Parsons is up at 6:15 and in the weight room by 7 a.m. for scheduled workouts with the other offensive linemen.
After waking up, Parsons heads to the Galen Dining Center, a popular establishment located near Heritage Hall that primarily serves varsity athletes. On the menu this morning? A blueberry bagel and a banana.
Soon after he finishes breakfast, Parsons ventures to the center of campus for class. At 9:30 a.m., the sociology major arrives at his first class of the day -- Introduction to Sociological Theory, a class that lasts until almost 11 a.m. Â Â Â
Once lecture's through, Parsons returns to Galen for yet another tasty treat. This time, he enjoys "a delicious turkey and ham wrap and a side of pasta salad."
Parsons' second and final class of the day, Terrorism and Genocide, a political science course, begins at noon and ends just before 2, leaving Parsons with only a few minutes to get from his class back to the locker room.
"After my terrorism and genocide class, I really had to hustle back to get my ankles taped and treated before our 2:15 meetings," Parsons said.
From 2 until nearly 7 p.m., Parsons is surrounded by all things USC football. Team meetings take place until 4 p.m. Then, Parsons and the team take the field for an intense and competitive two-hour practice session. Finally, he cleans up from practice and spends time in the training room.
Around 8 p.m., Parsons arrives home after a long, 12-hour day. Though most nights he would next face the daunting task of homework, tonight his workload is light.
"I only had a few pages of reading to do," he said.
When dinnertime rolls around, Parsons chooses to treat himself.
"I decided to break my diet and fall for my weakness, Del Taco," he said.
After a little Mexican fast-food and a movie, Parsons' day ends. He climbs in bed and shuts his eyes because tomorrow, it starts all over again.
• Elizabeth McHugh is a USCRipsIt staff writer.Â
