University Southern California Trojans
Players Mentioned
Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Getting To Know Tamaal Myers
March 07, 2023 | Track & Field
Freshman Tamaal Myers is in his first season as a hurdler on the USC track and field team. He comes to USC from Detroit, Mich. and seems to be having no trouble adjusting to the geographical change. He was slowed by an injury his senior year of high school, but entered the season as the top returning high school hurdler with personal bests of 51.46 in the 400m hurdles and 13.93 in the 110m hurdles. We had a chance to catch up with him recently.
Q: What brought you to USC?
TM: I think the environment was the big thing that brought me here, the coaching staff [too]. It's a great school. I don't think it was anything that could go wrong with me coming here. So that's why I chose USC.
Q: Were there any other schools that you looked at?
TM: Back at home, Michigan was my other big school. I think coming here, the weather was different, it's a good place to train, my coaching staff here [is great], [and] it's a great business school. I couldn't go wrong.
Q: Were there any sort of nerves about leaving Michigan and coming all the way out here?
TM: Yeah, of course. I have never been away from my family, just far away from them. Coming here, I was kind of scared. But now I've got a family here, so it's just as good.
Q: How's that adjustment been?
TM: It's pretty easy. Honestly, coming here, everybody's really welcoming. Everybody just showed love, helped me where I needed help. It was just an easy adjustment.
Q: How is the second semester going?
TM: I think it's still a little bit different because this is our first time in the season. It's a lot of traveling, a lot of adjusting to time changes for practices and stuff. I'm still getting adjusted to that. The first semester was good, just continuing the momentum into the second semester. Just keep going.
Q: How have you felt about the season so far?
TM: For me the season has been up and down. I have my good days and my bad days, but I'm really just getting ready for the outdoors. Doing what I need to do and handle my business.
Q: Do you have any superstitions before meets?
TM: I have these cards. It's like check yourself. Check myself every week, make sure I'm in a good headspace, make sure I'm centered. Just go out there and do what I need to do.
Q: Have there been any big adjustments you've had to make going from running track in high school to now at the Division I level?
TM: I think back in high school, I didn't have a big team. Getting used to the team situation and just feeling it out. And traveling is different.
Q: What's the traveling aspect like?
TM: It's busy, but it's also really fun. Being around a team away from school, away from campus is fun, but it's a work trip, so it's not too much fun, but I like it.
Q: How's that balance between being an athlete and being a student been so far?
TM: I think the balance is pretty easy. Sometimes I want to do stuff that I don't have time to do because I have to study or I have to go to practice. I think I have found a good balance of knowing what I need to do versus what I want to do, and making time for both of those.
Q: Have you been able to find your spots around campus, around the L.A. area?
TM: I like to go shopping, so any malls. Fairfax is also a nice spot. The beach has been real chill, with good vibes. Just sit, chill and relax. On campus, I love acai, and there is some place across the street that's nice. Those are the big places that I go to.
Q: Are you a big music or TV show guy?
TM: My go to TV show is Dynasty. I love that show. My go-to music is R&B. I love Brent Faiyaz, SZA. All of them are so good.
Q: Is that in your pre-meet playlist?
TM: For sure. Unless I'm in a really good mood, and I'm really ready to go, I'm on go, I'll play some hip hop [too].
Q: So how do you mentally prepare before meet?
TM: I think for me, I have a regiment that I go through. I have to do my rehab before I go to practice, I have to eat, I have to listen to my music. I need to de-stress from class before I go into practice, and then vice versa when I'm going into class I need to de-stress from practice. So just learning how to separate them. Also knowing when the right time for that is.
Q: What are you studying here?
TM: I'm a Business Admin major.
Q: How's that been going?
TM: Pretty good. I like the business school. It's challenging, but it's where I need to be.
Q: What's your favorite part or two about being at USC so far?
TM: My favorite part about being here is the team and our coaches, for sure. It's like a big family. My immediate family is pretty big, but outside of them, I don't have a super big family. Now I have a whole lot of new brothers and sisters. I can always go to somebody to talk to if I need help with something.
Q: Do you have any goals for this upcoming season?
TM: I want to go all the way. I want to get as close to winning nationals as I can. That's the biggest goal.
Q: Do you have any upperclassmen on the team that have helped you get settled in and used to everything here?
TM: Definitely. I think Bailey [Lear], Brendon [Stewart], Breanna [Bernard Joseph], and Johnny [Brackins Jr.], I think everybody has just played a big part in helping us, helping all of the freshmen, not just me, help all of us adapt to this. It's a whole new monster that we all have to deal with.
Q: If you were on a recruiting trip to high school seniors, what would be your pitch to join USC?
TM: There's no other school like USC. No other school is going to offer what we have here. I mean, if you want to be great, this is the place to be, especially in track.
Q: What brought you to USC?
TM: I think the environment was the big thing that brought me here, the coaching staff [too]. It's a great school. I don't think it was anything that could go wrong with me coming here. So that's why I chose USC.
Q: Were there any other schools that you looked at?
TM: Back at home, Michigan was my other big school. I think coming here, the weather was different, it's a good place to train, my coaching staff here [is great], [and] it's a great business school. I couldn't go wrong.
Q: Were there any sort of nerves about leaving Michigan and coming all the way out here?
TM: Yeah, of course. I have never been away from my family, just far away from them. Coming here, I was kind of scared. But now I've got a family here, so it's just as good.
Q: How's that adjustment been?
TM: It's pretty easy. Honestly, coming here, everybody's really welcoming. Everybody just showed love, helped me where I needed help. It was just an easy adjustment.
Q: How is the second semester going?
TM: I think it's still a little bit different because this is our first time in the season. It's a lot of traveling, a lot of adjusting to time changes for practices and stuff. I'm still getting adjusted to that. The first semester was good, just continuing the momentum into the second semester. Just keep going.
Q: How have you felt about the season so far?
TM: For me the season has been up and down. I have my good days and my bad days, but I'm really just getting ready for the outdoors. Doing what I need to do and handle my business.
Q: Do you have any superstitions before meets?
TM: I have these cards. It's like check yourself. Check myself every week, make sure I'm in a good headspace, make sure I'm centered. Just go out there and do what I need to do.
Q: Have there been any big adjustments you've had to make going from running track in high school to now at the Division I level?
TM: I think back in high school, I didn't have a big team. Getting used to the team situation and just feeling it out. And traveling is different.
Q: What's the traveling aspect like?
TM: It's busy, but it's also really fun. Being around a team away from school, away from campus is fun, but it's a work trip, so it's not too much fun, but I like it.
Q: How's that balance between being an athlete and being a student been so far?
TM: I think the balance is pretty easy. Sometimes I want to do stuff that I don't have time to do because I have to study or I have to go to practice. I think I have found a good balance of knowing what I need to do versus what I want to do, and making time for both of those.
Q: Have you been able to find your spots around campus, around the L.A. area?
TM: I like to go shopping, so any malls. Fairfax is also a nice spot. The beach has been real chill, with good vibes. Just sit, chill and relax. On campus, I love acai, and there is some place across the street that's nice. Those are the big places that I go to.
Q: Are you a big music or TV show guy?
TM: My go to TV show is Dynasty. I love that show. My go-to music is R&B. I love Brent Faiyaz, SZA. All of them are so good.
Q: Is that in your pre-meet playlist?
TM: For sure. Unless I'm in a really good mood, and I'm really ready to go, I'm on go, I'll play some hip hop [too].
Q: So how do you mentally prepare before meet?
TM: I think for me, I have a regiment that I go through. I have to do my rehab before I go to practice, I have to eat, I have to listen to my music. I need to de-stress from class before I go into practice, and then vice versa when I'm going into class I need to de-stress from practice. So just learning how to separate them. Also knowing when the right time for that is.
Q: What are you studying here?
TM: I'm a Business Admin major.
Q: How's that been going?
TM: Pretty good. I like the business school. It's challenging, but it's where I need to be.
Q: What's your favorite part or two about being at USC so far?
TM: My favorite part about being here is the team and our coaches, for sure. It's like a big family. My immediate family is pretty big, but outside of them, I don't have a super big family. Now I have a whole lot of new brothers and sisters. I can always go to somebody to talk to if I need help with something.
Q: Do you have any goals for this upcoming season?
TM: I want to go all the way. I want to get as close to winning nationals as I can. That's the biggest goal.
Q: Do you have any upperclassmen on the team that have helped you get settled in and used to everything here?
TM: Definitely. I think Bailey [Lear], Brendon [Stewart], Breanna [Bernard Joseph], and Johnny [Brackins Jr.], I think everybody has just played a big part in helping us, helping all of the freshmen, not just me, help all of us adapt to this. It's a whole new monster that we all have to deal with.
Q: If you were on a recruiting trip to high school seniors, what would be your pitch to join USC?
TM: There's no other school like USC. No other school is going to offer what we have here. I mean, if you want to be great, this is the place to be, especially in track.
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