Khaled Holmes, Wes Horton, Drew McAllister and Curtis McNeal know what it's like to win a Rose Bowl, but the celebratory view was mostly from the sideline as all but McAllister redshirted the 2008 season. Matt Barkley, T.J. McDonald and Jawanza Starling joined the following year as the Trojans rebuilt through an 8-5 campaign with an Emerald Bowl victory.
Barkley has become the poster boy for the group and rightfully so. Where would USC football be if the quarterback had decided not to stick out the sanctions? Instead, exodus gave way to genesis.The Trojans have been reborn starting with the core seven. While the nation buried USC into a hole with no light in sight, they grabbed shovels and went to work.
So perhaps, McNeal is the real symbol of this senior class as Lane Kiffin suggested this week. He was dealt a bad hand off the field before even coming to USC and then persevered through academic and attitude issues before finally emerging as a 1,000-yard rusher last season.
"When we got here, not a lot of people thought he was going to make it this far, so he's one of those stories," said the head coach, who considers himself the "step-father" to this group since he inherited them from Pete Carroll.Â
The stories abound through the group though.Â
Barkley is the first three-time USC football captain and set new Pac-12 records for touchdown passes in a season and career. Yet, he may be best remembered for his selflessness, which created a spirit of giving on this team, including a life-changing humanitarian trip to Haiti for he and his teammates.
Holmes is a true scholar. He was named to the Pac-12's All-Academic first team and will finish USC with a Master's degree.Â
McDonald represents Trojan pride. He came into Troy with an All-American legacy thanks to his father Tim, and now he has carried on the family tradition with his own All-American honors.
Starling, Horton and McAllister all had their own signature moments and legacy as did the other seniors who will run through the Heritage Tunnel before the Notre Dame game Saturday.
But, the symbol is still the collective seven, a number that kept coming back this season. A number that stands for Barkley and McDonald, but also pride, perseverance and the Fight On spirit.
