What's in a name?

By Jordan Moore on November 11, 2009 9:13 AM | 1 Comment

USC is one of just a handful of programs in the nation that doesn't put players' names on the back of the jerseys, and RipsIt reader Jonathan Copeland e-mailed in wondering why.

It comes down to two all-important factors for the Trojans -- tradition and team.

As one of only two major programs in the country to never have put names on the back of their jerseys, USC is a beacon of tradition in an ever-changing landscape of college football. Even a school like Notre Dame -- a program that's dripping with tradition -- went with nameplates on its jerseys at points in the last decade or so.

"We've had such a great tradition," athletic director Mike Garrett said. "We'll never go with names on the jerseys."

The other main reason for the lack of personal names is an old sports adage -- it's not the name on the back of the jersey that counts, but the one on the front.

"It's all about team," Coach Carroll said. "The individual gets to celebrate when the team does well."

NOTE: An earlier version of this post mentioned Penn State as having put names on its jerseys in the past. That mistake has been corrected.

University Southern California Trojans

What's in a name?

What's in a name?

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