Angelo Johnson will Join SC in 2007
This is a pleasant surprise.
He was not expected to arrive until 2008 because of some transcript issues from his school in Georgia but that was all worked out so he is expected to graduate in June and play for SC next season.
From Kredell's Blog.
Mike Mahoney, who runs Stoneridge Prep, said the school had trouble getting transcripts from Marietta Convent Christian in Georgia and didn't count that year of course work for Johnson. They recently tracked down the transcripts and found he had enough core classes to graduate next month.
Ht: TrojanNYC
Wood named to the CFB HOF
3-time All-American Richard Wood was named to the College Football Hall of Fame today. As a part of SC's 72'and 74' National Championship teams. He is also the 35th Trojan elected to the CFB Hall of Fame.
From the USC Website.
He was picked in the third round of the 1975 NFL draft by the New York Jets and played for Jets (1975) and Buccaneers (1976-84). He amassed 855 career tackles for the Bucs, the third-most in franchise history.
Also honored, from Wolf's Blog:
TOM BRAHANEY- C, Oklahoma, 1970- 72
DAVE BROWN* - DB, Michigan, 1972- 74
JEFF DAVIS- LB, Clemson, 1978-81
DOUG FLUTIE- QB, Boston College, 1981- 84
JOHNNIE JOHNSON- DB, Texas, 1976- 79
REX KERN- QB, Ohio State, 1968-70
AHMAD RASHAD- RB / WR, Oregon, 1969- 71
ANTHONY THOMPSON- RB, Indiana, 1986- 89
WILSON WHITLEY* - DT, Houston, 1973- 76
REGGIE WILLIAMS- LB, Dartmouth, 1973- 75
RICHARD WOOD- LB, Southern California, 1972- 74
CHRIS ZORICH- DT, Notre Dame, 1988- 90
COACHES
HERB DEROMEDI- Central Michigan (1978- 93), 110- 55-10
JOE PATERNO- Penn State (1966- present), 363-121-3
* Deceased
Congratulations to Richard!
Another great Article on Pete Carroll
We have all marveled at the enthusiasm that Pete Carroll has brought to USC. His ability to identify talent and bring it to SC has more than a few people scratching their heads. But its not all about football as this article in the Bakersfield Californian illustrates.
Football coach, albeit of one of the nation's powerhouse teams, speaking at a function hosted by Hoffmann Hospice, which provides care and comfort for the terminally ill. Not that there had to be one, but where's the connection? I couldn't come up with one, so I asked him.
What he said was that he had none besides having an appreciation for the "enormously important" service hospice provides, and having dinner recently with Dannion Brinkley, a nationally celebrated speaker and author on the subject of hospice care.
But then he relayed the story about his mom's passing and how he held her hand until the very moment she passed away, and then some.
Say what you want but this guy really understands the power of relationships and connecting with people, that's why he gets so many top recruits.
Still Chasing SC
As we have read time and again most of the MSN think SC is the team to beat. I'm not ready to hand them the trophy yet as there are still a lot of questions to be answered but it is hard to argue that SC won't be the preseason favorite.
Anthony Gimino of the Tucson Citizen offers his take.
Cal, on the basis of a great offense and great coaching, is second. UCLA, with 10 starters returning from a defense that smothered USC last season, is third.
That one comes with a qualifier: The Bruins have the talent and experience to be second, but if it's a close call between Cal coach Jeff Tedford and UCLA coach Karl Dorrell, the benefit of the doubt goes to the Bears.
Now, if you could combine Cal's offense with UCLA's defense, you might really have something. Actually, you'd have USC.
He has some good analysis so give it a read.