Looks like Slick RIck is living up to his name...
USC assistant coach Ken Norton Jr. on Sunday lashed out at UCLA for allegedly using him as bait to lure recruits to Westwood and discourage them from joining the Trojans.
Norton, a former All-American linebacker for the Bruins, said UCLA has told prospective players that he would be joining Coach Rick Neuheisel's staff if defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker leaves for another job.
"It's coming from there and it's wrong and it's not true," said Norton, who has coached linebackers on Coach Pete Carroll's USC staff since 2004. "So if you're going to recruit, recruit what you have. . . . Don't try to recruit, saying I'm coming over there.
"And I'm not saying I'm a big deal. I'm just saying you've made it a big deal by using me as some kind of target or ploy or something."
There is negative recruiting and then there is Slick Rick's style of recruiting.
I could be wrong but sooner or later Ken Norton is going to leave USC. If he leaves for ucla that's great for him, I can understand wanting to coach at your alma mater, there is a special pride in that no question about it. But based on this article and what we have heard in the past Slick Rick doesn't seem like the type of guy that Norton would want to coach for. He turned him down last year so I don't see him jumping this year even if its for the DC position.
But like I said I could be wrong.
Norton pulls no punches in opinion of Slick Rick...
But Sunday, Norton referenced Neuheisel's troubled tenures at Colorado and Washington, saying, "It's kind of a pattern of what happened in the past."
Neuheisel, apprised of Norton's comments, said, "I have no comment to that. I've had no contact with Kenny."Norton also said he has had no recent contact with Neuheisel. "It's important that it's known that I'm here and I'm staying here," Norton said. "I just think the recruits should know that. The fans should know that."
"I've found over the years what you say in recruiting kind of tells who you are," Carroll said. "The truth always comes out in the end."
Then there is this gem from Pete Carroll.
"I've found over the years what you say in recruiting kind of tells who you are," Carroll said. "The truth always comes out in the end."
Yeap couldn't have said it better myself...once a punk, always a punk.