It wasn't long ago that many thought that Curtis "Moody" McNeil was on the way out the door.
He wasn't buying into the new way at USC. There were some rumblings that Moody had a sense of entitlement...a symptom not uncommon with some of Pete Carroll's recruits.
But Moody turned it around.
This season Moody has bought into all that Kiffin has to offer...
On Saturday, McNeal could be in the starting lineup when USC opens its season against Minnesota at the Coliseum.
The fourth-year junior's turnaround ranks among Kiffin's proudest achievements with the Trojans.
"It's easy for people to always say 'get rid of a guy' if he screws up," Kiffin said. "But with some kids, you have to realize what they're going back to."
Moody will see some significant paying time this season, no question.
I can see why Kiffin sees Moody's transformation as one of his greatest accomplishments...no young man should be given up on and thrown on the trash heap. Every player needs a different approach, Kiffin figured out the best way to get through to Moody.
This weekend we should see the pay off...