On our way into campus from the parking structure I start counting which of the various SC Hawaiian shirts I owned, there were only a couple I didn’t have (gonna have to get those –haha). I saw the completed Loker Stadium Track & Field offices for the first time. It won’t match the Nike, I mean Oregon, T&F facilities, but were pretty nice. Standing in the long line at the gate I note many of the people I see at the Galen. A young family with 3 yr old twins wearing matching SC outfits are in front of us. Passing us is Fr. Richard Sunwoo, pastor of Our Savior Parish & Caruso Catholic Center, in priest collar, but with SC quarter-zip on top. Rick Caruso did a good job making the inside resemble a European cathedral – why he’s going to be LA’s next mayor – jk. If not, it will still be a Trojan mayor, as Karen Bass is also SC.
The Salute to Troy crowd was not as large as they have been in the past, with a smaller Trojan Marching band, conducted by new man on the ladder Dr. Jacob Vogel. Only 4 Song Girls, and a handful of Spirit squad on hand. The line to Traveler is long for kids and parents to get pictures with USC’s famous mascot.
Looks like the all you can eat and drink event is again provided by alum Sam King of King’s Seafood Company fame: Spinach & Caesar salads, BBQ chicken, ribs, burgers, dogs, brats, ranch style baked beans, Southwestern corn, a variety of desserts, beer, wine and soft drinks.
The players were spread at tables and trying to eat their meals before being bombarded by autograph seekers. They players were accommodating and polite. We brought a football and got Biletnikoff Winner Jordan Addison first, Travis Dye, Eric Gentry, Romello Height, Tuli, Vorhees, Dedich, JJ III, Max Williams et al to sign. I was confused when I saw another No. 13 (not Caleb or MJ III), it was DB Adonis Otey. I looked for Big Max Gibbs, but did not see him and he wasn't listed on the program roster (uh-oh, anyone got the scoop), I was anxious to catch my first glimpse of Aussie punter Atticus Bertrams, but he's finishing up school down under. Are we sure he exists? Picture anyone? Haha. I met CJ Williams and family and told him my son was a Servite grad, his mom insisted that CJ take a picture with me, to rub it in, maybe? We told Jason Rodriguez that we enjoyed Scott Rod’s BBQ videos, and then spotted Brandon Sosna and wished him well in Detroit. You think we will hire a baseball coach before his last day July 10?
The festivities began with Mike Bohn surprising Tim Tessalone with the annual Marv Goux Award, for his 43 years of service to the university. He praises the Trustees and President Folt for their support of Athletics and their vision of becoming the Most Student Centered University in the nation. He thanked Brandon Sosna and staff. He talked about the 8th straight record NCAA Academic Progress report score of 988. The biggest applause was when Bohn said they were working on bringing the seventh Heisman Trophy home to SC - #Free Reggie Bush!
The 1972 National Championship team was saluted on their 50th anniversary. They are regarded as the best USC team of all-time, maybe in NCAA history. Among those attending were TE Charlie Young (speaking honors), Notre Dame Killer Anthony Davis, Danny Reese (18 interceptions, second only to Artimus Parker’s 20), RB Rod McNeil, S Charles Phillips, OT Allan Graf, hero in the 1973 Rose Bowl, but maybe better known for his stunt coordination, acting and directing in Hollywood. Richard “Batman” Wood, SC’s only 3-time All American wasn't there, and all missed the late great Sam Cunningham and coach John McKay, the best coach in SC history (Pete Carroll is next). I looked for the previous 2 AD’s Haden and Swann, also on that team, but I guess they didn’t want to ruin the event by their presence. Smart.
The 1997 25-yr anniversary team was rep’d by only 3 players and hustled off stage with no one speaking for JRob’s last team that beat ND in South Bend, “winning one for the Fat Guy.”
SC greats were recognized on stage for their support of the program and thanked for their assistance in speaking to the 25 recruits on official visit, who were kept segregated at the Coliseum. Among the greats were Marcus Allen, Matt Leinart, Willie McGinest, Lendale White, Shaun Cody, Jurrell Casey, Malcolm Smith, Drake London and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Marcus followed up on the sentiment expressed by Charlie Young about what it takes to be a great program and the fact that SC had fallen off and needed to hard work to return to greatness and restore its tarnished reputation. Many former players were disgusted and had stopped coming to visit. They felt that Lincoln Riley and this team would be the ones to start the renaissance and restore the past glory. Marcus said players like Anthony Munoz, Ronnie Lott wanted to come, but couldn’t make it.
Matt Leinart spoke on how Pete Carroll had taken a team at a similar down period and transformed the culture fairly quickly, filling the Coliseum with fans and winning games, he feels that Lincoln Riley can make this happen once again.
Coach Lincoln Riley was introduced to the largest ovation of the night and opened with the line “So this is USC” (smiling). He thanked everyone for being so welcoming to him and his staff and their families. He spoke about the tremendous respect he had for SC, even as a kid growing up in Muleshoe, TX. When he watched them on TV, there was just something different and special about them. He wants to recreate that feeling to fill the Coli and needs the fans’ help. He talked about the great support he was getting from the SC greats and how Ronnie Lott had delivered a stirring 20 minute speech to the team in the Spring about what it meant to be a Trojan and how he got goosebumps all over his body. He related that Carson Palmer gave his approval to unretire his No. 3 jersey to allow Jordan Addison to wear it this season. He talked about how supportive the whole administration had been and how his staff and families were feeling the Trojan family was real.
He stated that he had constructed the most unique roster in USC history, principally by signing the #1 transfer class in the nation. He discussed how USC has put together a great NIL facilitator for the players using the BLVD LLC subsidiary of Stay Doubted, a modern day media agency that SC has partnered with. He noted how many of the audience would have an opportunity to be a part of the collective that would be managed through the BLVD, just as NIL from other businesses would be.
He would go on to introduce many of his coaches, some were still over at the Coli and it was apparent when each of them spoke, how much loyalty they had for their head coach, especially those who had worked with him previously. Each coach would then have their players introduced and a picture would be taken of the group.
Generally speaking all of the coaches seemed at ease with speaking to the crowd, they all projected a confidence in their abilities and all played up their growing fondness for SC and thanked the audience and Trojan Family for their support.
Donte Williams was introduced first, with Lincoln commenting that usually when you come into a new situation you want to start from scratch with your own people and that had been his plan, but after interviewing Donte he knew right away that he was a keeper. He could tell that he understood and loved USC, having grown up in the area. Donte talked about how young his group was (only 2 seniors), but also how talented.
DC Alex Grinch noted that he'd been with LR at OU and that when he got a call from Lincoln who just said “USC”, he knew he was going and was on a plane less than 24 hrs later, along with Coach Simmons, S&C coach Bennie Wylie and Director of Football Ops Clarke Stroud. He said the players had all bought in and were working hard. They have come a long ways already, but have a long way still to go and some of the transfers and incoming freshmen will need to be integrated into the defense.
Roy Manning the assistant head coach for defense followed. He coaches the edge rushers / d-ends.
“The Big Dog” DL Coach Shaun Nua, who has been coaching the Michigan D-Line which recently produced 2 first-round draft picks was next. He welcomed the chance to get back to the west coast and be closer to his family. He is originally from American Samoa.
Brian Odom coaches the inside LBs and is Associate Head Coach for defense. He likes the guys that have been brought in to make the unit better and is looking forward to seeing them in action in the fall.
Offense was next. Dennis Simmons is the Asst Head Coach and WR coach. He's known Lincoln, since LR was 18 yrs old. LR is the godfather of Simmons’ son Kannon. He says the WR room is uber talented, maybe best in the nation.
Luke Huard coaches inside receivers and comes from a family of QBs, with brothers Brock and Damon UW QBs who played in the NFL. He said he wanted to play at SC but was aced out of the spot by some guy named Carson Palmer, so he played 3 seasons at UNC before injury.
America’s tallest TE coach, 6’8” Zach Hansen says the TEs are a very important part of the offense and will be used extensively in a variety of ways. He says his wife Annie is Directing of Recruiting, so they keep it all in the family.
RB coach Kiel McDonald says the RB room is super talented with some of the best players in the conference.
Offensive Coordinator and O-Line coach Josh Henson is coming in with great credentials, and likes the experience his players have, but needs to land a bevy of players in the next class to replace much of the depth that will be lost.
LR coaches the QBs and the Specialists are coached by analyst Bryan Dougherty, also the special teams’ coordinator, but assisted by various coaches on the field.
The evening finished with a Fireworks show. Fight on! Beat the Owls!
The Salute to Troy crowd was not as large as they have been in the past, with a smaller Trojan Marching band, conducted by new man on the ladder Dr. Jacob Vogel. Only 4 Song Girls, and a handful of Spirit squad on hand. The line to Traveler is long for kids and parents to get pictures with USC’s famous mascot.
Looks like the all you can eat and drink event is again provided by alum Sam King of King’s Seafood Company fame: Spinach & Caesar salads, BBQ chicken, ribs, burgers, dogs, brats, ranch style baked beans, Southwestern corn, a variety of desserts, beer, wine and soft drinks.
The players were spread at tables and trying to eat their meals before being bombarded by autograph seekers. They players were accommodating and polite. We brought a football and got Biletnikoff Winner Jordan Addison first, Travis Dye, Eric Gentry, Romello Height, Tuli, Vorhees, Dedich, JJ III, Max Williams et al to sign. I was confused when I saw another No. 13 (not Caleb or MJ III), it was DB Adonis Otey. I looked for Big Max Gibbs, but did not see him and he wasn't listed on the program roster (uh-oh, anyone got the scoop), I was anxious to catch my first glimpse of Aussie punter Atticus Bertrams, but he's finishing up school down under. Are we sure he exists? Picture anyone? Haha. I met CJ Williams and family and told him my son was a Servite grad, his mom insisted that CJ take a picture with me, to rub it in, maybe? We told Jason Rodriguez that we enjoyed Scott Rod’s BBQ videos, and then spotted Brandon Sosna and wished him well in Detroit. You think we will hire a baseball coach before his last day July 10?
The festivities began with Mike Bohn surprising Tim Tessalone with the annual Marv Goux Award, for his 43 years of service to the university. He praises the Trustees and President Folt for their support of Athletics and their vision of becoming the Most Student Centered University in the nation. He thanked Brandon Sosna and staff. He talked about the 8th straight record NCAA Academic Progress report score of 988. The biggest applause was when Bohn said they were working on bringing the seventh Heisman Trophy home to SC - #Free Reggie Bush!
The 1972 National Championship team was saluted on their 50th anniversary. They are regarded as the best USC team of all-time, maybe in NCAA history. Among those attending were TE Charlie Young (speaking honors), Notre Dame Killer Anthony Davis, Danny Reese (18 interceptions, second only to Artimus Parker’s 20), RB Rod McNeil, S Charles Phillips, OT Allan Graf, hero in the 1973 Rose Bowl, but maybe better known for his stunt coordination, acting and directing in Hollywood. Richard “Batman” Wood, SC’s only 3-time All American wasn't there, and all missed the late great Sam Cunningham and coach John McKay, the best coach in SC history (Pete Carroll is next). I looked for the previous 2 AD’s Haden and Swann, also on that team, but I guess they didn’t want to ruin the event by their presence. Smart.
The 1997 25-yr anniversary team was rep’d by only 3 players and hustled off stage with no one speaking for JRob’s last team that beat ND in South Bend, “winning one for the Fat Guy.”
SC greats were recognized on stage for their support of the program and thanked for their assistance in speaking to the 25 recruits on official visit, who were kept segregated at the Coliseum. Among the greats were Marcus Allen, Matt Leinart, Willie McGinest, Lendale White, Shaun Cody, Jurrell Casey, Malcolm Smith, Drake London and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Marcus followed up on the sentiment expressed by Charlie Young about what it takes to be a great program and the fact that SC had fallen off and needed to hard work to return to greatness and restore its tarnished reputation. Many former players were disgusted and had stopped coming to visit. They felt that Lincoln Riley and this team would be the ones to start the renaissance and restore the past glory. Marcus said players like Anthony Munoz, Ronnie Lott wanted to come, but couldn’t make it.
Matt Leinart spoke on how Pete Carroll had taken a team at a similar down period and transformed the culture fairly quickly, filling the Coliseum with fans and winning games, he feels that Lincoln Riley can make this happen once again.
Coach Lincoln Riley was introduced to the largest ovation of the night and opened with the line “So this is USC” (smiling). He thanked everyone for being so welcoming to him and his staff and their families. He spoke about the tremendous respect he had for SC, even as a kid growing up in Muleshoe, TX. When he watched them on TV, there was just something different and special about them. He wants to recreate that feeling to fill the Coli and needs the fans’ help. He talked about the great support he was getting from the SC greats and how Ronnie Lott had delivered a stirring 20 minute speech to the team in the Spring about what it meant to be a Trojan and how he got goosebumps all over his body. He related that Carson Palmer gave his approval to unretire his No. 3 jersey to allow Jordan Addison to wear it this season. He talked about how supportive the whole administration had been and how his staff and families were feeling the Trojan family was real.
He stated that he had constructed the most unique roster in USC history, principally by signing the #1 transfer class in the nation. He discussed how USC has put together a great NIL facilitator for the players using the BLVD LLC subsidiary of Stay Doubted, a modern day media agency that SC has partnered with. He noted how many of the audience would have an opportunity to be a part of the collective that would be managed through the BLVD, just as NIL from other businesses would be.
He would go on to introduce many of his coaches, some were still over at the Coli and it was apparent when each of them spoke, how much loyalty they had for their head coach, especially those who had worked with him previously. Each coach would then have their players introduced and a picture would be taken of the group.
Generally speaking all of the coaches seemed at ease with speaking to the crowd, they all projected a confidence in their abilities and all played up their growing fondness for SC and thanked the audience and Trojan Family for their support.
Donte Williams was introduced first, with Lincoln commenting that usually when you come into a new situation you want to start from scratch with your own people and that had been his plan, but after interviewing Donte he knew right away that he was a keeper. He could tell that he understood and loved USC, having grown up in the area. Donte talked about how young his group was (only 2 seniors), but also how talented.
DC Alex Grinch noted that he'd been with LR at OU and that when he got a call from Lincoln who just said “USC”, he knew he was going and was on a plane less than 24 hrs later, along with Coach Simmons, S&C coach Bennie Wylie and Director of Football Ops Clarke Stroud. He said the players had all bought in and were working hard. They have come a long ways already, but have a long way still to go and some of the transfers and incoming freshmen will need to be integrated into the defense.
Roy Manning the assistant head coach for defense followed. He coaches the edge rushers / d-ends.
“The Big Dog” DL Coach Shaun Nua, who has been coaching the Michigan D-Line which recently produced 2 first-round draft picks was next. He welcomed the chance to get back to the west coast and be closer to his family. He is originally from American Samoa.
Brian Odom coaches the inside LBs and is Associate Head Coach for defense. He likes the guys that have been brought in to make the unit better and is looking forward to seeing them in action in the fall.
Offense was next. Dennis Simmons is the Asst Head Coach and WR coach. He's known Lincoln, since LR was 18 yrs old. LR is the godfather of Simmons’ son Kannon. He says the WR room is uber talented, maybe best in the nation.
Luke Huard coaches inside receivers and comes from a family of QBs, with brothers Brock and Damon UW QBs who played in the NFL. He said he wanted to play at SC but was aced out of the spot by some guy named Carson Palmer, so he played 3 seasons at UNC before injury.
America’s tallest TE coach, 6’8” Zach Hansen says the TEs are a very important part of the offense and will be used extensively in a variety of ways. He says his wife Annie is Directing of Recruiting, so they keep it all in the family.
RB coach Kiel McDonald says the RB room is super talented with some of the best players in the conference.
Offensive Coordinator and O-Line coach Josh Henson is coming in with great credentials, and likes the experience his players have, but needs to land a bevy of players in the next class to replace much of the depth that will be lost.
LR coaches the QBs and the Specialists are coached by analyst Bryan Dougherty, also the special teams’ coordinator, but assisted by various coaches on the field.
The evening finished with a Fireworks show. Fight on! Beat the Owls!
