NFL Draft Diaries with Darnell Bing - Foxsports
...more NFL team feedback has come in from the Combine. It seems like several teams really like me, including the Falcons and the Steelers. Of course, I would love to play for either of these two teams. I would love to play for any NFL team!

However, it is early and all I can control is how hard I work, so I continue to train non-stop...

Another Pyramid Scheme Derailed - LA Times
...Reggie Bush told NFL Network's Rich Eisen that he is a trash talker. "Do you talk to linebackers and everybody?" Eisen asked.

"Cornerbacks, defensive linemen, everybody," Bush said.

"As you pass them by, or after the game?" Eisen asked.

Bush: "A little bit of both."...

USC Students Spend Spring Break 'Giving Back' - KCAL-TV
...about 250 students will travel within the United States and abroad on special trips designed for students to lend a helping hand and learn about social issues.

This year’s contingent will be its largest since the program began in 1991. Trips are planned to about 10 different places such as Guatemala, Mexico, Death Valley National Park and the Gulf Coast region, where students will assist on post-Katrina recovery efforts.

"USC students have always shown a strong commitment to social causes but we are seeing more and more students who want to volunteer during Spring break," said Melissa Gaeke, director of the USC Volunteer Center...

[Glauber ] Fourth pick isn't high enough - NY Newsday
...Follow Ken Berger's plan, and it'll be Same Old Jets for years to come.

1. Trade up for Matt Leinart

The Jets have the fourth overall pick in next month's draft, and there are three franchise-caliber quarterbacks for the taking. But if you want to get the right one, it's going to take some doing. For our money, Leinart is the class of this year's quarterback group. He did himself a world of good by returning to USC for his senior season, and any concerns about his arm strength shouldn't be a factor. He's good enough to throw the deep out, and that's all any scout cares about...

SaberCats sign OL/DL Van Brown - OurSports.com
...The former junior college All-American began his collegiate career at Pasadena City College in 2000 prior transferring to USC. He played two seasons with the Trojans recording 11 tackles in 17 games before playing his final collegiate season at NAIA Northwestern Oklahoma State...

Getting to know Matt Leinart - NFL News
...If you had to change positions tomorrow, what position would you like to play and why? Wide receiver. I have great hands.

If your team made the Super Bowl, and after taking care of all your family and friends you had one extra ticket, who would you invite? My grandfather who died while I was in high school and never got to see me play in college...

Late debut no problem for Roberts - Salem News
...Peabody's Frank Candela said he was "disappointed, but had no complaints" after Italy's 34-man final World Baseball Classic roster excluded the 27-year-old outfielder...

..."It was a life experience. I had 10 great days in the camp and I'll always look back on it," Candela said. "Football (at USC) didn't work out, but this door (for baseball) opened. I know I can't play sports all my life, but I'm not ready to go out in the real world."...

2006 Preliminary Lombardi Watch List - Official Rotary Lombardi Award Site
[A player should be a down lineman on either side of the ball or a linebacker who lines up no further than five yards deep from the ball. - Æ]
...Sam Baker, OT, USC...Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC...Ryan Kalil, C, USC...

Generous boost for USC's art school - LA Times
USC will announce today that it has received a $23-million gift for its fine arts school from trustee Ed Roski and his wife, artist Gayle Garner Roski. In honor of the donation, which will increase the art school's $5-million endowment more than fivefold, the school will be named the Gayle Garner Roski School of Fine Arts...

..."We were looking to see what we could do to make a difference," said Ed Roski, a 1962 USC graduate who made a fortune in real estate development and is part-owner of the Lakers basketball team, the Kings hockey team and Staples Center...

Clinton House gets big name to kick off speaker series - Northwest Arkansas Times
...The Clinton House seemed enough of an attraction to book nearly 200 boosters and alumni from the University of Southern California.

The Trojans’ game in August against the Razorbacks provided the primary reason for the group to come to Northwest Arkansas, but they plan to maximize their trip by visiting the Clinton House...

The 75 biggest games of 2006 - College Football News
...71. USC at Washington State, Sept. 30
USC has to be very, very careful. The Cougars won this game 30-27 in Pullman in 2002 and have just as much firepower this year...

...56. USC at Arkansas, Sept. 2
USC will be favored, but this is a dangerous road trip for the season opener. The Hogs will look to avenge last year’s 70-17 pasting...

...46. USC at UCLA, Dec. 2
UCLA is still in therapy over what Reggie Bush and the boys did last year...

...39. Oregon at USC, Nov. 11
The Trojans tagged the Ducks with a 45-13 loss for the only blemish up until the Holiday Bowl defeat to Oklahoma...

...18. California at USC, Nov. 18
Cal has usually been a thorn in USC’s side. It’s possible this could determine the Pac 10 title, and even more if Cal starts the season hot...

...15. Arizona State at USC, Oct. 14
Shootout, shootout, shootout. Expect lots of fireworks as the Sun Devils try to take the next step up in the Pac 10...

...6. Nebraska at USC, Sept. 16
It’s the first time these two have played since a 21-21 tie in 1970. A win for the Huskers would be a jump-start to national title hopes, while a USC win would show that it hasn’t slipped...

...2. Notre Dame at USC, Nov. 25
Notre Dame has lost its last two games at USC by a combined score of 85-23. Just imagine the hype if both teams are unbeaten. It might be better than the national championship...

Leinart reunion with Titans' Chow unlikely - USA Today
...The Titans probably stand at least one pick too late to land Leinart, who isn't likely to slide past the Saints with the second overall pick.

"I'd absolutely love it," Chow says of a Leinart reunion. "I told Matt to pretend he didn't know what he was talking about in his interviews with teams so they'd wonder about him. Then, we'll be able to draft him."

Chow laughs. Anything is possible...

Bush to Houston should be a no-brainer - RealFootball365
...Not only is Bush an incredible running back, but he also ranked among the best receivers and return men in college football. He led the nation in '05 with 222.5 all-purpose yards per game. In the Trojans' national title game loss to the Texas Longhorns, Bush was pulled from the game for reasons unbeknownst to everyone who watched the game live or on television. Despite that, Bush still amassed 175 total yards...

Patriots cut ties with McGinest - Boston Globe
Only minutes after the NFL's owners voted 30-2 to extend the collective bargaining agreement six years, the Patriots ended their 12-year agreement with all-time postseason sack leader Willie McGinest...

...McGinest carried a prohibitive salary cap figure of more than $7 million for next season, a number he told the Globe a week ago he felt would surely result in him becoming a free agent unless the team chose to rework his deal...

Colbert has surgery on right ankle - Rock Hill Herald
No one's offering it up as an excuse, but news that Keary Colbert played much of last year on a bad ankle may help explain some things...

...the doctor who performed the surgery said he was surprised the second-year wideout was able to perform as well as he did, considering the pain the injury must have caused. There was no ligament damage, as originally thought...

2006 Pac 10 Team Schedules - College Football News
...USC...
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 12-0
Barring total disaster worst case record: 8-4
Realistic record: 11-1
The September schedule would be a major problem for just about anyone other than USC playing an improved Arkansas on the road before facing Nebraska and road games to Arizona and Washington State...

Pruitt seeks revenge on Cal pranksters - Daily Breeze
...In the frank vernacular of our times, Pruitt got "punked" in the week leading up to the Trojans' final regular-season game Saturday at California.

"Yeah, it was a little bit embarrassing, but I kind of got a laugh about it," Pruitt said. "It just seemed so real."

During the week leading up to the game, an enterprising member of the Cal student rally leaders picked up Pruitt's screen name from Facebook and started up an instant message conversation posing as "Victoria." The chat got as far as exchanging phone numbers. Then the Trojans got to Berkeley...

Here are a couple of Spring Training articles on MLB Trojans.

Brian Bannister remains in the picture [Westchester Journal-News] and Jason Lane adapts to meet his challanges at the plate [Houston Chronicle].
Also, one on Jeff Clement [Official Mariners Website].

Future rookies eagerly await NFL decision - LA Daily News
...The implications of a labor impasse were hardly a consideration for Bing when he was among 47 underclassmen who applied for the draft. But for those at the top - such as USC tailback Reggie Bush, one of five Trojans to leave early, or Texas quarterback Vince Young - they could be costly...

...USC tackle Winston Justice, projected as a mid-first round pick, said he carefully weighed all the pros and cons of leaving school. But he never knew about collective bargaining.

"Before I made the decision to leave or pick an agent, it never came up," Justice said. "I didn't even think about it...

[Lawrence] AD's big return - CNNSI
Thirty years ago, Anthony Davis was quite the specimen: 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, a two-time All-America tailback, a standout centerfielder and four-time national champion at USC. Today, in his early 50s, he is "Bobo the Butt": nearly 300 pounds, racked with pain and afflicted with sleep apnea, a condition that may have played a part in NFL great Reggie White's death...

[Pierson] Bush winning over teams, even before workout - NBC Sports
...it would take a blockbuster offer for Casserly to deal away rights to Bush, and Casserly is familiar with the stakes. In 1999, he was general manager of the Redskins when the New Orleans Saints gave up their No. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and Nos. 1 and 3 picks in 2000 for the chance to draft Ricky Williams.

Reggie Bush is worth at least that much, isn't he?...

[Carucci] Top 5 running backs in draft - NFL News
...1. REGGIE BUSH, USC (UNDERCLASSMAN)...Superb body control and elusiveness allow him to instantly bounce outside or find cutback lane. ... Great vision to find the right hole...

...3. LENDALE WHITE, USC (UNDERCLASSMAN)...Won't hesitate to go through defenders rather than around them, but has enough body control and quickness to be highly effective running outside...

Barre teen putting his life back together - Montpelier Times-Argus
...Felix was paralyzed in a Sept. 23 football game – his first of the season with a team he had joined less than two weeks prior. With eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter of the Spaulding High School game in Brattleboro on the Friday evening, Felix – a free safety – dipped his head too low during a tackle and suffered a devastating injury, shattering the C4 vertebra in his neck...

...After Felix's accident, the Spaulding team, other football teams across the state, radio stations and businesses all raised money for Felix. The University of Southern California recently delivered Felix mementos, including a No. 11 jersey signed by Trojan quarterback Matt Leinart, a helmet signed by head coach Pete Carroll and a basketball from the women's varsity team...

Samohi Football Coach Takes Post In Virginia - Santa Monica Mirror
...It is not known if Kim will hire an assistant who hasn't been a head coach. Or someone from Samohi's storied past. Or someone with no connection to the program.

One name that immediately drew attention was Sam Anno, a former Samohi, USC and NFL player who was an assistant on Lacy's championship teams at both Samohi and St. Monica. He's currently a Graduate Assistant on Pete Carroll's staff at USC...

Scholar Heads to Southern Cal to Resolve a Disconnect - The Chronicle of Higher Education
...At Southern Cal, Mr. Kelley will be both a history professor and a scholar in the university's program in American Studies and Ethnicity. "USC's ethnic studies program is one of the largest and most vibrant in the country," he says...

After Men of Troy, running backs so-so - RealFootball365
...For the second straight year, the top two backs are coming from the same school. Last year it was Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown from Auburn; this time around, the USC early-entry duo of Reggie Bush and LenDale White...

...Most highly-rated college running backs are the center of their football universe, but Bush has an upside in that regard, as well. Southern Cal's remarkable 2003-05 run wasn't just the Bush Administration -- playing alongside White, 2004 Heisman winner LenDale White and a galaxy of other stars, Reggie learned to share the glory.

White had a coming out party (three touchdowns) in the Rose Bowl...

Jets want to take a look at Leinart - NY Newsday
...Newsday has learned the Jets are making plans with the top quarterback prospects to work them out privately before next month's draft.

Leigh Steinberg, the agent for USC quarterback Matt Leinart, said yesterday the Jets have contacted him to set up a private workout sometime in April...

...the Jets have not contacted USC running back Reggie Bush for a private workout, although it's possible they'll do so at a later date...

[Mandel] Spring storylines - CNNSI
...Mark Sanchez or John David Booty?

USC has had just two starting quarterbacks in Pete Carroll's five seasons -- Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart -- and both won Heisman trophies. Needless to say, there's more than a little interest in L.A. as to who inherits the reins next...The guess here is that Booty will emerge from spring as the starter but will be constantly looking over his shoulder should he struggle in the slightest next fall (which is entirely possible considering the amount of attrition on the Trojans' O-line)...

[Pompei] Not all short backs are in over their heads - Sporting News
...The Texans, should they select Bush with the first pick in the draft, need to take a similar approach. Bush is a spectacular talent in the mold of Gale Sayers and easily the most gifted running back to enter the NFL since Sanders 17 years ago. But he should not be expected to carry 25 times a game out of the I-formation. USC had the blueprint for Bush, giving him 18.38 touches per game last season and using him on runs that played to his strengths.

"He had the perfect scenario at SC with LenDale White," Browns general manager Phil Savage says. "If he goes to Houston and they use him with (Domanick) Davis, he can be effective like that...

Dolphins release Junior Seau - Miami Herald
Linebacker Junior Seau became the latest salary cap casualty for the Dolphins, as he was released Monday as the team continued to trim payroll for the offseason.

The Seau move saves the Dolphins approximately $2.92 million against the cap. The move was expected, regardless of whether the collective bargaining agreement is extended this week...

Initiative to help transfer students at select schools - Daily Bruin
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation will partner with eight elite universities in an effort to increase the number of low-income community college students who transfer to top-ranked schools, the foundation announced Monday.

Though UCLA is not part of the $27 million initiative, both UC Berkeley and USC are to participate...

Gastric measures - Sporting News
"I was at an event not long ago, and Deacon Jones came up to me and said, 'Man, you look like Bobo the Butt,'" Anthony Davis says. "It's kind of a wakeup call, you know?" So are those constant wakeup calls because of sleep apnea. Davis -- more than 100 pounds over his playing weight as an All-American tailback at Southern California in the 1970s -- will have gastric bypass surgery on March 11 at 10 a.m. ET, cybercast at www.liteandhope.com.

But this isn't about vanity. This is about a 53-year-old, 300-pound man battling a silent killer...

[Dodd] Texas' passion for football can cut both ways - CBS Sportsline
...There is no room for error in the Pac-10. The conference voted to go to a nine-game league schedule when the NCAA adopted the 12-game season. That means only three non-conference games in the Pac-10. Most leagues can massage their non-league schedule with a patsy or two. Not the Pac-10. Only four of the 10 (Cal, Arizona State, Arizona and Oregon State) are playing I-AA opponents. Then there are USC and Stanford, which are building in no cushion. The Trojans are at Arkansas and have home games against Nebraska and Notre Dame...

Ex-UT star Huff: No Bush was good news - Dallas Morning News
Former Texas safety Michael Huff of Irving Nimitz, who won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back last season, said Monday he’s glad Reggie Bush wasn’t on the field for USC’s critical fourth-and-2 play in the fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl...

A love of football drove Claridge's life - Portland Oregonian
Bill Claridge was waiting to see his son. He had spent a good portion of his life waiting outside closed doors to see Travis. But he endured the crawling seconds last week with the dread of a father waiting to see his son for the last time.

"Waiting outside the door of the coroner's office was a lot like waiting outside the door of the locker room," he said Friday. "Only this time there was no coach coming out to say 'Dad, go on in.' This was one time I couldn't give Travis a Band-Aid or wrap his ankle. This was for real."...

NFL, Union Head for OT - LA Times
...The rules, by increasing the impact of each contract on the salary cap, make it more difficult to sign players to large contracts and therefore make it tougher to stockpile top talent.

The 2006 rules dramatically affect the amount of guaranteed money that will go into the contracts of high draft picks such as USC's Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. In fact, it potentially threatens a team's ability to sign all of its picks...

High school athletes getting jump on college - San Antonio News-Express
...Early arrivals don't always mean happy departures. Quarterback Brock Berlin graduated from high school early and enrolled at Florida but couldn't win the starting job. He eventually transferred to Miami, where he finished his career.

John David Booty graduated early from his Shreveport, La., high school to enroll at Southern California and get a jump on winning the starting quarterback job. Matt Leinart, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2004, eventually beat him out. Now, as he heads into his senior season, Booty has thrown only 66 career passes...

[Carney ] Reggie & LenDale equal Barry Sanders? - RealFootball365.com
With NFL teams pondering their possible selections for the upcoming 2006 NFL Draft, I thought I would help them truly understand the seasons put together by the USC Trojan's Reggie Bush and LenDale White. To see the true significance of what they were able to accomplish this past season, I am going to compare their statistics to the statistics of the best single-season rushing performance in college football ever, Barry Sanders' 1988 season with the Oklahoma State Cowboys...

...If Bush had earned that many carries, we may have seen our first 3,000-yard rusher, and if White had earned that many carries, we may have seen the single-season record for touchdowns being broken...

[Myers] This doesn't make cents - NY Daily News
...Texans GM Charley Casserly is playing it smart by claiming the first pick in the draft is for sale. "We have to do our due diligence," Casserly said. "We have to find out what the pick is worth. If there is an offer that makes sense to us, we will move down." All he's trying to find out is if someone will blow him away with a huge offer, but Houston will stay put. When the Texans are on the clock April 29, they will take USC RB Reggie Bush. Casserly did speak to the Jets about moving up from No. 4 - but the key is that he approached them. The Jets have no interest in moving up to the top spot...

'Gentle giant' football lineman comes home to Almont in death - Flint Journal
...At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, Claridge drew comparisons by sportswriters to both a redwood tree and a professional wrestler, but his family and friends remember a softer side.

"Travis was a wonderful human being," head coach Greg Marshall of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats said in a statement released by the team. "His enthusiasm for life touched so many of us. He loved his teammates, and his teammates loved him...

[In leiu of flowers, memorial contributions can be directed to: Travis Claridge Memorial Athletic Fund, c/o Steven Zott, Superintendant of Schools, 401 Church St, Almont, MI 48003. -Æ]

A Final Return to the Huddle - LA Times
"I could reach out to my teammates," former USC football player Howard McCowan said recently, "but if I did, I know some of them would reach back, and it would hurt them to be associated with a felon. I don't want to put any of them in that position."...

On Saturday, his former teammates reached out to him. They came forward — among them police and parole officers, coaches and former professional football players — to carry the former defensive back to his final resting place.

McCowan, 34, was found dead in his cell Feb. 22, while serving a life sentence as a three-strikes felon at High Desert State Prison in Susanville, Calif...