Baker won't leave early for NFL - LA Daily News
Memo to agents: USC offensive tackle Sam Baker said he will return for his senior season no matter what happens this year.

In an unusual statement for a USC junior, Baker said he will not entertain thoughts of turning pro early and will return for the 2007 season. It's an early victory for USC coach Pete Carroll, who could not convince Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Winston Justice, Darnell Bing or Fred Matua to return for their season years.

"My dream is to play in the NFL, but in another year, I could become a much better product for the NFL," Baker said. "I'm going to stay in school."...

Sanchez Can Do the Job, but It Won't Be a Snap - LA Times
About three weeks before USC began training camp, Mark Sanchez received a phone call from a former Trojan.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner, told Sanchez he was going to work out at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

"Bring your stuff," Palmer said.

Sanchez joined Palmer and his former USC backup, New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel, and Palmer's brother Jordan, the starter at Texas El Paso, and several pro receivers and defensive backs...

DT Wright seeing the light - Ft Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
...Wright is still working on shedding that tissue-soft image, as well as some pounds on his 6-foot-6, 340-pound frame, but strides are being made as he bids for snaps while spelling veteran Keith Traylor (37 next month).

"I'm a young guy," said Wright, 22, who the Dolphins selected with the fifth pick of the 2005 supplemental draft after his sophomore season at Southern California. "You learn things from going through hard things, and I made it in my head that I wasn't going to come back in the same kind of shape.

"I knew what to expect out of this camp from going through it last year and basically see that it couldn't get no worse."

Despite Wright's vow to return in better shape at minicamp in June, he admitted to gaining more than 20 pounds while devouring his mother's cooking in the offseason...

Patterson gains perspective - Philly Inquirer
..."I just feel at this camp I'm so much more comfortable," said Patterson, who was chosen out of USC. "Last year, it was very intense, coming into the system and having to learn the plays. I have a better sense of everything."...

...He recorded eight tackles in his first professional game against Atlanta and, despite slowing down some later in the season, led all NFL rookie defensive tackles with 3.5 sacks. His 66 tackles were the most for any Eagles defensive lineman.

Now, his teammates say they have seen even more progress from Patterson and are predicting big things in his future...

..."He works his butt off," Andrews said. "He's one of the best defensive tackles I've played against at guard...

Assistants try to make impression - Sarasota Herald-Tribune
...It's up to Jethro Franklin to continue what Marinelli established for 10 years with the Bucs defensive line. Greg Burns has the responsibility of carrying on what Tomlin had going with the defensive backs. Both were essentially college coaches, coming from Southern Cal, although Franklin had been the Green Bay Packers' defensive line coach for five seasons...

...Franklin, whom Kiffin has known since he was a defensive line coach at Fresno State, on the same staff as Kiffin's son, Lance (now at Southern Cal), has the most difficult task of the replacements...

Also, Franklin Has Big Shoes to Fill for Bucs - Lakeland Ledger
Bucs add SoCal flavor - Florida Today

[Chavez] Trojans enjoying the field - LA Daily News
...when it comes to getting back on the football field, perhaps no Trojan is more grateful than Desmond Reed.

The Temple City High School product was poised for a breakout 2005 season. But in USC's epic game last October against Notre Dame, Reed suffered a freak, non-contact injury when his right knee buckled on a kickoff.

Reed tore knee ligaments, which knocked him out for the rest of the season. What's more, he also suffered nerve damage to his leg, a considerably less frequent and more complicated injury, which put his entire 2006 season in question.

"I think everyone takes (their nerves' functions) for granted...

Also, Reed Hopeful in Recovery - LA Times

Booty's back feels great now - Daily Breeze
The back surgery John David Booty underwent in the spring could truly be deemed successful Thursday after the USC quarterback almost rejoiced after the Trojans' first practice.

"It was great just to go out there and not have any stiffness or soreness or anything in my back at all,'' the fourth-year junior said. "I don't remember it ever being this good and that goes back to high school, too. Every throw feels great and I was comfortable. I need to work on my feet, just get back into the swing of things because it's been about six months since I had a rush coming at me.''...

Trojans roll out their 2006-model tailback - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
...Junior Chauncey Washington, at just under 220 pounds with 4.39-second speed in the 40, can hit it up inside for those tough yards at the goal line the way White did -- and he's a threat to take it all the way from a long way out, just the way Bush did.

OK, maybe not exactly the way Bush did, but you get the picture...

..."He's a talented kid," said USC running backs coach Todd McNair. "And he's in a place he wants to be."...

Also, Tailback situation improves - OC Register

[Wojciechowski] Michigan coach keeps doing what he wants to do - ESPN
...Carr is now 1-4 against Tressel, which explains why some of these U-of-M bloggers need distemper shots.

Carr feels your pain. He lives it. Hears it. He just doesn't want to see it.

After reading a book by University of Southern California president Steven B. Sample (he read a Pac-10 author?), "The Contrarian's Guide To Leadership," Carr decided to quit looking at newspapers for six months. He still doesn't read them, except on Sundays -- and only then to have a working knowledge of world events. Otherwise, he depends on selected press clippings provided to him by the school's sports information department...

New X-Ray microbeam answers 20-year-old metals question - EurekaAlert
What happens to metals when you bend them? The question isn't as easy as you may think. A research team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the University of Southern California, using a unique X-ray probe, has gathered the first direct evidence showing that, on average, a 20-year-old model is a useful predictor of stresses and strains in deformed metal.

But the measurements also show that averages can be deceiving. They mask extremely large variations in stresses that, until now, had gone on undetected. The experiments have implications for important practical problems in sheet metal forming and control of metal fatigue, which is responsible for many structural materials failures...

Clement returns to his Iowa roots - Des Moines Register
The prospect of playing Major League Baseball is a dream slowly unfolding for Marshalltown native Jeff Clement, but the promise of coming home held instant appeal.

Clement, the highest-drafted Iowan ever, played his first game in Iowa since high school Wednesday as his Tacoma Rainiers lost to Iowa..

...Clement inched closer to the majors after being promoted to the triple-A Rainiers (58-52) on June 21...

...Clement slugged a national record 75 homers and led Marshalltown to the 2002 Class 4-A state title. At the University of Southern California, Clement continued his scoring flurry, hitting 46 homers in three seasons - eight shy of Mark McGwire's school record of 54...

Update: Clement’s four-hit night rocks I-Cubs - Marshalltown Times Republican

Trojans begin practice today - LA Daily News
USC opens practice today with only three freshmen waiting to be certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse, which puts the Trojans in a better position than recent years.

Wide receivers Vidal Hazelton, Jamere Holland (Taft High of Woodland Hills) and David Ausberry are the only freshmen needing NCAA approval. All are expected to be cleared, which means only freshman tailback Kenny Ashley would not make it academically.

The Trojans will hold an early workout for the freshmen this morning at Howard Jones Field before the veterans practice in the afternoon...

Also, Troubles Following Trojans Into Camp - LA Times
Jarrett Isn't Worried About His Eligibility - LA Times
USC reloading, not rebuilding - OC Register

[Cizek] USC's Ellison ready to prove himself all over again - Daily Breeze
Preparations for USC's football season begin in earnest today as fall practice commences. And while mind-numbing drills might be the order much of the day, Kevin Ellison will delight in them as if he was playing on a carpet of dollar bills.

Ellison, you see, now has a profound sense of appreciation for being on the field and playing the game he loves...

...Ellison cherishes the responsibility and variety of playing strong safety...

Don't Worry, Be Happy - Daily Breeze
...They cringe at the word "tumultuous" in describing the offseason, which began the day after the Trojans fell to Texas in the Rose Bowl.

Their general theme as they begin official workouts today is that this is a program that reloaded and won in 2003 and can do so again in 2006.

Never mind the five juniors who went into the NFL draft, joining three-year quarterback Matt Leinart. Push aside the pending investigations into receiver Dwayne Jarrett's living arrangement, or the probe into Reggie Bush's family house. The alleged positive drug test from former safety/receiver Brandon Ting is cast to the wayside as well.

Don't even worry about the inexperienced backfield or rebuilt secondary. Three years ago, Carson Palmer and Troy Polamalu left and a share of the national championship followed...

Strength in Middle - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
Ryan Kalil is everything most of his new USC teammates are not.

He's experienced, and for a Trojans team whose 11 returning starters are the fewest in the Pac-10, that alone is saying a lot.

Kalil, a 6-foot-3, 292-pound senior from Corona, begins his third season as a starting center this afternoon when the Trojans veterans hit the field for their first fall workout.

He does so as a known commodity surrounded by unproven talent...

..."Ryan Kalil is our most productive player ever," Carroll said without batting an eye. "At the center spot for us, he's one of the best linemen in the country."...

SEC Names New Deputy Chief Accountant - AP via Houston Chronicle
The Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman on Wednesday tapped Zoe-Vonna Palmrose as deputy chief accountant for professional practice where she will oversee the agency's work on audit standards.

Palmrose currently serves as a professor of auditing
at the University of Southern California's Leventhal School of Accounting and Marshall School of Business...
..."Her path breaking work on the deterrence of accounting fraud and the determinants of restatements, including internal controls, and her extensive knowledge of auditing, will be an enormous benefit to the SEC and the investors we serve," SEC Commissioner Christopher Cox said...

[Bisheff] Carroll doesn't wonder 'what if ...' - OC Register
...Carroll never has been one to reflect too much on the past. His boundless energy won't let him...

..."If there is one spot that worries me, it's the one we haven't been able to replace since Shaun (Cody) left (after 2004)," Carroll says. "We call it three-technique tackle.

"We're trying to find somebody who can be a factor there, someone who disrupts the opposing offense. We're still searching for that guy."

It is only one of the searches that will make this fall camp the most interesting since Carroll first took over at USC...

Pete's party began at Pacific - Stockton Record
Ten thousand people gathered inside Pacific Memorial Stadium each Saturday afternoon in the fall of 1972. By the end of the night, many of them ended up at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house on Fraternity Circle.

"It was a real 'Animal House' type of setting," Pete Carroll said...

...Carroll transferred to Pacific from College of Marin and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1973. After graduating, he had an unsuccessful tryout with the Honolulu Hawaiians of the World Football League and got a job selling roofing materials in the East Bay.

"I didn't have a lot of options," Carroll said...

[DeShazier] It's hard for Bush to not stand out - New Orleans Times-Picayune
The black cleats with the gold stripes on the sides and gold bottoms were funky, the first of a few styles he said he might test to see how agreeable they are with his feet. But other than that -- and the barrage of clicking cameras every time the ball touched his hands -- he blended in about as well as could be expected.

Tear the name off the back of the jersey and Reggie Bush could've been any Saints running back Tuesday, his first day of training camp.

Well, OK, any really, really fast Saints running back. But you get the idea. After spending much time and effort making sure he stood out from his classmates in stature and salary, the rookie from USC now is making strides just to blend in among his teammates...

Also, Bush receives contract like top pick of draft - New Orelans Times-Picayune
FANCY FOOTWORK - New Orelans Times-Picayune
[Hochman] Hello? Reggie Bush, is that you? - New Orelans Times-Picayune
Bush off and running - Baton Rouge Advocate
Saints can't mess up Reggie, can they? - Jackson Clarion-Ledger
Reggie Bush: A big job - Jackson Clarion-Ledger
Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24.

[Easterbrook] Offseason Highs and Lows - ESPN
Matt Leinart remains the sole important unsigned draft choice...But yours truly continues to scratch his head about the slide of Matt Leinart to the 10th selection in the draft. Methinks a number of teams will someday rue, really rue, their failure to write this gentleman's name on an index card...

...yours truly sees logic in the decisions of the first four teams to pass on Leinart.

But the next five teams -- Ye gods. Green Bay, San Francisco, Oakland, Buffalo and Detroit, all with serious quarterback issues, neglected Leinart...

...All just passed on drafting one of the best quarterback prospects in a decade...

Colbert separating himself from crowd - Charlotte Observer
Superlatives are swirling through Carolina Panthers training camp about the early practice performances of wide receiver Keary Colbert.

Teammates and coaches say Colbert looks more like he did as a rookie in 2004...

...Said offensive coordinator Dan Henning: "It's markedly different. He is 100 percent quicker and stronger than he was last year."

Colbert, 24, was expected to give the Panthers a solid second receiving option to Steve Smith last season, but he got off to a slow start and never recovered...

Also, Back on Two Feet - Spartanburg Herald-Journal

Florida offensive lineman commits to USC - OC Register
USC secured a commitment from one of the top high school offensive linemen in the nation today when James Wilson from St. Augustine, Fla., said he would sign a national letter of intent with the Trojans.

Wilson said at a news conference in Jacksonville, Fla., that he picked USC because he wanted to play in Los Angeles, near his father, and he liked USC's business school...

USC's Brandon Ting tested positive for steroids - LA Daily News
USC safety Brandon Ting tested positive for steroids last winter and would have been ineligible this season before deciding to quit the football team...

...Brandon Ting was going to be a senior. He practiced last spring and would have been eligible to practice this fall, as long as he did not play in games...

...Dr. Arthur Ting, is a prominent Bay Area physician who treated Barry Bonds for his knee injury in 2005. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Ting was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury in U.S. District Court in the federal investigation of Bonds.

Also, USC Player Has Positive Steroid Test - LA Times

Mike Williams endures exhaustive stretch in heat - Grand Rapids Press
Detroit Lions coaches were not trying to kill wide receiver Mike Williams, it just looked that way.

With the temperature in the mid 90s and the humidity high, the Lions practiced for 90 minutes on their outdoor fields Tuesday afternoon...it was clear that the players had hit the wall. Their body language revealed a team that was hot, exhausted, sore, tired and miserable.

At one point during practice, Williams took off his helmet, shoulder pads and jersey in an effort to cool down...Team trainers, though, determined he was no worse off than anybody else and, after Williams suited back up, he went back to work...

...Williams ran every play seemingly without complaint and was clearly exhausted by the end of it...

[Finebaum] New view of Bama vs. USC - Mobile Register
...When I opened an advance copy of "Turning of the Tide, How One Game Changed the South," I felt like...it was déj vu all over again...what I found was a startlingly fresh book which sheds a bright light on the unforgettable confrontation in 1970 between Southern Cal and Alabama...

...It opens with an extraordinary scene from August 2003 in Montgomery....the cabbie noticed their USC colors and the conversation immediately turned to the game from 1970. The cabbie, who was black, began talking about Cunningham's celebrated performance...

...After dinner, the same cabbie picked them up and asked if he could take them by his neighborhood to meet a few friends. There were 50 neighbors all eagerly waiting too meet the legendary Cunningham, treating him like royalty...

Pittsburgh growing on Polamalu - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
...The relationship between Polamalu and the fans is such that he had no hesitation whatsoever about taking a "Nestea plunge" into the crowd at last February's championship parade.

He never lets them down; they weren't about to let him down.

They wear wigs to the games, celebrating his hairstyle.

He plays the way they envision they might, seemingly willing to sacrifice life and limb for the Steelers...

Also, Polamalu's unique spirit uplifting for Steelers, fans - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Technically, Tatupu still a rookie - Tacoma News-Tribune
...Asked about his progression from surprise second-round draft choice to Pro Bowl team leader in less than a year, Tatupu answered as though he might not make the team.

“Nothing is etched in stone,” he said...

...Tatupu’s outlook reflects an approach that has helped him defy those who once criticized the Seahawks for investing too much in a player supposedly too small and slow for the NFL...

...teammate Bryce Fisher has reminded him that he’s still a rookie, at least technically. He’ll need to play in three regular-season games to officially become a second-year player...

Also, Linebackers core of Hawks' 'D' - The Olympian

Tight end emerging - Clarkesville Leaf-Chronicle
..."Gregg Guenther is the kind of guy who makes a lot of plays. It may not seem like it, but to us it's commonplace. Greg is a guy we have a lot of confidence in and he goes out and works hard every day."

Said offensive coordinator Norm Chow: "Gregg Guenther is a tremendous athlete, and he showed that last year when he came in at the last second as a free agent. He has the ability to make catches. He knows the offense and understands the offense. So he's a very important part of what we're doing. Tight ends, we expect them to know a lot, because they block and catch and he understands it all and gets it all."...

[DeShazier] Rock star has landed; it's time to go to work - New Orleans Times-Picayune
John, Paul, Ringo, George and Elvis showed up Monday night at Millsaps College, wrapped in the neat 6-foot, 203-pound package that is Reggie Bush, the closest thing the Saints have to a hyperventilating-fans-clinging-to-chain-link-fence phenomenon...

...noting his presence coincides with the fact that the Saints might sell out every home game, via season-ticket sales, is a good place to start.

But on the field, wearing cleats?...

Also, Bush in Jackson, ready to join Saints - Baton Rouge Advocate
Bush arrives at Saints camp - Biloxi Sun-Herald
Presidential visit? - Jackson Clarion-Ledger

Ten Greatest Regular Season Games of All-Time - College Football news
...1967 USC vs. UCLA
Two Heisman candidates battling for personal and team supremacy in not only the Pac-8, but the national championship race – a solid formula for one of the greatest regular season games of all-time. UCLA’s Gary Beban...and USC’s OJ Simpson carried each one’s respective team in the most memorable ‘battle of LA’. Simpson’s 64 yard touchdown run put the Trojans ahead early in the fourth quarter. But, Beban had a shot to bring the Bruins back, but the Trojan defense snuffed out each opportunity to put USC into the Rose Bowl and at the forefront of the national championship race...

Cassel begins his quest for backup QB job - The Republican
Matt Cassel's role model was missing in action for a second straight day, giving the second-year pro a chance to show his coaches just how much he has progressed.

Cassel worked with the starters during two practices yesterday, with Tom Brady conspicuously absent for a third straight workout...

..."I think for most players, they make their biggest advances between their first year and second year because you start to get used to the speed of the game and everything like that," Cassel said. "Coming in your second year, that's when you're suppose to make your biggest leap. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that this year."...

Also, Top dog for a day - Nashua Telegraph
Pats QB: Give me a swing - Boston Herald
Cassel looks to be second best - Worcester Telegram
Cassel building for the future - Attleboro Sun Chronicle

Troubled Lion looking forward, losing weight - Detroit Free Press
The morning practice was over, and it was starting to get hot. After running with some of his teammates, Lions wide receiver Mike Williams walked off the field soaked with sweat...

..."I'm in shape, ready to go," Williams said. "I started yesterday where I was before I got hurt. I'm back in running with the" first team.

"I'm just moving forward. I'm not worried about anything off the field, anything that doesn't relate to training camp and winning."...

Also, Williams could be gauge of Marinelli's coaching style - Detroit News

Poole adjusts to 'new kid' role - Palm Beach Post
The smell of the Dolphins' locker room remains familiar to cornerback Will Poole. Same for feel of the practice field. And the taste of those training camp meals.

But some things - better yet, some people - aren't quite the same. Not since the last time he went through training camp with the Dolphins.

"It's pretty much all new faces," Poole said...

...because he missed last year's training camp and season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during the off-season, he now must learn the tendencies and personalities of everyone who has been added in the past two seasons...

Also, Poole dives back in - Florida Today

Knee slows McCutcheon in CB battle with Bodden - Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cornerback Daylon McCutcheon sat out Sunday's practice with swelling on his knee and could lose ground in his battle for the starting left cornerback job.

"We're trying to treat it with ice and anti-inflammatories," coach Romeo Crennel said...

...McCutcheon was involved in a heated battle for the left cornerback position with Leigh Bodden.

"It was kind of nose-to-nose as far as that competition was going, and we were just going to alternate days with them,"...
Crennel said he thought the competition would go down to the wire...

Palmer eases back into practice - Cincy Post
Carson Palmer made it through the first weekend of training camp without any physical problems. The Bengals quarterback and his surgically repaired left knee might not be ready to jump any fences right yet but Palmer was able to get in plenty of work Saturday and Sunday as he points toward the regular season opener at Kansas City on Sept. 10.

"I was a little rusty like I'm getting back into it; a typical first day of camp," said Palmer Saturday night after finishing the first practice of the two-week training camp.

Palmer's progress in the preseason won't be measured as much day-to-day as it will week-to-week...

Also, Palmer a welcome sight for Bengals fans - Dayton Daily news
Fortunate Fifty - CNNSI
Current AP Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Lighter White hits camp running for job - Nashville Tennesseean
In some ways, Titans rookie LenDale White feels like a teenager again.

He's as light as he's been since he was 17 years old, and full of optimism.

"My immediate goal is to stay healthy, to compete and go for a starting job,'' the running back said Sunday after his first training camp practice. "That's the goal, and hopefully the long-term goal is to be in the game and help my team win games.''...

[McClain] Defensive line coach stars for Texans - Houston Chronicle Blog
...Wow! I just saw cornerback John Walker, a free agent rookie from USC, make a couple of outstanding plays, including one that he broke up in the end zone.

At USC's pro day in Los Angeles, Walker was very impressive at everything but the 40.

He's catching his coach's eye as we speak...

Deuce proves to be ace with Ahwatukee fans - Arizona Republic
When 6-foot-5, 338-pound Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui walked into Gold's Gym in Ahwatukee, it was impossible not to notice. But even surrounded by newfound fans, it was the Arizona Cardinals rookie who seemed to enjoy his scheduled appearance the most.

Lutui, who just signed with the Cardinals, is an Arizona native with East Valley ties. Wednesday's visit was his first local appearance since the NFL deal was announced.

"This is a nice first," he said, unaccustomed to the fanfare. "It's pretty nice just to come out here."

Fans, family and friends gathered at the gym to get autographs and shake the offensive lineman's massive hand...

Saints can take a bow after signing Bush - Biloxi Sun-Herald
...Reggie Bush and the Saints are ready to go.

"We were sensitive to the fact that Reggie expected to be the first pick and wasn't," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said.

None of that matters anymore. Give the man his money, and get him on the practice field.

Also, [Finney] Bush in hand is worth . . . well, it's priceless - New Orleans Times-Picayune
With Bush in, somebody becomes the odd man out - Jackson Clarion-Ledger

Rams Training Camp: 10 Hot Topics - Official Rams Website
...4. The Tight End Youth Movement...

...There probably won’t be a more interesting contest to watch than the one set to develop at tight end...

...Klopfenstein and Byrd are signed and in camp on time, meaning neither will have a distinct advantage for the starting position. There are others on the roster fighting for the spot, though. Jerome Collins, Alex Holmes, Rod Trafford and Aaron Walker also figure into the mix. Holmes and Collins, particularly, will be given every opportunity to win roster spots. The ability to play special teams should also figure into the final decision...

Also, Rams notebook: TEs encounter blocking issues - St Louis Tribune

Leinart can't get deal done - Arizona Republic
...Condon said the two sides remain far apart on several issues, but declined to give specifics. He and Rod Graves, the team's vice president for football operations, met Friday and Saturday but didn't speak Sunday.

"We've tried very hard to successfully complete all our negotiations with our players at the appropriate time," Condon said. "We'd like to see that happen with Matt."

The parameters appear to be in place to reach a deal with Leinart, a quarterback who played at Southern California. Linebacker Ernie Sims, the ninth pick...and the 11th pick, quarterback Jay Cutler...

...Leinart's contract would figure to be slotted between those two. Graves said the team has made such an offer...

Also, Cards flock to Flagstaff minus Leinart - East Valley Tribune

2006 Pac 10 Preview - College Football News
1. USC - Predicted record: 11-1 Conf. record: 8-1
Best Player: WR Dwayne Jarrett, Jr.
Offense - This isn't going to be anywhere near the 580-yard, 49 point-per-game juggernaut of last year...

...Defense - What the D lacks in overall experience it makes up for in ridiculous talent and athleticism...

...This season will be a success if … USC plays for the national title...

Also, 2006 Pac 10 Preview: Top 5s - College Football News
2006 Pac 10 Preview: Unit Rankings - College Football News
2006 Pac 10 Preview: All-Pac 10 Team - College Football News

Aim: Train, not drain - Fredricksbug Freelance-Star
In the late 1960s, long before Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush were born, Joe Gibbs was an assistant coach at USC.

Gibbs remembers some grueling two-a-day practice sessions conducted in the sweltering California heat...

...Gibbs said one of his fellow assistants simply hated it..

...Trojans assistant coach Mel Hein...always worked with the USC linemen in a patch of shade...

...Gibbs walked into the locker room and saw Hein sitting on a bench. Hein's hat was sideways and he was wearing nothing else but a jockstrap...

Pacific's coaching tree - Stockton Record
Chester Caddas now lives in Kentucky, but his fondest memories carry him back to Stockton..

...He remembers his former players, his fellow coaches and the eucalyptus trees that line the campus at University of the Pacific. Caddas grew up in Tennessee and came to the San Joaquin Valley in 1968...

...Caddas' seven-year run as head coach produced several players and coaches who later resurfaced as successful coaches and administrators in college and the NFL. Caddas' coaching staffs included the likes of Pete Carroll, Jim Colletto, Dante Scarnecchia, Walt Harris and Bob Cope...

Reggie Bush, Saints agree on contract - New Orleans Times-Picayune
Saints first-round draft choice Reggie Bush agreed to terms on a five-year contract Saturday night, with a one-year option, meaning he will report to training camp tonight to sign the agreement...

...The agreement ends a two-day holdout.

Bush's deal likely will be in the neighborhood of $60 million with just more than $26 million guaranteed...

..."That's in the ballpark," one source close to the negotiations said Saturday night. "Reggie will get in (Sunday) night. He'll sign it (Sunday). Joel (Segal) and Mickey (Loomis) still have a lot of details to go over. There's still a lot of things numbers-wise."...

Also, Q&A with Saints GM Loomis: Bush signs - Monroe News-Star
[Modesti] Easy being green for ex-Trojans - LA Daily News
[Iyer] With a contract signed, Reggie Bush can dazzle us on the field - Sporting News

Can these Trojans rule again? - Denver Post
No one really feels sorry for the Southern California Trojans. It's a little like feeling sorry for the Ford Motor Company, except USC has faster products. Yet looking at USC's offensive roster at the end of last spring, you might wonder if the wheels were coming off.

USC had to replace Heisman Trophy winners at quarterback and tailback plus the Pacific-10 conference's record holder for rushing touchdowns in a single season.

No problem. Coach Pete Carroll has stacked high school All-Americans like cordwood. To replace quarterback Matt Leinart, he turned to junior John David Booty, so good at Evangel Christian High in Shreveport, La., he enrolled at USC a year early.

Oops. He had back surgery. His future was iffy...

Also, Flow of Talent Keeps USC Dominant - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise

Mister New Booty - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
In his short time at one of college football's highest-profile positions, new USC quarterback John David Booty has accomplished one thing.

He's changed the sound of USC football.

"Let's go, huddle up, huddle up, let's go," Booty called out in his soft Louisiana drawl at the end of Thursday's no-coaches workouts.

"I like it," senior center Ryan Kalil said. "It adds a little spice."...

... "He's really a natural thrower, a natural athlete," Carroll said. "He's 100 percent, he can do everything now. He's just way ahead of where Matt was when he started. He's been raised and brought up to be in that position."...

Reyes proves he belongs - LA Daily News
In just the 10th start of his major-league career, St. Louis Cardinals rookie Anthony Reyes found himself opposing four-time Cy Young Award-winner Greg Maddux on Saturday.

Being a perceived underdog with something to prove is nothing new to Reyes, whose determination to show his true potential fueled a rapid rise through the minor leagues and has the right-hander in the first-place Cardinals starting rotation three years after leaving USC with career record barely over .500.

“I felt I had some things to prove coming out of USC,” said Reyes...

Ferrell is well-exposed - Bergen Record
Will Ferrell hasn't appeared in every comedy of the last three years. It just seems that way.

Since 2003's "Old School" took in $86 million at the box office, Ferrell has popped up in a dozen films. There have been starring gigs in "Elf," "Kicking & Screaming" and "Bewitched" as well as uncredited cameos in "Starsky & Hutch" and "The Wedding Crashers."

So, how busy is Will Ferrell?

"I'm not the father of my kid," he says, referring to 2-year-old son Magnus. "We had a surrogate. A really nice guy. I just could not fit it into the schedule. My wife was cool with that." Farrell is a master of the deadpan...

Also, IN THE FAST LANE - SF Chron