[Miller] Foundation of Carroll's program: Embrace the moment - OC Register
...No wonder Carroll's USC Trojans are sometimes as believable as a cat in a hat.

They did it again...

...For the Trojans, Saturday evening was Tuesday afternoon again. This was just another practice, only with a bit more hatred and witnesses.

The theory is quite basic: When every play is treated like the biggest play – whether in practice or a game – the genuinely big plays don't feel that big.

...That's USC football. Been there, won that.

Trojans opener: And a child shall lead them - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
The Plan was that quarterback Mark Sanchez would come back for his senior year, lead USC on another national championship crusade, then turn the offensive reins over to the golden boy waiting in the wings, Matt Barkley...

...Carroll said he and his staff saw it just five days into spring drills...

...In fact, he'd better be different. USC has piled a lot of responsibility on his young shoulders. But as you'd expect, Barkley is just as at ease, quick to smile and confident as advertised...

Also, USC's Matt Barkley will feel the heat - LA Times
History isn't on side of USC or its freshman QB - LA Times
Challenge is mostly mental for Barkley in USC debut - OC Register
Pac-10 Q&A: Matt Barkley - ESPN

McKnight Proves He's No Ordinary Joe - NewOrleans.com [08/05/09]
Joe McKnight flashed his exceptional athletic skills at an early age, splitting time between football, basketball and track...

...Joe played beyond his years and seemed to be the center of attention whenever and wherever he engaged in an athletic event...

...There will be a new QB under center. Currently, sophomore Aaron Corp is scheduled to be the starter, but many expect 2008 National Prep Player of the Year, Matt Barkley, to take over before long. Joe likes them both.

"Corp has the ability to run and stretch the defense, using his feet," explained McKnight. "Barkley can be special. He's smart, has a good arm, and is a bit of a gunslinger. I like his gambling. He puts the ball in tight places. He's the next Heisman winner down the road."...

Controversial billboard blasts Weis - WSBT-TV
A controversial billboard-sized jab at Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis has drivers doing a double-take in the shadow of the Golden Dome.

Coach Weis is trying to make light of the situation; but for the Irish faithful, the message on the billboard is nothing short of blasphemy.

The billboard, which went up earlier this week, is located essentially right above the Linebacker Inn near campus at the intersection of Edison Road and State Road 23...

Chris Dufresne's preseason top 25: No. 4 USC LA Times
...USC has so much returning talent on offense that the quarterback in most games is not going to matter...the Trojans are still going to win 10, 11 or 12 games. Rankman considers USC one of four teams that can win this year's championship at the Rose Bowl -- the others to be unveiled later this week.

USC has won two national titles and is 88-15 in eight seasons under Coach Pete Carroll. Three or four of those loses, however, may have directly cost USC three or four more national titles...

Also, Sporting News Top 100: No. 4 USC - The Sporting News
Expectations at USC remain the same - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise

USC Is Ready to Protect and Defend - Washington Post
It's not that Jeff Byers wasn't keenly interested in who was going to start at quarterback this fall for Southern California. But the senior offensive lineman didn't obsess over the battle between redshirt sophomore Aaron Corp and freshman Matt Barkley, unlike much of the college football world.

"It's why Coach [Pete] Carroll is so successful -- he makes decisions like this," Byers said in a telephone interview. "I trust whoever Coach Carroll picks."

Such confidence is completely understandable. Since Byers enrolled at USC in the fall of 2004, the Trojans have trotted out Matt Leinart, John David Booty and Mark Sanchez as their starting quarterbacks. Either Corp or Barkley was going to take over one of the most high-profile positions in college football...

Also, Decision on USC starting QB still stings Corp - LA Daily News
USC's big gamble - Philly Daily News
Injury to WR Johnson is 'just a crusher' - AP via ESPN

Udeze opts to retire after leukemia battle - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Kenechi Udeze, the Vikings defensive end who missed last season because of leukemia, has retired...

...Udeze also expected to graduate in mid-May from USC with a degree in sociology...

ALL is a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells...Udeze has made public speaking appearances this year in support of cancer research.

Udeze and his wife, Terrica, have a young daughter, Bailey....He was the winner of the team's Ed Block Courage Award...

Maiava chasing job with Browns - Akron Beacon-Journal
When the subject of hunting was broached to Browns rookie linebacker Kaluka Maiava, he wasn't sure how to respond.

"What do you mean, on the field or actual hunting?" Maiava said.

That's because the fourth-round draft pick from USC honed his skill for chasing down opponents as a teenager, hunting wild boar in the the mountains of Maui.

And there were no guns involved, just a of couple dogs and presumably a long knife.

"We don't use guns, that's cheating," Maiava said...

Also, New Browns LB has ‘wild’ hobby - Warren Tibune-Chronicle
Mangini makes a point - Warren Tibune-Chronicle
Maiava takes part in first Browns practice - Maui News

David Buehler: 'My initial thought was, how many people are dead in this?' - Dallas News
David Buehler, the kicker/special teams player the Cowboys drafted in the fifth round, was standing on the sideline when the team's indoor facility began to collapse. He bolted out a side door and was sprinting across a practice field when a pole crashed down on him.

Buehler, dazed by a blow to his head, wriggled out from under the pole and crawled approximately 15 yards through pools of water before turning around and looking at the wreckage.

"My initial thought was, how many people are dead in this?" Buehler said tonight. "I thought I was the lucky one."

Buehler thinks he actually suffered the worst injuries among the players, although he wasn't severely hurt...

Also, Buehler No Ordinary Kicker - DFW Star-Telegram
1 Cowboy, 11 others injured in collapse - San Antonio News-Express

Todd Marinovich: The Man Who Never Was - Esquire
...Marv had engineered his son's transfer to Capistrano Valley High, a public school in Mission Viejo. The team's head football coach, Dick Enright, was a USC alum and longtime friend of Marv's. As head coach at the University of Oregon, Enright had groomed quarterback Dan Fouts. Under Enright, Todd would go on to break the all-time Orange County passing record. He was named a Parade magazine All-American and the National High School Coaches Association's offensive player of the year.

Then the January 1988 issue of California magazine hit the stands with Todd's picture on the cover. The headline: ROBO QB: THE MAKING OF A PERFECT ATHLETE. A media onslaught ensued. They called Todd the bionic quarterback, a test-tube athlete, the boy in the bubble. All over the world, people were talking about Todd's amazing story. In truth, he was leading a double life...

Matthews' rise gives USC an impressive linebacker trifecta - USA Today
...Then there was the walk-on, Clay Matthews from Agoura Hills, Calif., the son of the former USC great and NFL linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. and the nephew of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews.

He had his own path to trod, from redshirt to special-teams player to valuable substitute to, last season, starter on the outside at a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position for the Trojans.

And now here they all are, ready for their NFL close-up, a trio of linebackers from the same school all expected to be first-round draft picks...