Pac-10 football looking as competitive as ever - Seattle Times
...USC

Refresher: Trojans (11-2) won their fifth straight Pac-10 title and dominated Michigan in the Rose Bowl to finish fourth in national rankings.

Spring things: In a year when they were considered vulnerable, Trojans still led the league in total defense...and could be one of the all-time dominating units in '07, a prospect coach Pete Carroll isn't minimizing....USC has a ridiculously loaded backfield...QB John David Booty...will get early mention as a Heisman candidate...

On tap: Season-ticket holders are no doubt lukewarm about a home schedule of Idaho, WSU, Stanford, Arizona, OSU and UCLA...

Also, Favored Trojans will face multiple Pac-10 challenges - ESPN

USC's Jarrett hurt by separation anxiety - LA Times
...questions linger about why Jarrett, a two-time All-American, was there for the taking after seven receivers had already been selected. Those questions are especially http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.bold.gif
insert bold tagssignificant because Jarrett gambled by leaving school a year early, and now serves as a cautionary tale for other players who might consider the same path...

...his agent said Tuesday that the receiver was surprised that he'd dropped from the first round even though he had braced for the possibility.

"We knew the draft was unpredictable," Darin Morgan said of the tumble. "We knew some people were fixating on his 40 [-yard dash] times...

Panthers release Keyshawn Johnson - AP via LA Times
The Carolina Panthers released receiver Keyshawn Johnson today, three days after they selected another former USC receiver in the second round of the draft.

It was thought Johnson would help groom Dwayne Jarrett of USC, taken in the second round with the 45th pick. But apparently Johnson was deemed expendable -- he and Jarrett are both 6-foot-4 possession receivers.

Johnson, who will turn 35 in July, had 70 catches for 815 yards and four touchdowns last season, his first with Carolina...

...Johnson worked as an analyst for ESPN during the network's draft coverage last weekend...

Also, [Yasinkas] Why Panthers canned Keyshawn - Charlotte Observer

Southern Cal star to sign with Hamilton - Hamilton Spectator
Products from two American college powerhouses are the latest pigskin prospects to join the Tiger-Cat lair.

The Tabbies are expected to announce today the signing of former University of Southern California tight end Kori Dickerson.

Dickerson, 28, started his pro career in 2003 with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League before joining the Washington Redskins in 2004 and the Detroit Lions in 2006. Most recently, the 6-foot-4, 241-pounder was a member of the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europe...

Redskins' draft is a family affair - Hampton Roads Daily Press
...the Redskins drafted Southern California outside linebacker Dallas Sartz...

...Sartz, 23, who led the Trojans with seven sacks as a senior, also knows something about sporting genes. His father, Jeff, was a strong safety at Oregon State, while his grandfather, also named Dallas, was a Golden Gloves boxer at Washington State and a professional hydroplane racer.

"Back when (my grandfather) was racing them, it was basically just a jet engine on the back of a boat," Sartz said. " … I had sports all around me when I was growing up. A lot of what (my dad and grandfather) taught me, and a lot of the way they lived their lives, taught me about how I live my life and how to compete."...

Also, USC's Sartz, Lua chosen - LA Times
Redskins shake family trees for 2nd-day picks - Roanoke Times
Linebacker Situation Addressed; Two Picks Have Good Bloodlines - Washington Post

Patriots draft Indio's Lua - Desert Sun
Former Indio High School star Oscar Lua goes from the college football dynasty of this decade to the NFL's dynasty of the decade.

The USC middle linebacker, who won two national titles during his time in Los Angeles, was the first pick of the seventh round by the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Sunday.

"How gnarly was that?" said Lua, who had 26 unanswered messages on his cell phone an hour after his selection at approximately 1 p.m. "It's a good deal. My family's happy. My mom is a little sad because I'll be on the other side of the map."...

Also, Lua's life set to change as NFL draft begins - Desert Sun
Indio's Lua elated to be Patriot - Inland Empire Press-Enteprise

SMITH FILLS GIANTS' PASSING FANCY - New York Post
...Eli Manning looked downfield and no one was able to emerge as a target.

This coming season, the Giants envision Steve Smith filling that role, which is why last night they used their second-round pick in the NFL Draft on the productive receiver from USC.

"If they're going to take away 17 [Burress] and they're going to take away 80 [Shockey] you got to have somebody else," general manager Jerry Reese said. "Quarterbacks like these kind of guys."...

USC's Jarrett going to Carolina - OC Register
Dwayne Jarrett left USC after just three seasons, but as the all-time leader in the Pac-10 with 41 touchdown receptions. He declared himself eligible for the NFL draft, joining a deep class of receivers, but confident he would receive a call at some point in the first round.

But on Saturday six wideouts were selected in the first round, matching the second-highest total since the 1982 draft, and the 6-foot-4 Jarrett was not one of them.

The Trojans' career receptions leader was not selected until the second round, going 45th overall to the Carolina Panthers, where he will join an offense that includes former USC receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Keary Colbert. Though there had been speculation that he would slide in the draft, Jarrett said that it still was something of a surprise...

Also, Three square-peg players put Trojans in first-round hole - LA Times
Round 2 | USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett - Charlotte Observer
Panthers welcome top picks - Charlotte Observer
WAITING GAME - East Brunswick Home News Tribune

USC's Kalil first center taken in NFL draft - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
...What more could USC offensive lineman Ryan Kalil have wanted? Well, um, a phone call would have been nice.

For what seemed like an eternity, Kalil sat on the leather couch in the living room of his family's Corona home watching Saturday's NFL draft and clutching a portable phone that would not seem to ring. Only after the Carolina Panthers finally called to tell him they were taking him with the 27th pick of the second round (59th overall) could Kalil relax and enjoy what he'd accomplished...

Also, Round 2 | Center Ryan Kalil - Charlotte Observer
Panthers get young copies of their stars - Charlotte Observer
[Yasinkas] Kalil really was 'best available' - Charlotte Observer

[Dienhart] Ranking the BCS coaches - Sporting News
You've checked out my conference-by-conference BCS coach rankings, now check out my overall ranking of the 66 BCS coaches.

1. Pete Carroll, Southern California
9. Dennis Erickson, Arizona State
17. Mike Bellotti, Oregon
22. Jeff Tedford, Cal
25. Mike Riley, Oregon State
42. Charlie Weis, Notre Dame
48. Karl Dorrell, UCLA
51. Mike Stoops, Arizona
53. Bill Doba, Washington State
54. Ty Willingham, Washington
61. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford

SEE HOW RYAN KALIL PREPARED FOR NFL DRAFT - Official USC Website
USC All-American center Ryan Kalil is projected as a possible first round draft pick in this weekend's NFL draft, thanks in large part to the recent off-season training workouts he conducted with legendary strength and conditioning coach "Chuck Barry."...
Also, Ryan Kalil at the 2007 combine - YouTube
USC Song Girls Boot Camp - YouTube

USC's Kalil is making his move - LA Times
Some people light up a room. Ryan Kalil rearranges one...

...Impossible-to-ignore performances at the Senior Bowl and NFL scouting combine have boosted him from a likely first-day pick — which encompasses the first three rounds — to a possible first-rounder. He is considered by many experts to be the most technically sound offensive lineman in the draft.

The last time NFL teams went the first two rounds without picking a center was 10 years ago...

Also, USC’s Kalil has strong bloodlines - KC Star

BUSH TO GIANTS: JARRETT'S A PLAYER - NY Post
...The Giants could use a big, strong target to complement the deep threat of Plaxico Burress. Amani Toomer...is coming off surgery for a partially torn ACL...and second-year receiver Sinorice Moss is still unproven...

...Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett of USC has been mentioned as a candidate for the Giants' 20th overall pick. Reggie Bush, last year's No. 2 overall pick, played with Jarrett at USC and said he knows the receiver's strengths and weaknesses.

"The guy's a great player," Bush said of Jarrett yesterday at a press conference for Shutt Sports. "He's not necessarily the fastest guy, but he's definitely a guy who's going to go out and make plays for you...

Also, Here's the Key to ESPN's coverage - LA Daily News
Hard to separate Smith, Jarrett - OC Register
WR: Dwayne Jarrett, USC - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
[Prisco] From prolific Pats to lonely Leak, you'll view these 10 things - CBS Sportsline

IN A VALLEY, NOT FAR, FAR AWAY - SF Chron
After he left the University of Southern California's film school in 1968, George Lucas says, he would have been content to make a living pursuing documentaries, educational projects or industrial movies. He was even willing to work on films for the United States Information Agency while creating small avant-garde pictures on his own time.

But there was no way he was going to work in Los Angeles.

The Modesto native decided to succeed or fail as a filmmaker in the Bay Area, which at the time had no film studios, almost no support structure and few commercial moviemaking prospects. Lucas remembers he was working on Francis Ford Coppola's "The Rain People" when his colleague and friend came up with a possible solution...

Spring look around the Pac-10 - ESPN
...USC Trojans
Here's poetic justice...: Mostly due to an outbreak of injuries -- none terribly worrisome -- the Trojans finished spring practices with a lack of depth at tailback...Come August, however, a 10-deep and ridiculously glittering array of stars will scrap and claw for playing time. That list, perhaps surprisingly, includes Hershel Dennis, the previously forgotten man...whose solid effort this spring raised at least a few eyebrows. Dennis earned a sixth year of eligibility after missing the previous two seasons due to injuries. Nonetheless, if a pecking order were to be established, Chauncey Washington and C.J. Gable likely would get the first nod, though more than a few USC fans are curious about what incoming freshman Joe McKnight -- aka, the next Bush -- can do. Patrick Turner and Vidal Hazelton finished spring as the top two receivers, with David Ausberry and Travon Patterson providing depth...

[Mandel] Rights of spring - CNNSI
...NCAA Football Power Rankings
Rank: 1...USC Trojans...

...Key returnees: QB John David Booty, T Sam Baker, DE Lawrence Jackson, LBs Brian Cushing and Keith Rivers

Spring star: C Matt Spanos. Academically ineligible last season, Spanos emerged as the surprise replacement for departed All-America Ryan Kalil.

Spring recap: As expected, Patrick Turner and Vidal Hazelton established themselves as the new starting receivers. Former starting CB Josh Pinkard, injured all of last year, has moved back to safety and will rotate with returning starters Taylor Mays and Kevin Ellison...

Parry O’Brien, Pioneer in Shot-Putting Technique, Dies at 75 - NY Times
Parry O’Brien, who revolutionized shot-putting technique, won three Olympic medals (two gold) and became the first man to reach 59, 60, 61, 62 and 63 feet, died Saturday...

...When O’Brien’s shot-putting career began, athletes would stand at the rear inside the seven-foot-ring. Then they would hop, turn 90 degrees and propel the 16-pound iron ball.

At the University of Southern California, O’Brien could not surpass 55 feet. In 1951, after losing to Otis Chandler in the Fresno Relays, he returned home to Santa Monica, Calif.

At 3 the next morning, by street lights on a vacant lot next door, he experimented with a 180-degree turn...

Mustain's move is good for him - Arkansas News
...In Los Angeles, Mustain will not be part of the everyday Razorback picture and that's a good thing for all concerned. If he had gone to Tulsa, there would have been Mustain-this or Mustain-that regularly.

Looking ahead, Mustain will have a first-hand view of a Heisman Trophy candidate in action. More importantly, he will see a quarterback who was on the hurry-up-and-wait track...

...No wonder Booty and Darren McFadden are the first names mentioned in the 2007 Heisman speculation.

Even after Booty departs, there is nothing greased for Mustain...

Also, Mustain transfer official, joins Williams at USC - Arkansas Traveler
Mustain chooses Trojans - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Jarrett, Smith out to downplay USC WR jinx - USA Today
During interviews with NFL personnel at February's Indianapolis combine, two prospects were asked the inevitable question: Why haven't celebrated Southern California wide receivers made more of an impact in the NFL in the last few years?

Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith had the same answer: We're not Mike Williams."...Williams sat out 2004 and has struggled in his first two seasons in the NFL.

"I told them the only thing we have in common is we went to the same school," says Jarrett, who left USC after his junior season...

Also, USC WR Jarrett traveled the long road to reach NFL - Asbury Park Press
USC wideouts: We're not like Mike - Detroit Free Press
FORTUNATE SON - New Brunswick Home News Tribune
Jarrett plans on having last word - Newark Star-Ledger
Jarrett tries to distance self from Mike Williams - St Louis Post-Dispatch
Wide receivers on teams' lists - Biloxi Sun-Herald

Gearing Up for Next Level - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
...Ryan Kalil was running...between the "Swim with Mike" fundraiser at USC's McDonald Swim Stadium and the end-of-spring Trojans football scrimmage next door at Howard Jones Field. Just another whirlwind day...Kalil took time to catch up with what it's like to make the switch from a college kid to a pro athlete...

...Q: Has anything surprised you about any of this?

A: Well, they really do put a lot of emphasis on the numbers, especially at the combine.

Q: Everyone says it's your quick feet and hands that make you special.

A: Again, that's Coach Carlisle. It's all about movement...

Also, Satele, Lucas on list of top NFL center prospects - Honolulu Advertiser

[Dodd] Backfield bonanza: USC stacked at RB, enjoying the Booty - CBS Sportsline
...Just another day in Southern California paradise which, of course, begs the question: Why would any quarterback or tailback in his right mind come here?

Except, of course, for the parade.

To say the depth chart at those positions is stocked for the preseason No. 1 is to say it's quite a show on the quad on this warm spring day. Which it is. That's when the question hits Pete Carroll. Why would another possible super talent want to come here just to battle for playing time?

"I didn't want to hear it that way," USC's coach said.

The truth hurts...

[Veltrop] The ultimate job interview - Sporting News
Landing that first job out of college is a big deal. It's the chance to start making money and show you're ready to move on with your life -- and not back into your parents' basement.

Now imagine if the job you're seeking is that of a professional football player and you have to convince an NFL team to spend a high draft pick -- and millions of dollars -- on you. Before an organization can justify doing that, it will analyze and scrutinize your every movement on and off the field.

Dwayne Jarrett is in that very position...

Jack Williams, 85; Hollywood stuntman known for his horse-riding skills - LA Times
Jack Williams, a top Hollywood stuntman who got his first taste of stunt work on a horse at age 4 — he was tossed from one rider to another in the 1926 silent film "The Flaming Forest" — and later worked his way through USC riding horses and doing stunts in films such as "Gone With the Wind" and "Dodge City," has died. He was 85.

Williams, a charter member of the Stuntmen's Assn. of Motion Pictures and an inductee of the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame, died of heart failure Tuesday...

...Beginning with "The Charge of the Light Brigade" in 1936, Williams performed stunts in dozens of films over the next six decades...

The Bounce: 7 new Pac-10 offensive coordinators - Tucson Citizen
...The Trojans, a team comfortable with lining their quarterbacks directly under center, will put John David Booty in the shotgun from time to time to add a twist to their running attack.

"Every offseason we look at a number of things. This is a just a wrinkle we're looking at to see if we want to incorporate it," new USC coordinator Steve Sarkisian told the Los Angeles Times...

...USC hopes the shotgun can cut down on passes being knocked down at the line of scrimmage, which led to losses to Oregon State and UCLA last year.

"You seldom get blindsided," Booty told reporters about avoiding pressure in the shotgun....

Couple makes tough choices - Kerrville Daily Times
...Heywood sold her home...and many of her possessions...and began paring down...finally to a horse trailer that helped make taking care of her dying husband, Ralph, a little bit easier...

...Heywood worked hard all his life. Even with a football scholarship to [USC], he took a job as a busboy at a sorority...

...A two-way end...a captain on the 1943 USC team...played just five games before being drafted...

...played professional football for the Chicago Rockets, Detroit Lions...returned...to serve in Korea in 1952...to command the 26th Marine Regiment in Vietnam, making him the only player in NFL history to serve in three wars...the Naval Attaché to the Dominican Republic...An accomplished horseman...a black belt in karate and trained jet pilot...acted in some movies, played tennis with Charlton Heston...and a golfing buddy of Bob Hope...

Also, Ralph Heywood, 85; former USC end later served as a Marine - LA Times

[O'Hara] As draft approaches, Lions must cut ties with Mike Williams - Detroit News
...Mike Williams: File the papers, Matt Millen. Divorce is inevitable, so get on with it. Make it a clean, no-fault separation, and the Lions and Williams can go their separate ways...

...Skipping the camp, with the media present to count noses, had to be a calculated move by Williams to show the Lions and everyone else that he wants out of Detroit.

So now they know for sure. He doesn't want to be here. Williams has size and talent, but he hasn't shown much on the field in two years...

...Williams has been heavily fined for being overweight. Maybe he will get energized by being with another team...

Also, [Kowalski] Mike Williams' career in Detroit is all but over - Ann Arbor News
Lions fed up with Williams, likely to cut him before season - Ann Arbor News

With Saban gone, Wright happy to be back - Palm Beach Post
The Miami Dolphins' first mini-camp post-Nick Saban looks to be a new beginning for one player.

Defensive tackle Manny Wright, who left the team last summer during training camp after a clash with the former Dolphins coach, said he's happy for a fresh start under new head coach Cam Cameron.

Wright, a talented player in college at USC, is glad he chose to continue playing football. But Wright, who turned 23 on Friday, is happy he didn't have to play again for Saban.

Asked if he'd have been at mini-camp if Saban had not left to coach Alabama, Wright laughed and said, "I'm not going to answer that one."...

Also, Dolphins' Manny Wright thankful for second chance - Miami Herald
Clean slate for Wright - Ft Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Wright wants to show he's ready - Florida Today

Pete Carroll speaks - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
...TOPIC: USC has had a top five recruiting class in each of the last five seasons and this season's class includes top out-of-state players from Arkansas, Louisiana, Arizona and Michigan. The Trojans have had unprecedented recruiting success in the face of opponents who are known to commonly tell prospects any of the following: "Carroll is going to leave for the NFL; USC will end up on probation; You won't get any playing time."

Carroll: "We don't do that (recruit negatively), we don't ever want to open ourselves up to that so we don't get into that at all. Our philosophy is that we have so many good things to talk about that once you start badmouthing or talking about other stuff, you depart from the philosophy...

Booty says receivers still trying to catch on - OC Register
USC is plugging John David Booty for the Heisman Trophy while holding workouts to replace his two favorite receivers. At times this spring, the gap between expectations and reality has shown.

A young corps of receivers trying to replace Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith has struggled intermittently. Redshirt freshman David Ausberry dropped two passes that hit him in the numbers Thursday. Receivers have also made mistakes running their routes.

Booty conceded that the early practices with a new group...haven't always gone smoothly.

"Some of these guys were on the scout team last year. Now, they're being fed everything, being asked to recognize defenses and hots and everything," Booty said...

Also, McFadden, Booty have exposure - Arkansas News

NCAA says Bush investigation to continue - LA Times
As Reggie Bush strolled across USC's campus this week, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner casually dismissed an NCAA investigation into whether he received improper benefits from marketing agents...

..."Dead subject," he said. "That's what it is."

But Pacific 10 Conference and NCAA officials said Friday that they are continuing to pursue their nearly 1-year-old investigation despite a settlement that could keep some of the parties from cooperating.

"This has not gone away by any means," said Ron Barker, the Pac-10's associate commissioner of governance and enforcement.

The probe has moved forward recently, Barker said, because "new people" have spoken with investigators...

Also, Deal reached in Bush family case - San Diego Union-Tribune

Dennis finishes strong before injury - LA Times
...tailback Hershel Dennis showed once again that old school could be in vogue when the Trojans start training camp...

...Seven scholarship tailbacks are scheduled to return and three more will enroll in June. Dennis...will be the most experienced tailback if the NCAA grants him a sixth season of eligibility.

"I've been able to compete and showed the coaches what I can do," Dennis said. "By the time fall camp comes, I'm going to be 110%, so I'll be even a little more impressive..."

After delivering a couple of big plays, Dennis was on the trainers' table with what he said was a calf strain...

Also, Depth Chart not Settled - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise

Defense shows great promise - OC Register
At one point in Saturday's USC scrimmage, safety Taylor Mays — all 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds of him — caught the team's speediest receiver, Travon Patterson, from behind and horse-collared him to the ground...

...That might have been the defining moment of the spring...this defense has a chance to be the best in the Pete Carroll era.

Carroll is reserving judgment, but he thinks it has a chance to surpass the group led by Lofa Tatupu, Shaun Cody, Matt Grootegoed and Mike Patterson.

"I've got to tell you — I couldn't be more pumped up about this group," Carroll said...

Also, Competition stiff at safety - OC Register
Safety first for Pinkard - LA Daily News

[Weber] Trojans looking better than a year ago - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
The top two centers, five of the top seven tailbacks, four potential starters in the secondary and an All-American linebacker were among the missing at Saturday's practice, because of injuries or other commitments. And the show still went on pretty much as usual.

That's a good illustration of how much better situated the Trojans are than when they headed off to summer workouts in the previous two seasons. When they return in August, it's almost certain they'll own the No. 1 preseason ranking.

"We got a lot of stuff done," Coach Pete Carroll said in summing up the spring.

That's because there are so many more players to do things with. A year ago USC had to call spring practices off early when the Trojans ran out of bodies...

Also, Trojans' talent, depth have Coach Carroll feeling upbeat - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
Trojans put on a show - LA Daily News
Up and running - LA Daily News

Patterson shines in last spring practice - Daily Trojan
For the second straight weekend, wide receiver Travon Patterson stole the spotlight for the USC receiving corps at Saturday's full-contact scrimmage, the last practice of the spring.

With fellow wide receivers Vidal Hazelton (death in the family) and Jamere Holland (collarbone) absent for the final spring scrimmage, Patterson made the most of his opportunity to shine...

...This followed up a three-touchdown performance at last Sunday's Trojan Huddle, in which he also returned a punt for a touchdown.

"Travon Patterson continues to really impress everybody," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He's had a great finish to his spring."...

Swim-a-thon makes funding splash - Daily Trojan
The 27th-annual "Swim With Mike" swim-a-thon, featuring comedian and USC alumnus Will Ferrell, raised $940,000 in scholarship funds for physically disabled athletes Saturday.

The money, which broke the previous record of $825,000, will be used to cover the cost of tuition, housing and books for physically challenged student athletes...

...Swim With Mike has raised more than $6 million...

...Ferrell turned out to support the event and faced off against Trojan football coach Pete Carroll in a head-to-head "Ferrell-Carroll challenge," to the surprise of the event's attendants...

Old hands get new chances to make good on careers - OC Register
Injuries and academic problems for USC's young tailbacks have opened the door for two veterans who were here when Reggie Bush was a freshman.

Chauncey Washington and Hershel Dennis have dominated the latter spring practices as C.J. Gable, Emmanuel Moody and Allen Bradford recuperate. USC coach Pete Carroll said each of the sophomores was excused from practice entirely Tuesday so they could work on their studies...

...Washington...and Dennis...have stepped into the void. They were two of USC's most impressive performers at Saturday's spring game. Desmond Reed, who tore knee ligaments late in 2005, also has benefited from more repetitions...

Also, Baker dealing with sore knee - LA Daily News
Gable to miss rest of spring workouts - LA Times

Bush gets warm reception at practice - LA Times
Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, who was encouraged by USC to stay away from the 2007 Rose Bowl game because of an ongoing NCAA investigation, visited practice on Tuesday and was warmly welcomed by coaches and players.

"I'm not a stranger," Bush said. "I can come all the time. It's just like home."...

...USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett recently acknowledged that before the Rose Bowl against Michigan the NCAA told USC it would be appropriate, "if we kept our distance," from Bush during the investigation because the NCAA did not want the appearance that USC "was condoning anything."

On Tuesday, Bush said he was not angry...

Also, [Markazi] Reggie's other role - CNNSI

Fred Lynn To Be Inducted Into College Baseball Hall Of Fame - Official USC Website
The College Baseball Foundation announced today the names of eleven collegiate baseball legends, including former USC outfielder Fred Lynn, which join four veteran candidates that will comprise the 2007 Induction Class into the new College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas.

Lynn becomes the second Trojan to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after legendary head coach Rod Dedeaux made the first class last year. He appeared on three consecutive USC national championship squads (1971, 1972 and 1973)...

...Lynn became the first player in major league history to win American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors...

Rivers and Baker honored - LA Daily News
USC offensive lineman Sam Baker and linebacker Keith Rivers were named to the Playboy All-America team.

Baker is a repeat selection and first USC lineman to earn consecutive honors since offensive tackle Tony Boselli was a three-time selection (1992-94).

"It's really a cool thing to get that recognition," Baker said...

...Baker and Rivers will join the rest of the All-America team in Arizona next month to take a team picture although Baker will arrive late because he is graduating from USC...

...Rivers is the first USC linebacker to make the Playboy team since Marcus Cotton in 1987...

[Prisco] 'Other' Steve Smith makes name for himself in crowded WR class - CBS Sportsline
They questioned his speed, wondering if he was a burner who could make the big play.

He had the same name of an NFL receiver who could take it the distance in the blink of an eye, but the scouts wondered if he had that same type of speed. So the USC receiver named Steve Smith, who was often overshadowed during his career with the Trojans by players like Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett, did something about it.

At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February, Smith was timed at 4.44 in the 40, one of the fastest times of all the receivers who ran.

Where did that speed come from?...

[Dienhart] Ranking the Pac-10 coaches - Sporting News
1. Pete Carroll, USC. He has made the Trojans the nation's "it" program, stockpiling an embarrassment of riches in talent and setting the standard for excellence this decade. Let's just call him the "King of Kings." Yeah, that sounds about right.

2. Dennis Erickson, Arizona State...3. Mike Bellotti, Oregon...4. Jeff Tedford, Cal...5. Mike Riley, Oregon State...6. Karl Dorrell, UCLA...7. Mike Stoops, Arizona...8. Tyrone Willingham, Washington...9. Bill Doba, Washington State...10. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford...

SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY - Daily Trojan
On a day when USC's offense showed just how far it has come in the three weeks of spring practice, it also gave a glimpse of how far it has left to go.

While there was no scarcity of points at Saturday's Trojan Huddle, the scrimmage also provided plenty of turnovers. Five interceptions and three fumbles brought the offense's momentum to a halt.

John David Booty and Mark Sanchez threw two interceptions each. Booty shrugged off the interceptions and finished the scrimmage by hitting 15 of his 17 passes...

..."I thought (Booty) was really sharp today," coach Pete Carroll said.

Sanchez, however, was thrown off the mark by his turnovers...

Also, Sanchez facing backup QB role - OC Register

Patterson stands out for USC - LA Times
Travon Patterson, USC's smallest receiver, made perhaps the biggest impression Saturday as the Trojans went through their annual spring scrimmage at the Coliseum.

Patterson, generously listed at 5 feet 11 and 180 pounds, caught two touchdown passes and also returned a punt for a touchdown before an estimated crowd of 15,000.

"It was great to get a chance to show what I can do," said Patterson, a speedy sophomore from Long Beach who is expected to help fill the void left by the departures of Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith...

Also, Scrimmage provides 1st test for receivers - OC Register

[Oberjuerge] Tailbacks galore for Trojans - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
USC sometimes is known as "Tailback U."

"University of Tailbacks" might be more fitting.

Come August, USC will have 10 scholarship tailbacks on campus.

Yes, 10.

Enough to fill a classroom. Enough for a 5-on-5 pickup game. Almost enough to form a tailbacks-only huddle.

The Trojans have gone beyond "embarrassment of riches" at the tailback position. They're edging toward "cornering the market."...

Also, What's old is new, what's new is old, but will it matter? - Daily Trojan
Carroll sends message to Washington - LA Times
Veteran running back Dennis shines in USC spring game - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise

[Shauk] Judging Jarrett's numbers - Daily Trojan
Last week Dwayne Jarrett stepped onto the FieldTurf on Cromwell Field, slipped on a sleek Nike running suit, and ran 40 yards in 4.62...

Unfortunately for Jarrett, that's not a good time, plain and simple...

...Jarrett knows it's not a good time.

Anyone who tries to say that 4.62 seconds is fast... for a wide receiver, is either lying or just plain doesn't know football...

...Here's my beef: Contrary to what many might think about field tests and exams, judging whether one player is more valuable than another has to come from on-field performance, not from his 40 time...

Sarkisian alone will make the offensive calls - OC Register
Fans who didn't like USC's play calling last year weren't sure who to blame.

Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin would call the play then relay it to quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian on the sideline. If Sarkisian didn't like it, he would kick it back. If he did, he would send it in to quarterback John David Booty.

"If it wasn't a crucial moment, I was going to let it go, because the flow of the game needed to stay going," Sarkisian said.

When the Trojans misfire on offense this year, Sarkisian will field questions. With Kiffin now the coach of the Oakland Raiders, Sarkisian will have sole responsibility for play calling. Receivers coach John Morton will act as his "eye in the sky" from the press box...

USC's Dennis clearing hurdles to play again - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
Hershel Dennis isn't all the way back. But the former starting tailback jumped over a couple of hurdles the past few days.

After missing two seasons with knee surgeries, Dennis, 22, was cleared medically for full contact Friday, too late to get ready for Sunday's scrimmage.

But Tuesday, the 200-pounder got his chance, in both nine-on-seven work and 11 on 11.

"He looked terrific today," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He had a couple of sweet runs. I know he's been champing at the bit."

Dennis, who will graduate May 11, will now have to complete that final step before applying for a sixth year of NCAA eligibility...

Also, Dennis makes his return to the field - Daily Trojan
Dennis optimistic about a sixth season - LA Times

The Memory Hacker - Popular Science
...“Watch this,” says Srinivasan, a design engineer working with USC’s Center for Neural Engineering...Srinivasan explains that the chip is sending electric pulses through the needle into the brain slice...this iron-gray wafer about a millimeter square is talking to living brain cells as though it were an actual body part.

Ted Berger, Srinivasan’s boss and the mastermind behind the tangle of coils and electrodes, has arranged this demonstration to provide a small but profound glimpse into the future of brain science...

[Prisco] Better-Than Team: 20 who'll be better than 'they' say - CBS Sportsline
...I believe in these 20 players. And nobody, not even the scouts I talk to, can change my mind...

...Eric Wright, CB, UNLV: He started his college career at USC but was booted from the team for off-field issues...

...Steve Smith, WR, USC: Even before he ran a 4.4 at the combine, I really liked this kid. He has a way of getting open. During his time at USC, he was overshadowed by some bigger-name receivers, but he always got his share of catches...

...Dallas Sartz, LB, USC: He is a long, lean linebacker who plays with toughness. He might not run that well, but he knows how to find the football. He could be a special-teams demon...

Will Ferrell: Hollywood's highest paid star - The Independent [UK]
...Ferrell is the closest thing Hollywood has to a banker - a man who earns his $20m fee on the opening weekend of any movie he deigns to star in...

...Ferrell enrolled in the University of Southern California's sports broadcasting programme, where he was - as a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity - something of a keg-party jock (an experience that he would draw on for his 2003 varsity comedy, Old School). But Ferrell had a change of heart, decided to be a comedian and joined the touring Los Angeles improvisational group The Groundlings.

"[Being a journalist] seemed a little more legitimate than trying to be a comedian or actor," Ferrell says. "But once I graduated from college, I started working for a local cable news show, and I found I liked making fun of the broadcasters rather than actually doing it."...

Incubator for ideas - VC Star
Whether it's testing spit or creating self-arranging robots, the University of Southern California has a new tool to help academic researchers move their innovations off campus and into the marketplace.

The new USC Stevens Institute for Innovation seeks to help innovators develop their ideas into products, services or new businesses...

...Even for established start-ups, USC Steven is beneficial. They might be sought out as business partners to help move forward other innovations at the university...

...Mark Stevens, a USC trustee and venture capitalist, and his wife, Mary, donated $22 million to fund the new center...