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LivePeace ’08 07-03-2008 11:19 a.m.
A Better LA, in connection with Unity One, will be holding “LA LivePeace ’08” on Saturday, Aug. 2 at 10 a.m. at the Coliseum. The grassroots peace march and rally is aiming to promote a non-violent environment in Los Angeles and raise awareness for the community’s efforts toward gang intervention.
Coach Carroll, along with several other notable L.A. leaders, will be speaking and participating in the event, so plan on attending this special rally and showing your support for the transformative efforts of A Better LA and other inner-city organizations.
Get your tickets 07-03-2008 9:28 a.m.
Individual game tickets for the Trojans’ six home games this fall will go on sale July 20 through the USC ticket office. The 2008 home games are:
Sept. 13 • Ohio State Oct. 4 • Oregon Oct. 11 • Arizona State Nov. 1 • Washington Nov. 8 • California Nov. 29 • Notre Dame
See ya 07-02-2008 2:21 p.m.
Coach Carroll just left his Heritage Hall office for the last time in weeks, as he’s taking time off to vacation and spend time with his family.
“I’m going to leave with a little Santana going,” Carroll said as Santana’s hits blasted from his office stereo. “Take it away, Carlos.”
Rocky Seto mic’d up 07-02-2008 1:31 p.m.
We’ve shown you several videos of USC coaches mic’d up during a spring practice, and here’s the latest installment. Watch secondary coach Rocky Seto wired for sound during one of the workouts this past spring in the newest video from USCRipsIt, produced by Mark Haas:
Facelift 07-02-2008 11:57 a.m.
USC’s practice fields have been torn up and reduced to dirt, as the facilities management staff prepares to re-sod Howard Jones and Brian Kennedy fields in time for the first practice of Fall Camp on Aug. 6.
Bottle it up 07-02-2008 11:29 a.m.
Coach Carroll and the Trojan football office welcomed some high-powered business executives this morning.
Terry Marks, the president of the North American unit of Coca-Cola, and Terry Fitch, vice president and general manager of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Southern California, toured Heritage Hall and visited with Carroll this morning.
Hot off the presses 07-01-2008 3:54 p.m.
A lengthy feature on Coach Carroll, titled "Winning for life," appears in the latest issue of Success Magazine, on newsstands now.
Leaving town 07-01-2008 12:31 p.m.
Players had a 6:30 a.m. “Trojan Run” this morning, when they went through a conditioning-heavy workout on Cromwell Field. Because of the 4th of July holiday, players get the rest of the week off from the off-season program, giving out-of-state players one final chance to return home before Fall Camp opens and the season begins.
Watch out 07-01-2008 11:44 a.m.
The Trojans are well represented on two marquee award watch lists. Tailbacks Stafon Johnson and Joe McKnight, quarterback Mark Sanchez and wideout Patrick Turner are four of the 75 players on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given annually to the nation’s most outstanding college football player.
Meanwhile, five Trojans have been named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, presented to the nation’s top defensive player each season. They are: linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga, safeties Taylor Mays and Kevin Ellison and defensive lineman Fili Moala.
Dog days of summer 07-01-2008 11:35 a.m.
July has hit Trojan football, meaning Fall Camp and the 2008 season are just one turn of the wall calendar away. It also means that the summer strength and conditioning is in fifth gear, as the players have less than five weeks of training left before camp. July also signifies a quiet time for the Trojan football office, with most coaches on vacation for much of the month.
Straight from the source 06-27-2008 7:58 a.m.
Check out an electronic version of the 2008 media guide here. The printed version will be out in late July or early August.
Peace out 06-27-2008 7:37 a.m.
Now that all summer kids’ camps are over, coaches are starting to take vacation beginning today. Besides getting to hang out with their families, the time off is also a chance to get away from the game they’ll be immersed in 24/7 starting in August and going through January.
Summer vacation 06-26-2008 1:04 p.m.
Besides today being the last day of the “Rising Stars” camp, it’s also the final day before the coaches take most of the next month off for vacation time with their families.
“It's like the last day of school,” Coach Carroll joked.
On the flip side 06-26-2008 10:56 a.m. The Trojan coaches are finishing their 11th and final day of summer kids’ camps today, and there’s one group who couldn’t be more excited for the camps to end and the football office to return to the normal chaos and activity it’s known for.
USC football’s administrative assistants.
Irene Puentes and Joyce Hirayama, who have worked a combined 35 years for the Trojans, become the lone wolfs of the football office during the June camps, when the coaches clear out of Heritage Hall to spend the entire day on the field coaching football.
“It’s sad because it gets kind of lonely up here without the coaches around,” said Hirayama, the administrative assistant to the football coaches. “But I love seeing the campers, they’re so young and full of hope.”
Hirayama said she spends the time preparing for the season, when the hectic schedule resumes in full. But for now, it's calm and peaceful in the football office.
“The day drags on when no one’s around,” said Puentes, the office’s receptionist. “But when the coaches are here, there’s so much activity that the day flies by.”
Day 2 of the “Rising Stars” camp is about to get rolling with breakfast at a campus cafeteria. Here’s a look at the jam-packed agenda for the day:
8:30 a.m. • Breakfast 9:30 a.m. • On the field for Practice #1 9:45 a.m. • Individual position drills 10:05 a.m. • 1-on-1 drills 10:20 a.m. • Team period 10:40 a.m. • “Trojan Ball” tournament 11:30 a.m. • Lunch 12:15 p.m. • Instructional film sessions 1:30 p.m. • On the field for Practice #2 1:45 p.m. • Individual position drills 2:05 p.m. • 1-on-1 drills 2:20 p.m. • Team period 2:40 p.m. • “Trojan Ball” tournament 3:45 p.m. • Camp ends
Carroll involved in car accident 06-25-2008 5:23 p.m.
Coach Carroll was involved in a fender bender with an L.A. County Sherriff’s squad car on Pacific Coast Highway on Tuesday night.
“Everything’s OK, I was a little shaken up then, but I’m good now,” Carroll said. “Obviously there’s damage to the car, but fortunately there’s nothing worse.”
Carroll said an accident report was filed with the California Highway Patrol and that there shouldn’t be any resulting problems other than repairing his car.
Following the rules 06-25-2008 4:50 p.m.
We’ve received some e-mails wondering why we aren’t covering the on-field action at the “Rising Stars” camp, and it’s because we’re limited by NCAA rules. Since USCRipsIt is a service of and funded by USC, we cannot comment on prospective student-athletes until they sign their letters of intent with the university — which is the same reason why coaches cannot discuss high school prospects until signing day in February.
Hot off the presses 06-25-2008 3:29 p.m.
Download your very own printable Fall Camp calendar graphic from USCRipsIt and put it at your desk, on your refrigerator or in your car so you’ll know the schedule for the Trojans this August. Remember that all practices during Fall Camp are open to the public, so plan on attending at least one of the 23 sessions.
Tickets on sale 06-25-2008 11:51 a.m.
Remaining single game tickets for the Trojans’ 2008 home games will go on sale in the middle of July, according to the USC ticket office. The exact date is currently undecided, but officials from the ticket office encourage you to subscribe to VictorEmail, which will notify those on the list via e-mail when the exact date is determined.
Another sighting 06-25-2008 10:53 a.m.
Oakland Raiders head coach and former USC assistant Lane Kiffin is hanging out in the football office and with the coaching staff today.
Fall Camp, by the numbers 06-25-2008 10:19 a.m.
Fall Camp is part sprint, part marathon. It’s probably most accurate to call it a sprint-marathon, since the Trojan football machine runs in fifth gear for three straight weeks without a break. Take a look at Fall Camp 2008 by the numbers:
- 5 instances of two-a-days (only 3 last year) - 3 scrimmages at the Coliseum (same as 2007) - 5 days of acclimatization period to start camp (meaning there can’t be any two-a-day practices and players must practice without full pads for the first four days) - 1 mock game at the Coliseum (3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21 to mimic the start time of USC’s season opener at Virginia the following week) - 28 practices between the start of Fall Camp and the Trojans’ first game on Aug. 30 - 18 consecutive days of football (In 2007, there were 20 straight days of football) - 1 day off between Aug. 6 and Aug. 30, the day of USC’s first game of 2008
Starting off 06-25-2008 9:48 a.m.
Coach Carroll addresses his coaching staff and the 26 guest coaches of today’s “Rising Stars” camp during this morning's staff meeting before registration.
Celebrity sighting 06-25-2008 9:26 a.m.
Former San Francisco 49er and Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana has stopped by the football offices this morning and will be spending the day with the Trojan coaching staff.
Huge day 06-25-2008 8:25 a.m.
The biggest two days of the summer have arrived at Heritage Hall with the start of the “Rising Stars” camp this morning.
More than 200 of the country’s top prospects (rising juniors and seniors in high school) have come to the Trojan football complex to participate in the nationally renowned camp today and Thursday.
As much as this camp is a chance for coaches to evaluate prospects, it’s also a chance for players to evaluate the coaches in action, so the “Rising Stars” camp is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, aspects of the recruiting process for the Trojans.
Along with the USC coaching staff, 26 guest coaches from high schools and colleges from 10 states around the nation will be guiding the players through drills and competitions throughout the next two days. The camp doesn’t just bring out well-known prospects — some famous coaches come, too. Former Raider (and Michigan alum) tailback Tyrone Wheatley, who currently coaches at a high school in suburban Detroit, is one of the guest running back coaches.
Honoring the champs 06-24-2008 5:18 p.m.
USC’s national championship-winning teams from 2007-08 visited with President Bush at the White House today. See pictures of the women’s soccer and women’s golf teams with President Bush.
Fall Camp schedule 06-24-2008 5:12 p.m.
Here’s the day-by-day schedule for Fall Camp 2008, and the practice times will be announced later. As of now, all practices during Fall Camp (Aug. 6-23) are open to the public (subject to change):
Aug. 5 • Players report Aug. 6-10 • One practice per day Aug. 11 • Two-a-day practice Aug. 12 • One practice (Scrimmage #1) Aug. 13 • Two-a-day practice Aug. 14 • One practice Aug. 15 • Two-a-day practice Aug. 16 • One practice (Scrimmage #2) Aug. 17 • Two-a-day practice Aug. 18 • One practice Aug. 19 • One practice Aug. 20 • Two-a-day practice Aug. 21 • One practice (Scrimmage #3) Aug. 22 • One practice (Salute to Troy) Aug. 23 • One practice Aug. 24 • Day off Aug. 25 • First day of school; Virginia game week begins
Setting up for a performance 06-24-2008 12:12 p.m.
Heritage Hall’s Varsity Lounge has been transformed into the mock waiting room of a doctor’s office for this afternoon’s Doctors of USC commercial shoot, which will feature Coach Carroll as the main actor.
On camera 06-24-2008 12:05 p.m.
Coach Carroll and tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator Brennan Carroll conduct an interview about father-son coaching with X’s and O’s, a start-up football website, in the Heritage Hall lobby a few minutes ago.
One last time 06-24-2008 11:34 a.m.
With USC’s Rising Stars camp tomorrow and Thursday and coaches getting Friday off, today is the last football day of the week for the coaching staff.
That wouldn’t be too big of a deal, considering Fall Camp’s more than a month away and the season doesn’t start for two more months.
But since coaches get most of July off for vacation, today is the final day of football for the staff as a whole until pre-Fall Camp meetings in August. So the staff has been consumed with play sheets and film all morning as they refine the playbook and wrap up major preparations for Fall Camp 2008.
For your information 06-24-2008 10:26 a.m.
This season’s replica jerseys — Nos. 4 (Joe McKnight and Kevin Ellison), 6 (Mark Sanchez and Malcolm Smith), 13 (Stafon Johnson) and 58 (Rey Maualuga) — will be available in the bookstore and online beginning in mid-August.
And of course, there are leftover No. 10 jerseys (Brian Cushing) from last season.
For a good read 06-24-2008 9:39 a.m.
Check out this feature on tailback Joe McKnight from the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Getting down to business 06-24-2008 9:35 a.m.
The juices are flowing in the football office this morning.
After all, it’s a ’ball day for the coaches.
Following several days of summer kids camps, the coaches are back to game-planning, watching film, drawing plays and general football work in offensive and defensive staff meetings right now.
An early morning ahead 06-23-2008 6:31 p.m.
At 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, players will convene for the first “Trojan Run” of the summer's strength and conditioning program. It’s a four-station sprinting-centric workout on Cromwell Field led by coach Chris Carlisle and his staff.
Welcome in 06-23-2008 6:29 p.m.
Coach Carroll (center) addresses the incoming scholarship players and their families during tonight’s welcome BBQ on the top of the baseball complex. The players reported today and will begin working out and taking summer school classes within the next few days. “Away we go, boys,” Carroll said.
All-American defensive end Lawrence Jackson just finished his second round of OTAs with the Seattle Seahawks, and he has returned to USC to work out and relax before training camp starts in a month.
“It’s very different, but in a way, it’s still the same,” Jackson said of playing professionally. “It’s still football; you just have to be more conscious of your technique.”
And quite conscious he has been. Jackson has already been named second-string defensive end for one of the NFL’s best defenses in recent seasons.
A native of Inglewood, Jackson has moved from southern California for the first time in his life, but he’s not complaining.
“I love it,” he said of Seattle. “I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Reporting day 06-23-2008 11:58 a.m.
The 18 incoming scholarship freshmen players are reporting to Heritage Hall today to begin their careers as Trojans. They have a full laundry list of tasks to complete today, including physicals, compliance meetings, equipment fittings, enrolling in summer school, moving into their summer housing and, finally, a welcome BBQ with the USC coaching staff tonight.
Alumni in the house 06-23-2008 8:12 a.m.
Today’s “Trojans in Training” Camp is drawing out 450 third- through eighth-graders and about 20 guest coaches, including several former Trojan players. They are: wideout Brad Walker (2004-07), wideout Tim Ware (1982-84), cornerback Marvin Pollard (1988-91), punter Tom Malone (2002-05) and kicker Brad Smith (2007).
Work it out 06-23-2008 8:11 a.m.
The fourth week of the summer strength and conditioning program has gotten underway with this morning’s 7 a.m. workout, beginning on Howard Jones field before moving inside to the weight room to wrap up the 90-minute session. Players also have the option of attending the 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. workout slots with coach Chris Carlisle and staff.
For a good read 06-23-2008 7:20 a.m.
Check out this feature on freshman defensive end Trey Henderson from the Sunday edition of The Province, a newspaper from his hometown of Vancouver.
Camp grounds 06-23-2008 7:19 a.m.
It’s another crazy day for Trojan football today, as 450 third- through eighth-graders are flooding Heritage Hall and Howard Jones field for the annual “Trojans in Training” kids camp. The USC coaches, along with more than 20 guest coaches from high schools and colleges, will guide the kids through drills and games during the day-long camp.
Fortunately, the forecast calls for a high in the mid-80s, a welcome change from last week’s sweltering heat that climbed near 100 degrees during Thursday’s and Friday’s camps. To read last week's blog, click here.
