Go Trojans!

I pay little to no attention to college football these days, but I caught the big finish tonight watching the University of Southern California trounce Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl to win the National Championship. It was great fun to see an SC Heisman winner lead his team in a dominating performance over an Oklahoma team that just didn’t look like they belonged on the same field.

And for me, itt was also a trip down memory lane, because I grew up on SC football.

When I turned 14 I received season tickets to SC games which we kept for several years. Initially going to these SC games was something I did with my Dad. Once I was old enough to drive, it became a regular thing to do with any number of my friends. And later, when my older brother went to USC and I followed, we did our share of games as students (neither of us graduated from there, while both our parents have advanced degrees from SC… sorry mom and dad 🙂

Over those years we saw a lot of great football, and great football players. I saw Heisman winning running backs Charles White and Marcus Allen run wild for SC. I saw my football inspiration Ronnie Lott at defensive back, picking ’em off and taking them back. And what SC fan can forget, “Rokshani in motion…” And we saw some great players on the other side of the ball too; John Elway playing for Stanford, Joe Montana playing for Notre Dame, and many others.

I have many wonderful memories of those weekend SC football games. The campus bookstore was among my favorite destinations, there was always room for one more article of clothing or household item with an SC logo on it. I remember visiting Heritage Hall to see the Heisman’s won by Trojans. I had my first (and many many subsequent) beers at an SC football game.

Marcus Allen & Me

Hanging out with Traveller (the horse)

But by far, the best was not on a game day. It was in the fall of 1981 a special season kickoff fan appreciation event, a pep-rally basically where season ticket holders could come onto the field, meet the players, and revel in their burgandy and gold. We did, and it was great. Then as my friend Mike and I were leaving this event at the LA Coliseum, we ran into every sixteen year old’s dream… The USC Song Girls. They spotted us, frozen and drooling with a camera in hand, and immediately recognized they were in danger of us latching onto their legs and grinding like pitiful mutts, and one of them quickly and deftly difused the situation by offering to take a picture with us with them.

Mike, Myself, and the 1981 USC Song Girls

It’s a tragically blurry photo, but neverthless treasured. Still, I’d love to round the girls up for another try at it 🙂