By Scott LudwigMagicLudwig1@gmail.com
I’ve been following college football long enough to remember when just the mere mention of the University of Southern California Trojans struck fear in the hearts of their rivals, most notably UCLA and Notre Dame.
That ship has long since sailed. But when exactly did that happen?
The Trojan’s ‘golden age’ began with the arrival of head coach John McKay in 1960. In his 16 years at the helm, the Trojans won four National Championships (1962, 1967, 1972, and 1974) and produced two running back Heisman winners (Mike Garrett in 1965 and O.J. Simpson in 1968).
Here’s an interesting piece of information about McKay’s 1970 Trojan team. They opened the season in Tuscaloosa to take on Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide, thus becoming the first fully integrated team to play in the state of Alabama. The visiting team dominated the game, winning by a score of 42 – 21. All six of USC’s touchdowns were scored by black players – against an all-white Alabama team. After the game, Bryant persuaded the university to allow black players, hastening the racial integration of football not only at Alabama but throughout the Deep South.
Once John McKay (127 – 40 – 8 with USC) departed for the National Football League, one of his assistant coaches, John Robinson, took over as head coach. In Robinson’s seven seasons in Los Angeles, the Trojans won the 1978 National Championship and produced two more running back Heisman winners (Charles White in 1979 and Marcus Allen in 1981). The university’s propensity for producing top-notch running backs earned them the nickname of ‘Tailback U.’ Robinson’s record with the Trojans was 104 – 25 – 4; however, because he was at odds with athletic director Mike Garrett, the 1965 Heisman winner, Robinson ultimately lost his job – which he learned…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/moving-chains-fall-trojan-empire-035900509.html
Author : The Albany Herald, Ga.
Publish date : 2025-03-10 03:59:00
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