subject: The University Of Southern California Football [print this page] Southern Cal football has been on the map for years & years. They've been playing football at USC for over 120 years. 11 championships over this time frame. However, they haven't gotten another one since the 2004 season. Due to recent announcements, the title from 2004 may very well be taken away. They're a team that's been amongst the elite in college football for the past several years. A bunch of PAC-10 titles & bowl appearances. Alabama is the only other football program to have more bowl appearances. However, USC does lead college football in bowl victories. Setting a record with 11 or more wins for 7 straight seasons. Another record with weeks(33) as the number 1 ranked team in college football. Several previous players to receive honors including 6 prior Heisman winners.5 of those 6 winners were from the running back position. The success of running backs at USC has given the school a nickname of "Tailback U".
How could we forget about O.J. Simpson? He may very well be known now for his legal troubles more than his personal accomplishments in football. However, there's mistaking this was a great football player. He won the Heisman back in 1968 all while leading the nation in rushing yards. He also has led the nation in rushing the previous year as well. His Heisman victory goes down as the largest margin ever in this race. Simpson went on to the NFL & became a great success including an NFL MVP award in 1973.
A player that enjoyed the Heisman for his final campaign at Southern Cal. His senior season also garnered him two other awards. All-American status for his final 2 years of college. Breaking several other rushing records as well. He also tied a few other records to go with the ones he broke. The College Football Hall of Fame chose him for their select group several years ago. Great seasons at USC didn't translate to success in the NFL for this Heisman winner. After struggling in the NFL, he admitted drug problems causing his failure. It wasn't all bad though. He did have one pretty decent season in the NFL by hitting the 1000-yard mark as a rusher & scoring over 10 TD's. This is Charles White.
The 1981 Heisman Winner, Marcus Allen continued with the tailback tradition by winning the Heisman Trophy in 1981. His 1981 campaign has been regarded as the greatest single season in college football history. A runner that rushed for over 2,300 yards. These type numbers led USC to put his jersey number to rest. No USC player will ever wear his number again. His success didn't stop in college. He won a Super Bowl in 1984 & an MVP award in 1985. He made the Pro Bowl team a total of 6 seasons. He spent 11 of his 16 seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders. His great play led voters to selecting him for the College & Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A more recent USC tailback great and a present NFL player. His final two seasons he garnered college football All-American honors. His senior campaign was good enough for achieving the Heisman Trophy. The Saints gave him a chance to be a part of their backfield. In under 5 seasons, this player has seen limited personal success. However, his team achieved the most coveted success by taking home the Super Bowl in 2010.
