Former USC Running Back, Stafon Johnson, Is Suing His Alma Mater

Former USC running back, Stafon Johnson, is bringing a lawsuit against his alma mater for the weightlifting accident that nearly cost him his life in 2009.

During a supervised training session with the strength and conditioning staff, Johnson almost died from the injuries he suffered when a 275 pound set of weights fell onto his neck.

Jamie Yanchar, who was assisting Johnson on that day, is no longer on the staff at USC, but he is also named in the lawsuit.

The incident, which happened in September 2009, was likely thought to have been water under the bridge for the USC football program—especially after Johnson signed on with the Tennessee Titans.

But with Johnson's professional career in doubt after suffering a season-ending ankle injury, you have to wonder about the timing of this.

Would he be pursuing this measure if his NFL success, to this point, were more significant?

To be sure, Johnson deserves compensation for the carelessness of USC's training staff, and there is little reason to believe he won't get something out of the deal; It just seems like he might have considering doing so sooner rather than later.

Reggie Bush Still Doesn't Quite Seem To Get It

"...I can't dwell on the negatives because I do have a job to do and I have a whole organization and a city riding on my back, not necessarily my back, but the team's back."(ESPN, 7/31/2010)

Reggie Bush is moving on from the scandal that recently brought his former alma mater to its knees. Even though he has all but been erased from the visual memory of his days as USC's star running back, he isn't allowing it to effect his current responsibility as a New Orleans Saint.

While I can understand that the past is the past, I am bothered by the, seemingly, lackadaisical attitude that Bush continues to display about this matter. It's as if he's silently saying, "I did it. It's done. Too bad it amounted to all this but, I can't fix it so, I'm over it".

Really Reggie?

If you think I am exaggerating his emotions too much, just take a look at his last comment  in regards to rebuilding his relationship with USC, "I hope someday at some point it can be repaired," Bush said. "We'll see what happens. That's all I can do."

Umm, yeah. So, you all but decimate one of the most dominant runs in USC's history, this decade, you handcuff the program for the next two seasons (via scholarship limitations and bowl bans), you brought shame to the football program, and, you may very well be responsible for the departure of countless veterans from the team (since the sanctions allowed juniors and seniors to exit without penalty), and you honestly think the relationship isn't severed—permanently?

Again, I say, Reggie Bush doesn't get it.

I know there are many who will say, he was lured by the money and the opportunity to help his family get ahead. He was struggling, despite the money USC was making off his presence, what was he supposed to have done?

Well, that answer is easy, he was supposed to say "no", move on, and await his shot in the NFL...LIKE EVERY OTHER PLAYER.

While I do not agree with USC's over-the-top response to the situation, I can understand the philosophy behind the actions they have taken. They don't want to glorify the man who essentially has crippled them and they wish to send a stern message to any player who might be thinking of following in his footsteps.

However, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the hypocrisy in removing his jersey and returning his Heisman copy while still allowing the trophy and jersey of disgraced former star, O.J. Simpson to remain—just saying.

Yet, I digress.

Reggie Bush made a poor decision. A decision guys he never played with will have to suffer through for the next two seasons. It's not just an "outside distraction" that "is what it is". It's the principle of the thing. He made a huge mistake and, honestly, he's gotten off easy.

Sure, USC will remove his jersey and his Heisman but, no matter what they do, most people will still respect Bush as one of the greatest college football players—ever.

Reggie Bush will still be Reggie Bush no matter what USC or the media does to vilify him—like it or not. He likely knows that and perhaps that is why he can be so philosophical about the whole thing. He just doesn't get it.

I doubt he ever will.

Lane Kiffin Is Still Trying To Prove He's Got The Bigger...Uh..Boat

Lane Kiffin has seen his USC Trojans in the news a lot. That would be fine if the news were not always so darn negative lately.

First there was the transfer of linebacker Jordan Campbell—a talented but, likely, dispensable player on USC's defense. Then came the news that Seantrel Henderson wished to try his wares elsewhere—specifically at a school without sanctions.

Next came the karma police who seemed to have no problems transporting defensive end Malik Jackson from the sunny skies of California to the Rocky Tops of Tennessee—the location of Kiffin's former employer.

That last point gave me such a laugh that I found it hard not to give a point to both Derek Dooley and the Vols for being able to exact a little revenge on ol' Kiffy—that was a good one.

Well, not to be outdone, Kiffin decided to let it leak that the Vols were offered the opportunity to play the Trojans in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff game—they declined the challenge. The hidden message: Tennessee is afraid of USC—end of story—Lane Kiffin wins again, right? Well...not exactly.

Tennessee's 2011 schedule is already top-heavy with quality opponents and if they replaced their current opening opponent, North Texas, with USC they could stand to have one of the toughest out of conference schedules in the nation.

Here is how 2011 would looks with USC added:

vs USC
vs Cincinnati
at Florida
at North Carolina,
vs Georgia
vs LSU

That would be brutal. There would be zero need for the Vols to play the Trojans and I think that Derek Dooley would agree. It's a lose-lose for the Vols.

Sure, it would prove to some that AD Mike Hamilton has faith in the Tennessee football program and, if the Vols won, it would do wonders for the tradition that Kiffin stepped on when he slithered away late last winter. However, other than proving whose band is bigger, the game has absolutely no purpose for Tennessee.

The Vols aren't looking to establish a strong west coast presence in recruiting nor do they have to buoy the strength of the SEC by playing a Pac-10 power. The game would be nice from an ESPN hype standpoint but, in every other facet, it has zero meaning.

Honestly, it wouldn't even be that great a deal if USC's head coach wasn't named Lane Kiffin.

By contrast, Kiffin always feels a need to be in the spotlight and he knows that giving his old team a royal beating, on southern soil, would go a long way towards establishing good public relations for not only his conference but his team.

He could become the new ambassador of the Pac-10—a la Pete Carroll—and could, potentially, set his team up for a slew of big name prospects in 2012.

Even more, it might make the way easier for him when recruiting against the true big boys of the SEC, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban.

Meyer, in particular, gets under Kiffin's skin and he would love nothing better than to keep the Gators from stealing away any more of California's best talent (i.e. Ronald Powell in 2010).  Playing, and beating, Tennessee could open doors on the southern recruiting trail—particularly in Georgia and Florida—where the talent is plentiful.

There's always a motive with Kiffin—always.

In the end, it's just a good story about two programs that suddenly have a very ugly cross-country rivalry. One that, at some point, could find it's end on the football field. For now, the score stands tied—we'll see who casts the next stone.

Seantrel Henderson Isn't Doing Himself Any Favors With His Latest Dramatics

I hate to say it, but, Seantrel Henderson is trouble—with a capital, italicized, and bolded 'T'.

The highly-touted, highly-sought after, five-star recruit from Minnesota has again decided to hold the college football world hostage while he decides where he wants to start his college career. 

The 6'8", 300+ pound, offensive tackle prospect out of St. Paul did not report to USC for a scheduled orientation last week—prompting Lane Kiffin and his band of merry men to hop on a private plane to go talk to the phenom.

The supposed reason for Henderson's decision to skip the university function were his second thoughts about signing with the Trojans.

Reports are stating that Henderson may have been misled by coach Kiffin (wow, that's new) when he was told that USC's sanctions wouldn't be nearly as harsh as implied. Taking Kiffin at his word (mistake), Henderson decided to give his commitment to the Trojans. However he put off signing a letter of intent with the school until the results of the NCAA investigation were released.

Well, obviously USC was given a tad more than just a slap on the wrist and now Henderson is thinking of bolting the program.

While I have no problem with seeing Lane Kiffin squirm like the weasel I think he is, I'm a little sick of Seantrel Henderson and his prima donna ways. After all, if he was smart enough to hold off on signing his letter of intent, then why isn't he man enough to just say the following, "I'm not coming to USC...next school please"?

Honestly, the attention-seeking behavior leaves a bad taste in my mouth and if the college football world were smart, it would let Seantrel go to an FCS school and languish in obscurity for the next 3-4 years of his care.


Some might say that his father is every bit the blame for this madness as Seantrel. Especially given the rumor that he's looking to use his son as his ticket to rap stardom. However, at some point, a program has to cut their losses with a guy and say they aren't going to deal with all the drama just to get his ink.

Seriously, Henderson was great in high school and the scouts think he could be a once-in-a-lifetime prospect at left tackle but there are no guarantees. He could become the biggest bust since Willie Williams—another spotlight hog who prompted some serious changes to the recruiting landscape.

Henderson isn't worth this madness, that much is truth, because who's to say that his behavior ends with this most recent madness. This blatant need to be coddled and looked upon as important could manifest itself in his approach to playing the game, his ability to lead on the field, and his day-to-day dealings with his coaches?

College football can cut a nice size slice of humble pie for a prospect who thinks he's got big-time talent. That slice can be a bitter bite if you aren't prepared for the taste. That said, Henderson could be in for a rude awakening in his first season—no matter where he plays—and I now have some serious doubts as to how he will handle the realization that there are some guys who will be better than he.

No matter what happens, the magnifying glass on Henderson just got bigger and, whether he realizes it or not, that's not necessarily a good thing.

The Most Disappointing College Football Preseason Teams of the BCS Era

For many, the official start of the college football season begins with the publication of the Associated Press’ (AP) preseason rankings. It is typically released in mid-August, and its arrival ushers in the first legitimate conversation regarding which team will be the best.

The discussion generated ranges from who is over- or underrated to who was snubbed altogether.
At times, fans agree on how the rankings shake out but, to be completely honest, after No. 10, it’s mostly subjective and doesn’t seem to be derived from any reasonable formula.

That being said, it’s not hard to imagine how many times the rankings have ended up being dead wrong about a team’s place on this heralded list.

What follows are the teams ranked in the preseason AP Poll, during the BCS era, that failed to live up to the hype. I’ve chosen only one team for each year of the era—simple enough.

As usual, there will be some disagreement on either the team chosen to represent that year’s disappointment or on the reason why they failed to meet the expectations given—I’m always okay with that because it can encourage healthy, intelligent, debate.

What you see are simply my opinions. You should feel free to leave yours—respectfully of course.

1998: Arizona State—AP Preseason No. 8

Despite the loss of Jake Plummer in 1996 and Pat Tillman in 1997, there were still high hopes for the Sun Devils in 1998.

They entered the season ranked in the Top 10 and coach Bruce Snyder was being counted on to continue the success of his prior two seasons—one of which saw the Sun Devils go 11-1 and win the Pac-10 Championship (1996).

Apparently, people in Tempe took the attrition of guys like Damien Richardson (DB), Jason Simmons (DB), and Jeremy Staat (DT) for granted because, without them, the team was no longer the defensive juggernaut they saw shut Pac-10 offenses down in 1997.

The season began with two quick losses, in succession, to Washington and BYU respectively. After that, the team struggled to find any rhythm on the field—offensively—for the rest of the season.

They finished a disappointing 5-6 and failed to qualify for a bowl bid.

1999: Arizona Wildcats—AP Preseason No. 4

In 1999, Sports Illustrated writer, Ivan Maisel had this to say about the Arizona Wildcats:
 
“Tomey has his best team since arriving in Tucson in 1987. If you don't see the Wildcats in Pasadena on Jan. 1, look for them in New Orleans three days later, playing for the national championship.”

The Wildcats were coming off a stellar 1998 season in which they finished 12-1. High hopes followed them into 1999 because so much of both their offense and defense was returning—including both Trung Canidate (RB) and Dennis Northcutt (WR).

However, despite the talent that returned on offense, they failed to even get out of the blocks on a strong note as a season-opening road loss to No. 3 Penn State officially blew the wind out of their sails.

They stumbled through conference play play as well, finishing 3-5 on the year, and essentially sank any dreams of going to the Rose Bowl.

They completed the season at 6-6 and failed to make it into the post-season play.

2000: Alabama, AP Preseason No. 3

The Tide seemed to be going in the right direction following the success of 1999. They’d won the SEC Championship and, although they lost a heartbreaker to Michigan in the Orange Bowl, were feeling good about the team’s chances for a better outcome in 2000.

The brilliant one-two punch of Tyler Watts and Andrew Zow was set to return at quarterback and it was hoped that running backs, Ahmad Galloway and Brandon Miree, would be able to ease the pain of losing Shaun Alexander to the NFL.

What happened instead was an early season injury to Tyler Watts that ended up exposing the glaring weaknesses in Andrew Zow’s play.

Couple that with an ineffective run game and you have a team that spiraled into mediocrity in a hurry.
The Tide finished 3-8—losing five straight games to end the season.

2001: Florida State, AP Preseason No. 6

In hindsight, it seems a little peculiar that the Seminoles were ranked this highly coming into the season. After all, they lost their offensive coordinator (Mark Richt), they said goodbye to their Heisman winning quarterback (Chris Weinke), and they still had not recovered from the devastating loss handed to them in the Orange Bowl by the Oklahoma Sooners the prior season.

Perhaps it was their 14 straight seasons of 10 wins or more, their complete and utter dominance of the ACC, or the total measure of respect given to head coach Bobby Bowden for maintaining such a high level of success that granted them such high regard in the polls.

Whatever the reason, people were willing to give Bobby Bowden the benefit of the doubt because he knew how to win.

The season started off handily enough with two breezy victories over both Duke and UAB, but an embarrassing loss to UNC humanized the Seminoles and the ACC smelled blood in the water.

Miami and N.C. State took advantage of their window of opportunity as well, and the Nole’s ended the year at 8-4.

2002: Nebraska Conrnhuskers, AP Preseason No. 10

Take your pick for 2002, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, and Washington were all in the Top 10—all fell short of expectations. However, Nebraska was the least successful of the bunch and struggled to make it to .500.

Perhaps the Cornhuskers felt they could get by using just their running backs since they no longer had the legs of Heisman-winning quarterback, Eric Crouch to lean on. They were set to return some game-breaking talent in Dahrran Diedrick, and Jamaal Lord was expected to be competent at quarterback—even if he was inexperienced.

At first, it seemed, Solich had everything under control. Nebraska won their first three games with ease, but the road proved tougher and the senior presence on offense and defense became a glaring thorn in the side of the Cornhuskers as they began to completely unravel towards the end of the season.

In hindsight, Nebraska (Like FSU before them) may have also received an obligatory Top 10 ranking based on their glorious history. However, a 7-7 finish to the season proved a painful dose of reality for the many who wouldn’t dare to imagine a season in Lincoln with less than nine wins.

2003: Auburn Tigers, AP Preseason No. 6

The team entered the season poised to finally start receiving the national respect they wanted under coach Tommy Tuberville.

For his part, Tuberville was ready to start showcasing the pro level talent he had stockpiled on his roster; that included guys like Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams (RB), Karlos Dansby (LB), Jay Ratliff (DE), Carlos Rogers (DB), Devon Aromashodu (WR), and Reggie Torbor (DE).

He had a stable of talented tailbacks in Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, and Brandon Jacobs and it was expected that the Tigers would be able to use them to their ultimate advantage that season.

The team finished 2nd in the SEC West the year before and it was felt that a return trip to Atlanta was imminent if the team could 1) field a healthy Carnell Williams for the duration of the season, 2) keep offenses from picking apart an inconsistent secondary, and 3) beat some tough road foes in LSU and Georgia.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, USC and Georgia Tech didn’t care about their plans and Auburn lost their first two games of the season without putting up a fight.

Even though they would recover as the season progressed, the year was ultimately a disaster as the team ended the year at 8-5—finishing 3rd in the SEC West.

2004: Kansas State—AP Preseason No. 12

The Wildcats were hoping that the speed and elusivity of running back Darren Sproles would keep them in the hunt. Unfortunately for Bill Snyder, the Wildcats needed more than a healthy dose of Sproles to keep those Big 12 defenses honest.

Despite his 1,300+ yards rushing, neither the passing game (which sputtered mightily minus the arm and legs of Ell Roberson), nor the defense (which yielded 30+ ppg), was able to get going on the field.
The result was an ugly 4-7 season for Bill Snyder from which the team has yet to recover.

2005: Tennessee—AP Preseason No. 3

The Vols had plenty of talent returning in 2005—including nine guys on defense. The achilles heel, at least in 2004, was the pass defense. The thinking heading into 2005 was if they could right the secondary, and find an adequate replacement for the departed Cedric Houston, they would be fine.

Unfortunately, no one seemed to care that the Vols had an ugly SEC schedule that included road trips to not only Gainesville (UF), but to Athens (UGA), Baton Rouge (LSU), and Tuscaloosa (Bama) as well.

The team was talented, no question, but the schedule was brutal and the secondary was only marginally better than the year before.

Add the two together, and you have a team that was likely snake-bit from the beginning. They struggled in SEC play and failed to find any true playmakers on offense until the second-half of the season (Arian Foster proved to be a true find).

Their 5-7* record resulted in their first non-bowl post-season in more than two decades.

*This was their record as it stood in 2005. Alabama later vacated the win.

2006: Notre Dame—AP Preseason No. 2

Charlie Weis was expected to bring a title back to South Bend in just his second season. He, supposedly, had all the ingredients on offense to get the job done: An experienced leader at quarterback (Brady Quinn), a dynamic talent at running back (Darius Walker), and a sure set of hands at wide receiver (Jeff Samardzija).

The offensive line had some holes, and was a bit thin depth-wise, but it was still thought to be solid enough to keep the Irish offense chugging along quite nicely.

The defense, however, was a touch suspect—particularly in the secondary—despite the presence of Tom Zbikowski, Chinedum Ndukwe, and sophomore talents Kyle McCarthy and David Bruton. This was the one area that the Irish needed to shore up the most if they expected to be playing for a national title—if they could do that, the sky was the limit.

In the end, the title talk turned out to be for naught as the Irish lost to Michigan, in a blowout, at home, in their third game of the year. They went on to win the next eight games but a regular season finale loss to USC all but sealed any chance they had of playing for the national championship that season.

2007: Michigan—AP Preseason No. 5

The Wolverines finished the 2006 campaign in impressive fashion. No one was looking for them to end the year No. 2 in the nation, but they did, behind a suffocating run defense and a strong penchant for controlling the clock (No. 2 in the nation in Time of Possession).

They lost key players on both sides of the ball, including Steve Breaston, Leon Hall, Alan Branch, and LaMarr Woodley, but the bulk of their offensive unit (Chad Henne, Jake Long, Mike Hart, and Mario Manningham) was returning and they had enough playmakers on defense to make it through their brutal schedule—Shawn Crable and Jamar Adams were both back to play their senior seasons.

Most felt that even with the question marks surrounding their pass defense, the Wolverines would be able to get through the first half of their schedule relatively unscathed by using the home field to their definite advantage.

Sadly, for the Wolverines, their first opponent didn’t get the memo.

Appalachian State, a Division I FCS team, came into Ann Arbor and defeated Michigan on a last second field goal. They became the first FCS team in history to defeat an AP Top 25 team. It was an embarrassing loss for Michigan and, abrubtly, ended any shot they had at winning a championship.

The blowout loss the following week to Oregon added more insult to injury as the Wolverines ended the year 9-4—effectively ending Lloyd Carr’s coaching tenure at Michigan on a sour note.

2008: Georgia—AP Preseason No. 1

The Georgia Bulldogs were the hottest team in the nation at the end of the 2007 season. They finished the year winning six straight games, including three against ranked opponents.

However, a loss to Tennessee that season sealed their fate (nationally and in the SEC) and they were forced to settle for a spot in the Sugar Bowl against Hawaii—they won the game and carried high expectations into 2008.

The return of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, coupled with the presence of a seasoned offensive line, made hope spring eternal in Athens.

The hopes lessened with a loss to Alabama, at Sanford Stadium, and ended with a stomping by the Gators just a few weeks later. Add in an ugly home loss to in-state rival, Georgia Tech, and you have a team that simply didn’t live up to the hype of being No. 1.

The Bulldogs ended with a 9-3 record—earning a Capitol One bowl bid for their troubles.

2009: USC—AP Preseason No. 4

If Oklahoma had not lost both Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham to season-ending injuries, they would easily be the team earning this distinction. However, their injuries likely played a huge role in the Sooner’s disappointing season. That said, the ax falls on the Trojans, who were ranked only one spot below the Sooners that year.

The Trojans lost eight players on defense, returning only three starters from the 2008 team, but no one believed for a second that Pete Carroll didn’t have more guys waiting in the wings to make it happen.

Even if the Trojans faltered slightly on offense, minus Mark Sanchez, there was no way they weren’t still capable of winning the Pac-10 with all the talent they had on their bench.

Pete Carroll’s reputation for churning out winners and reloading his team was a well known, bitterly appreciated, fact. USC was USC—things were going to be fine.

In reality, though, even the mighty Trojans were due for a fall at some point. There was just too much good talent gone and too little experience returning at QB.

The Trojans found a way to win against Ohio State but hiccuped early against a Washington Huskies team that was just starting to catch fire under former USC offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian.

Throw in losses to Oregon and Stanford (both of which were uncharacteristically gut-wrenching) and the team limped through the Pac-10 and fell out of BCS favor altogether.

Their 9-4 record on the year marked the first time in seven years that a Pete Carroll led team failed to reach ten wins.

(This article appears courtesy of The Lady Sportswriter—Check it out!)