Craig Fertig: 1942-2008
I compare Craig Fertig's legacy to the USC football program to that of John Madden's on the game of football.
Many people knew Craig for many different reasons -- as a former quarterback, an assistant coach under John McKay, an athletic department assistant athletic director, a TV commentator, a USC Athletic Hall of Famer. All spanning five decades, beginning when he arrived on campus in 1961.
I got to work with him a bit in the spring of 2007 when putting together Tom Kelly's autobiography -- Kelly and Fertig were TV broadcast partners for 15 years. Fertig wrote the forward to the book -- of course, spinning a few tales that only he could tell -- and Kelly made sure that a picture of the two of them together, wearing their Hall of Fame ribbons and holding their trophies when both were inducted on the same night in 2001, was included in that part of the book.
It was an opportunity to list Fertig's accomplishments:
As a player: Set the then-single-season passing record of 1,671 yards and set seven other marks between 1962-64, winning the Davis-Teschke Award for most inspirational player. Led the Trojans to a victory in '64 over then-No. 1 Notre Dame, completing a fourth-down pass to Rod Sherman for the winning score, just as Irish star Alan Page had flattened him.
As a coach: 1965-73, '75 under McKay, with a couple national championships.
As a head coach: 1976-79 at Oregon State
As an associate AD: 1983-90, focused on fund raising.
As a TV analyst for Prime Ticket and Fox Sports Net: 1992-2000.
"I don't know anyone more loyal to the university," Kelly wrote in his book on Fertig in a chapter about him. In the acknowledgements, Kelly calls Fertig "one of my dearest friends, and one of the greatest assets to the school."
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Kelly also tells one of his favorite Fertig stories: McKay told him to pick up Alabama coach Bear Bryant up at a Santa Monica hotel and take him to the Pepperdine campus, where the legendary Tide coach was to speak at a coaching clinic.
"Fertig made it to the hotel at a quarter to seven, called the room, woke the Bear up, and had a Bloody Mary or two with him," said Kelly. "Then then drove to Pepperdine and walked into the clinic. After Bryant was introduced, he collapsed. Paramedics had to take him to the hospital.
"Fertig was thinking: 'Well, if I live, I'll never be able to explain to Coach McKay what happened to his best friend while he was in my charge.' Fertig finally called McKay, who came down to the hospital. The doctor told him that Bryant would be OK, but they needed to keep him a couple of days.
"'By the way,' the doctor asked McKay, 'where has this patient been the last week or so?'
"'Well, he's been with me in Palm Springs. Why?'
"'Because,' the doctor said, 'he's suffering from acute alcohol poisoning.'
"With that, Fertig had to smile. McKay nodded and walked out the door."
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Sadly, Fertig's passing at the age of 66 from kidney failure was probably a link to the passing of his daughter, Jennifer, who had Epstein-Barr virus. She died in 2002 at age 31. Fertig was devastated and really never recovered from it.
She died at Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach -- the same hospital where Fertig passed away on Saturday.
A USC graduate, Jennifer was one of 13 members of her family to attend the school, including her parents and her cousin, Todd Marinovich, the former Trojan quarterback. Her godfather was McKay.
Said USC coach Pete Carroll after the Trojans' 44-10 victory over Oregon on Saturday: "Today the Trojan family took a big loss with the passing of Craig Fertig. He has been such an unbelievable spirit around the team and this program. He had incredible love for this school. His family contacted us and wanted us to win tonight, and I'm glad that we could."
==An interview Fertig gave last year to WeAreSC.com on the USC-Notre Dame rivalry (linked here).
==His obituary on the USC website (linked here) and in the Orange County Register (linked here)
==His Wikipedia biography (linked here)
UPDATED TUESDAY (10.07.08):
USC will have a memorial service for Fertig at the Galen Center on Monday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m.
Complimentary parking is available in campus structures 2 (on Flower, between Jefferson and Exposition), X (on Figueroa at McCarthy Way) and D (on Jefferson across from the Shrine Auditorium). Attendees should alert the parking guard that they are attending Fertig's memorial service.
The Craig Fertig Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established in the USC Athletic Department. Donations can be sent to Ron Orr, USC Athletic Department, Heritage Hall 203, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0602. For those who would like to share a favorite memory of Fertig, remembrance letters for inclusion in a memory book for his family also can be sent to Orr or brought to the memorial service.
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About this blog
I had the honor of working with Coach Fertig on a number of USC football games in the broadcast booth. Always a gentleman with a story to tell - on the air and off the air.
Our community lost a good man.