UCLA-USC feature roundup: Larimore and life after football

patrick larimore

For rivalry week, the Los Angeles Daily News published a number of features covering both sides. My biggest piece ran on Thanksgiving, looking at former UCLA linebacker Patrick Larimore and how he has dealt with his post-concussion symptoms since retiring from football:

Nearly four months have elapsed since his PR rep first reached out by email. Mismatching schedules delayed the interview, but so too did a bad stretch of post-concussion symptoms.

Asked if he’s feeling OK right now, Larimore smiles a little.

“What do you mean by OK?”

Although his health is a constant work-in-progress, the Bruins’ former defensive MVP has busied himself with creating MyHeadHurts.co, a shared space for brain injury victims of all kinds.

Some of the other stories we ran this week …
— An amusing rundown of the pros and cons of USC hiring Ed Orgeron as its full-time coach.
— USC quarterback Cody Kessler tries not to take anything for granted.
— UCLA tight end/receiver Thomas Duarte is proud of his Japanese/Mexican heritage.
— Lakers guards Jordan Farmar and Nick Young are great friends despite going to rival schools.
— A brief overview of the UCLA-USC rivalry and its most memorable moments, plus things to do before and after the game.