Dawson No. 55

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Lane Kiffin told Petros Papadakis today that linebacker Lamar Dawson will wear No. 55, which means he is considered to be a legacy linebacker. The number was famously worn by Junior Seau and Chris Claiborne.
Now is Dawson the next special linebacker or did Kiffin want to bestow it on one of “his players?” Last year, he famously took No. 1 away from De’von Flournoy and T.J. Bryant because he said the number was significant because it was worn by Mike Williams. The only real significance No. 1 ever had was that Kiffin was on the staff when Williams wore it.

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  • Exile.

    The jersey # is a small price for the result/recruit.

  • Trojan Conquest

    You are such a little girl.

  • troganfan

    Scotty, you taking the everson griffen party bus to vegas? If you do go, might want to take your cup.

  • uscmike

    Let’s not forget Willie McGinnest and Keith Rivers wore 55 too.

  • sureshot

    How do you include Claiborne but not McGinnest? Dude was probably the second best USC linebacker of the past 25 years (Seau was clearly #1)

    If I had to rate them off the top of my head (including both USC and NFL results) I’d probably go:
    Seau
    McGinnest
    Tatupu
    Matthews (boosted enormously on NFL results)
    Cushing
    Maualuga
    Rivers
    Grootegoed
    Claiborne
    (and of course tons of other good backers like Sartz, Maiva, Lua, Smith, etc)

  • JAG

    I thought I read somewhere that Keyshawn wore #1, too.

  • gilligan

    I am going out a limb here but could it be that Dawson might actually be worthy of this number. This kid reminds me a lot of Keith Rivers.
    The last couple of LB classes were hampered by serious injuries. I still believe that if Telfort were healthy he would have been compared a lot to Matt Groodegood and Tatupu.

  • Chiete76

    Best #1…How about Johnny Morton??

  • snarfy

    Wolf, you’re totally right. Mike Williams never did anything productive at USC. He just happened to be on the roster when Kiffin was there. Random!

    Keyshawn was number 3.

  • Gargamel is a hack

    Correct, snarfy. JAG was taking a dig at Scotty for writing an article a ways back when Kif took certain numbers away from players. Smeagol-Wolf, being either lazy, stupid or most likely just plain clueless stated Key being one of the more notable players who wore 1.

  • JAG

    Yep…there are certain transgressions which should be never forgiven nor forgotten. :)

  • Gnossos

    sureshot, don’t forget the All-American Damon Bane who also played OG, AA Tim Rossovich, AA Chip Banks, AA Jack Del Rio (Lombardi runner up) AND 3 time AA, two time NC, in the College Football Hall of Fame, Richard “Batman” Wood.

  • SECTION 12 ROW 52

    Is anyone wearing #5 ?