USC Morning Buzz

ARNETT.COLOR

Burt Glinn/Magnum Photo

For a certain generation of USC fans, there was not a finer player than halfback Jon Arnett. An All-American, Arnett was a two-time winner of the Voit Award, which went to the best player on the Pacific Coast. He was the No. 2 pick in the 1957 NFL draft and selected by the Los Angeles Rams, where he was a five-time Pro Bowl. He also is in the College Football Hall of Fame.

54 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz

  1. Here, here! U.S.C. football fans should do themselves a favor and check out Jon’s running style on youtube —–once he got loose, it was end zone time.

    • Dont underestimate Jaguar Jon. He had the sweetest moves and jukes. He was like a white Gale Sayers.
      I dont think he was undersized. The picture does not do him justice. How could you say a 5 time Pro Bowler and College Hall of Famer would never see the field in todays game?

      • i am just goofing on a trOXan on here who made the same comment about a linebacker who actually was the same size as most of Southern Cal’s linbackers over the last few years. anyway even if he was correct about the size, the premise of such arguments are specious and based on misconceptions.

        e.g. the argument many HS kids today run raster 100 times than Jesse Owens….while that may be true, the idea of random HS kids beating Jesse Owens is preposterous. you have to judge an era against the the same era, not the present.

      • He was the master of staying on his feet. Just as he was about to go down, he would push off the turf and continue. He had incredible balance. I also remember his purple-clad Toiler body tearing us (Washington Hi) a new one.

        • A ‘General’ huh? Biggest rival was Fremont or Jordan – nothing south until you got to the Mohicans on 182nd funny thing is Washington Prep was and still is in unincorporated county. Taught a day there a very forgettable one as I recall – Fremont was another day in the 7th Circle.

          • I wonder how many of your former students would give you a satisfactory reference or care to remember you at all?

          • Was it called for to call Fremont ” a day in the 7th circle.”? Tell me Larry, are you familiar with D’s 7th circle?

          • Back in the day it was not Wasington Prep. The Pathfinders were indeed our main rivals. We kicked their butts in my sports…baseball and tennis, however football and track was another mater. Jordon was not in the Southern League. I can’t recall us playing them in any sport. 108th and Denker is in unincorporated county? Even us old dogs sometimes learn something new.

          • Back in the day it was not Wasington Prep. The Pathfinders were indeed our main rivals. We kicked their butts in my sports…baseball and tennis, however football and track was another mater. Jordon was not in the Southern League. I can’t recall us playing them in any sport. 108th and Denker is in unincorporated county? Even us old dogs sometimes learn something new.

          • rusoviet, Fremont was a bigger football rival for Washington when Larry was there. Jordan wasnt much of a football power.

      • He was mocking John Walcott’s asinine posts about size/ra ce of older playing legends.

      • i don’t want you to go into a week-long funk again, so even though you are picking a fight, i won’t stoop so low as to mention your Stud Nephew again……ooops!

  2. and you forgot to say he also attended my high school Manual Arts in Los Angeles.

    • The home of several famous sports alums…. Paul Blair, Lyman Bostock, Tom Fears, Steve Broussard, Dwayne Polee and a few notable non-sports alums, Paul Winfield, Jackson Pollock and Frank Capra…..

  3. Watching Arnett (Rams) duel with RB Hugh McElhenny (49ers) before over 100,000 Coliseum fans in the fifties was simply awesome.

    • I hear ya. I remember as a kid a crowd of 103,000 Rams vs 49ers circa 1959 at the Coliseum.
      McElhenny out of Washington HS and Compton JC.

      • Yes! I was at that game as a ‘Cub Scout’ – NE side towards the Peristyle – rivaled the crowds for the 1959 WS that game against the 9er’s

      • TL, it was 1957. My father and I stood in line for a couple hours to purchase excellent seats. R.C. Owens had a great game catching his signature Ally-oop passes from Y. A. Title.

      • I saw Hugh and Cameron run track and play football at Washington when I was in Jr. High School. McElhenny’s sister, Bev erly was several years ahead of me…and considered a pistol…not to be messed with.

  4. Well, Tom Oday, I did not wish to antagonize you, but I will take my best 22 guys of the last 10-years against your 22 best of the 1950-70 era, and the score will probably be about 38-10 new guys.

    • The antagonism comes from your “downer” comments that none of these legendary Trojans would see the field today…mainly because of their size and race. Many posters seem to enjoy the memories and I’m sure most realize the athletes of today are superior (read Bucket below). It’s great what Scott is doing with the “throwback” posts? It’s about FOOTBALL during a slow time.

  5. So… no one is going to mention the shocking Jon Arnett scandal.

    Even though several trOXans were discourteous to me today, i simply have too much class to go there…

  6. The Jaguar was tough. On a right hand sweep against the B. Colts, Arnett ran smack dab into the arms of Gene “Big Daddy” Lispcomb, who literally used Arnett as a mattress to jump on. That tackle spooked the crowd, but Arnett, after “Big Daddy” rolled off him, Arnett jumped right up and trotted back to the huddle.

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