Pipeline U
I know most of the focus the next couple of weeks will be on the Trojans basketball team, but it's also one of the most important times of the year for the dozen football players hoping to make the jump to the NFL.
12 Trojans were invited to the NFL combine last month and at least 10 are expected to be drafted. Mark Sanchez, Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews are all projected as first round picks.
In the last 10 years, SC has had 56 players drafted, including 13 first round picks. In the last three years, USC has averaged almost nine players drafted a season.
Here's an interesting quote from a recent Yahoo Sports story on the top football factories in the America:
"We could have someone in there anytime we want to see a player. They are about as open with the whole deal as you get," an AFC general manager said. "Pete [Carroll] embraces that the NFL is part of life in his kind of program. Maybe that will change with [Mark] Sanchez leaving earlier than he expected."
If it didn't change after Mike Williams left it's never gonna change.
It will never change, but I heard Rick is starting a new open door to the NFL policy.
cv..........who cares about Rick?
Who is this Pete Carroll chap of whom you write? And what happened to Caesar? Did Mike Garrett fire him?
Mike Williams... Mike Williams, the name doesn't quite ring a bell.
Every player that leaves early believes he's the exception and cautionary tales are for the other guy. Not that that attitude is necessarily bad, I think the odds of becoming a success in the NFL drop if you just think your just "ok."
And if cv is talking about slick rick from westwood high... well, I just don't know what to say about that.
ucla's NFL open door policy is to train their athletes be doormen for the scores of Trojans in the NFL.