The numbers game continues as we jump into the teens.
With all due respect to Brice Taylor — USC’s very first football All-American — this is a three-man battle among high-profile skill-position stars.
(Taylor, fascinatingly, was a 5-foot-9, 185-pound guard. Which basically makes him me. Except that he was born without a left hand and was a member of a world-record-setting mile relay team.)
So here are USC’s sweetest No. 16s. Check ‘em out, then cast your vote!
HB-DB-K FRANK GIFFORD
Quickie credentials: All-American in 1951, when he led USC in rushing (841 yards) and total offense (1,144). USC’s leading scorer in 1950 and ‘51. Led the Trojans in interceptions (3) in 1950. Finished his three-year career with 877 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns, 64 PATs and 2 passing TDs.
QB PAUL McDONALD (above right)
Quickie credentials: All-American in 1979. Starting QB for the 1978 national-championship team. Ranks 10th in USC history in pass completions and 13th in total offense. Finished his three-plus-year career with 4,138 passing yards, a .597 completion percentage and a 37-13 TD-INT ratio.
QB RODNEY PEETE
Quickie credentials: All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1988, when he passed for 2,812 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 5 TDs for a 10-2 team. Ranks third in USC history in total offense and fourth in pass completions. Finished his four-year career with 8,225 passing yards, 54 TD passes and 12 rushing TDs.
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More notable numbers:
More from the USC blog:
- USC basketball: Reports say staff staying, Williams going
- USC basketball poll: All done with one-and-dones?
- NBA draft: Undrafted Daniel Hackett headed for Europe?
- NBA draft: Taj Gibson, first-rounder after all
- NBA draft: DeMar DeRozan … the next Amare Stoudemire?
- USC basketball recruiting: Lamont Jones to Arizona
- USC basketball: Kevin O’Neill still has fans in Tucson
- An Oregon Ducks uniform upgrade?
- Poll: Is it wrong to move the Rose Bowl?
- NBA draft: DeMar DeRozan in NYC
Hi, I just arrived in my time machine from January 2008. That sure was a great Rose Bowl against Illinois. I assume our savior Mitch Mustain took over #16 from Michael McDonald, but he doesn’t seem to be on this list. There must be some mistake. Surely he won the Heisman last year. And he’ll win again this year, right? No? What happened? He was a sure thing!