USC running back Stafon Johnson underwent emergency surgery on Monday after a weight bar fell on his neck while he was bench pressing. He is listed in critical, but stable condition according to the L.A. Times.
Johnson, who starred at Dorsey High, was just starting a set of bench-press lifts near the end of a midmorning workout when he apparently lost control of the bar and it landed on his neck, Coach Pete Carroll said.
Johnson reportedly spit up blood through his mouth and nose.
Reserve quarterback Garrett Green and fullback Stanley Havili did not see the accident, but both said they saw Johnson sitting quietly as he awaited the paramedics.
Surgery began about 2 p.m., according to family friend John Eatman, a former high school teammate of Johnson’s.
Eatman was among about a dozen friends and family members gathered at the hospital Monday evening.
“Right now we don’t know anything,” Eatman said outside the hospital. “We’re just hoping he’s all right.”
This is a sad story. It was an accident and fortunately for Johnson, he had a spotter and the paramedics were able to rush him to the hospital.
Hopefully Johnson is okay and he has a quick recovery.
Barkley was sidelined last week because of a bone bruise in his right shoulder, an injury suffered against Ohio State on Sept. 12. He warmed up but was unable to get loose Saturday during the fourth quarter of the Trojans’ 16-13 loss at Seattle, a defeat that might have crippled their chances of making a run for the Bowl Championship Series title.
Barkley has practiced this week, but he said Tuesday that he continued to feel pain and was unable to throw with full velocity. Regardless of his condition, he maintained that he planned to start against Washington State.
The timing of Wednesday’s decision, Carroll said, “has nothing to do with last week.”
“I think it’s best for us to get focused in on what we’re doing because Matt’s going to make it,” he said. “So there’s no reason to wait.”
Sorry, but this decision has everything to do with last week. Barkley beat Ohio State in Columbus two weeks ago, while Corp struggled to do anything positive last week in a loss to Washington. With Cal emerging as the new favorites to win the Pac-10, Carroll and USC can’t afford to lose another game, which is exactly why Barkley will start on Saturday.
Hopefully in his haste not to lose another game, Carroll isn’t starting an injured quarterback. Barkley is too valuable to the USC program to lose for a significant amount of time and he shouldn’t risk further injury.
That said, if he’s ready to go, then there’s no question that Barkley should start over Corp based on what the two quarterbacks have shown this season.
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, backup quarterback Aaron Corp looks like he’ll make his first career start against Washington unless freshman Matt Barkley can recover from a bruised right shoulder.
Unless Barkley makes an improbable recovery from a bone bruise, Corp is on track to be under center when the Trojans open Pacific 10 Conference play on Saturday at Washington.
Corp, who had entered training camp No. 1 on the depth chart, had a pass intercepted for the third consecutive practice. But he continued to show that he was no longer limited by the cracked fibula that he suffered on Aug. 10, an injury that opened the door for Barkley to start the first two games.
Barkley was supposed to take part in a throwing session on Thursday but didn’t. I can’t imagine that Carroll would start a freshman quarterback on the road in USC’s Pac-10 opener – especially considering Corp is the backup.
If it weren’t for the cracked fibula that he suffered in summer practice, Corp would have likely been the starter for the Trojans at the start of the season. But now that Barkley has a win at Columbus on his resume, it’s going to be hard for Corp to unseat Barkley when the freshman is healthy.
That said, Corp is certainly good enough to stir up a quarterback controversy if he plays well this Saturday. Corp is smart, instinctive and a very accurate passer. Even though he’s had trouble with interceptions this week in practice, he usually doesn’t make many mistakes either. It’ll be interesting to see how he plays this weekend.
So much for those reports that had Tim Floyd packing his bags for Arizona. He has decided to stay at USC.
Floyd announced his decision in a meeting with reporters in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon. Floyd said he not only visited Arizona but also spoke to Memphis about its opening.
“I felt that I needed to look at those two programs,” Floyd told reporters on Thursday. “I am at a point where I want to do something really special and I feel like I needed to go look at an elite program.
“But there is something really special about building your own traditions, your own histories and doing it with a group of guys that you love. … I have never been more excited to be a Trojan.”
Floyd said his contract at USC remains unchanged.
“I have three years left on my contract,” he said. “No, there have not been any changes made that I am aware of. I would like another year or two. I think that would be great. I would like for this to be my last job.”
Floyd has done a nice job at USC, which is why Arizona wanted him in the first place. He has guided the Trojans to three straight NCAA appearances and three straight 20+ win seasons. The next step for the program is to crack the Elite Eight or Final Four.
So which direction does Arizona go now that Floyd has publicly turned down the job?
ProFootballTalk.com is reporting a rumor that the Lions are focused on USC quarterback Mark Sanchez and not Matthew Stafford.
We’re putting this one squarely in the “rumor” file for now. But since this is a “rumor mill,” we’re not going to ignore it pending official confirmation or a second source.
There’s a rumor making the rounds in league circles that the Lions are focused not on Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, but on USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.
As previously mentioned, the Lions apparently plan to talk to multiple players about a possible rookie contract. It could be that the Lions will float multiple names, and ultimately talk to multiple players, in order to soften up the expectations of the guy whom they really want.
I wouldn’t trust anything PFT.com posts, but if the Lions do take Sanchez at No. 1, that would be the shock of the year.
Who knows, maybe Sanchez will be a solid pro. But he had some of the best talent in the country around him at USC and he was far from spectacular. He has limited starting experience, wasn’t necessarily great in the clutch and doesn’t throw a great ball.
Stafford might not have been spectacular in college himself, but there’s no denying he has pro talent.
Stewart Mandel of SI.com takes a crack at predicting how the top 25 will look in college football next season.
1. Florida (13-1 in 2008)
Who’s back: QB Tim Tebow, DE Carlos Dunlap, LB Brandon Spikes, CB Joe Haden, S Ahmad Black.
Who’s not: WRs Percy Harvin* and Louis Murphy, T Phil Trautwein, G Jim Tartt.
Skinny: The defending champs return a former Heisman winner at quarterback, their top three tailbacks and, remarkably, their entire starting defense.
2. Texas (12-1)
Who’s back: QB Colt McCoy, WR Jordan Shipley, T Adam Ulatoski, LBs Sergio Kindle and Roddrick Muckelroy.
Who’s not: WR Quan Cosby, DE Brian Orakpo, DT Roy Miller, CB Ryan Palmer.
Skinny: McCoy and the offense should be potent again, and last year’s young secondary should improve with another year under Will Muschamp.
3. Oklahoma (12-2)
Who’s back: QB Sam Bradford, RBs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown, TE Jermaine Gresham, DT Gerald McCoy.
Who’s not: WRs Jauquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson, T Phil Loadholt, G Duke Robinson, S Nic Harris.
Skinny: Bradford’s return is huge for an offense that must retool its line and receiving corps. The defense has nine starters back from the BCS title game.
4. USC (12-1) Who’s back: RBs C.J. Gable, Stafon Johnson and Joe McKnight, WR Damian Williams, S Taylor Mays.
Who’s not: QB Mark Sanchez*, DT Fili Moala, LBs Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing, S Kevin Ellison.
Skinny: New QB Aaron Corp or Mitch Mustain will have a solid supporting cast. The defense loses a boatload of staples but should be able to reload.
5. Ole Miss (9-4) Who’s back: QB Jevan Snead, RB/WR Dexter McCluster, DE Greg Hardy, CB Marshay Green, S Kendrick Lewis.
Who’s not: T Michael Oher, DT Peria Jerry, LBs Tony Fein and Ashlee Palmer.
Skinny: After knocking off Florida, LSU and Texas Tech, the Rebels are ready to take the next step behind star QB Snead. Hardy’s return is a huge boost.
The 2008 season isn’t even a month dead yet and already I miss college football. (Although not the constant playoff debate, which shouldn’t even be a debate at all if BCS-supporters could ever get their heads out of their asses and realize they ruin college football every year.)
I like seeing Ole’ Miss that high. As Mandel points out, the Rebs knocked off Florida, LSU and Texas Tech last year, and also gave Alabama a run for its money, too. Snead is the real deal and that’s a team that will be fun to watch next season.
And then he did it, even after Carroll advised him not to. So Carroll spoke about that at the press conference, and everyone heard one thing. They heard Carroll making an ass of himself.
Me, I heard something else. I heard Carroll being fed up. Carroll knew Sanchez had initially been leaning toward staying. Carroll knew that he then told Sanchez, based on conversations with NFL people — and Carroll knows NFL people; he once was head coach of the Jets and Patriots — that Sanchez’s pro career would be better served with one more year of college. And still Sanchez turned pro early.
So who got to Sanchez? Between the lines of that awkward press conference, that’s the question I heard. I heard Carroll wondering who it was that got to his player. Carroll has seen it before, with scumbags getting close to Reggie Bush and even O.J. Mayo on the basketball side of campus. Carroll knows the scumbags are still out there. So was it a scumbag this time? Or was it a family member? An agent? A girl? It was someone, and Carroll’s mad as hell at that person, as well as being mad as hell at Sanchez for listening.
So Carroll went into the press conference and delivered a message.
Here’s the thing. Carroll is one of the smoothest coaches in college sports. He knows how to act, and he knows what to say. He knows that everything he says and does will be dissected. And still he walked into that press conference, with plenty of time to prepare, and did what he did, and said what he said.
You think that was an accident? You think he lost control? You think his entire performance wasn’t planned?
I think it was intentional. I think it was premeditated. So I didn’t hear Pete Carroll being a shortsighted jerk. I heard Pete Carroll being fed up with the real shortsighted jerk in this scenario. I just wish I knew who that shortsighted jerk is.
Mark Sanchez knows who it is. Maybe someday, if his NFL career isn’t everything it could have been, he’ll get mad at that shortsighted jerk himself. Even if that shortsighted jerk is someone in his own family, maybe even himself.
So according to Doyel, Carroll has a master plan to prove his point and that’s why he was a calculated jerk at Sanchez’s presser? Either way, that still makes Carroll egotistical.
If everyone follows and writes about Carroll’s every more, than word would have spread (quickly, might I add) that he wasn’t in favor of Sanchez leaving early. He still could have done the professional thing and sat by as Sanchez made the biggest announcement of his life. Carroll still could have privately voiced his displeasure with Sanchez’s decision and made his point that way.
It’s nice that Doyel wants to play devil’s advocate in this situation and while he makes strong points, it still doesn’t excuse the way Carroll acted. Again, word would have spread whether or not Carroll was behind the decision or not. He didn’t have to go through all of that at the presser to prove his point.
Here’s Trojan head coach Pete Carroll’s reaction to Sanchez’s decision:
Trojan beat writer Scott Wolf, for example, described the scene as “pathetic”:
USC coach Pete Carroll was extremely ungracious during the Mark Sanchez press conference. He stormed out of the room and did not even sit at the table before Sanchez addressed the media. Something he never did when Matt Leinart, etc., announced their decisions.
Carroll never sat down at the table but stood with his palms on the table. His anger was clear if you spend time around him.
Not a great moment.
Wolf is not known as “Caesar’s” biggest fan, but Rose agreed that Carroll was “peeved,” and that seems to be the reaction that’s picking up steam. Sanchez is earning his degree this spring (from the Annenberg School of Communication, which ain’t no joke), and he said all the right things today. I don’t know where Sanchez is going to be drafted or what kind of career he’ll have, but it seems an especially inopportune time for his coach to tell to a rapt media audience, essentially, “I expect this kid to fail.” I don’t know what else he could mean by pointing out the “less than 50-50″ success rate of first round quarterbacks.
I equate Carroll’s reaction to a father who’s disappointed in one of his son’s big decisions. Carroll wants Sanchez to stay in school, get another year of experience under his belt and then turn him loose on the NFL world.
But like a father voicing his displeasure with his son’s decision in front of his friends and peers, Carroll shouldn’t have done it this way. There’s no doubt deciding to go pro was a hard decision for Sanchez and now that he’s made his decision, this should be a time for celebration. Regardless of how Carroll felt, he should have supported Sanchez, wished him luck and then got the hell out of the way. If he wanted to voice his displeasure, he should have done it behind closed doors, which I’m sure he did anyway.
It wasn’t Petey’s moment – it was Mark’s. Yet because Carroll’s ego got in the way and because he wanted to “state for the record” that he wasn’t happy with Sanchez’s decision, he came off as kind of a jerk in my eyes.
The USC Trojans, however, might not be as fortunate. Word has it that quarterback Mark Sanchez will forgo his senior season and turn pro next year.
USC quarterback Mark Sanchez has said that he would monitor the decisions of other top draft-eligible quarterbacks as he pondered whether to return to USC for his final season of eligibility or make himself available for the NFL draft.
Thursday is the deadline to declare for the April draft.
Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, is the third high-profile quarterback to announce he was staying in school, possibly increasing the chances that Sanchez will opt to turn pro.
Texas’ Colt McCoy said during he season that he would back. Florida’s Tim Tebow and Bradford have since said they would remain in school.
It would be hard to pass up that much money, but I think it’s Sanchez’s case, he would benefit from another year at USC. The Trojans’ offense didn’t hit their stride until late in the season and at times, Sanchez was highly inconsistent. Of course if he does leave, he’s doing so on a high note because his Rose Bowl performance was the best of the year. It’ll be interesting to see not only if he decides to come out, but what round he’ll be selected in.
As for Bradford, his decision to stay at Oklahoma was clearly a calculated risk. He figures that if Matthew Stafford of Georgia comes out, there’s a good chance that the Lions will take him with their No. 1 pick and Sam will bypass the mess that is Detroit. Well played, Sam – well played.
Depending on the poll, 85%-90% of football fans would like to see some sort of a playoff. For now, we’re stuck with the BCS, which gave us Florida and Oklahoma in the title game. The problem is, now that the bowls are finished, there are three other teams (not including Florida) that have a legitimate argument that they are the #1 team in the country. Utah finished the season undefeated and beat two teams that are ranked (or will be ranked) in the top 10. USC beat up Penn State and looked great doing it. And Texas put away a feisty Ohio State team in the Fiesta Bowl…oh, and they beat Oklahoma as well. Or is the #1 team Florida, who only looked so-so in their win over the Sooners?
