University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Making USC football great again

(USC Thesis Other)

Making USC football great again

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Content Copyright 2020 Grayson Ryan Adler

MAKING USC FOOTBALL GREAT AGAIN:

by

Grayson Ryan Adler

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC
ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM)

May 2020

ii

DEDICATION

To my parents… and those that have put up with me these past 21 years.

iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Alan, Miki, and Jeff – thank you so much for believing in me and helping guide me while
creating this documentary. This would not have been possible without your constant feedback
during the most difficult of times.

Adrianna, without your encouragement and organizational prowess, my diploma would
have said August 2020. I appreciate you.

To my parents, thank you for having me. I am proud to be your greatest mistake. Also,
thank you for keeping up on me and pushing me to be the best possible version of myself. And
yes, I will look for a job, get off your payroll, and take care of the kittens.

To my friends that I have ignored and put off while finishing this thesis – I am sorry. I
promise the Grayson you know, and love, is back. However, I have a few more essays due, so I
am definitely back after our mock graduation on May 15, 2020.

Finally, Jordan, Vae, and the rest of the 2020 USC Football team – let’s get it done this
year and Make USC Football Great Again.

Fight On!

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... ii
Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iii
Abstract ............................................................................................................................................1
Making USC Football Great Again - Documentary Script ..............................................................4
Bibliography ..............................................................................................................................15

1

ABSTRACT
My thesis, Making USC’s Football Team Great Again, is captured in the form of a
documentary. The idea behind the documentary is simple – what will it take to return USC to its
National Championship ways of the past? The answer, however, is not so simple. Numerous
moving parts have to interact behind the scenes preciously, both on and off the field. It will take
a lot more than just winning games to make the program great again.
First and foremost, a team's culture sets the tone day in and day out. Universities recruit
the players that buy into their culture in hopes of convincing the athletes to accept the
scholarship offer. The facilities these players practice in must include top of the line strength and
conditioning equipment, medical services that meet the needs of the numerous athletes, and
academic centers enabling the student-athletes’ success in the classroom. Finally, academic
tutors, advisors, and councilors must work with the student-athletes ensuring they can balance
their athletic and academic workloads.
To investigate those aspects, I interviewed a variety of individuals affiliated with the
football program at the University of Southern California. Mike Bohn, USC’s Athletic Director,
discusses what makes a football program successful. Running backs coach Mike Jinks and his
quality control analysts, Steve Murillo, discuss the importance of the team’s culture and the
guidance head coach Clay Helton provides to every member of the program. Lawrence Jackson,
a player from USC’s 2004 national championship team, shares his experience playing for Pete
Carroll under a winning culture. Spencer Harris, Director of Player Personnel, and Gavin Morris,
Director of Player Development, discuss the importance of seeking out the best high school
athletes around the world to help USC’s football program continue its tradition of excellence.
Todd Hewitt, Director of Equipment Operations, looks at the athletic department’s year-round
2
commitment to the football players, as well as the traditions that run deep within the Trojan
Family. Hatcher Parnell, Director of Game Management, discusses the importance and impact of
a program’s athletic facilities. Mimi Butler, Director of Athletic Academic Support, discusses the
support provided by the athletic department to ensure the players can compete in the classroom
with their academic peers. Finally, Jordan Iosefa, a senior captain on USC’s football team, shares
his opinion as a player as to what USC can do to return to the National Championship.
Through the medium of video, I have provided a face to the people that work together to
ensure USC can operate not only a successful football program, but a great football program.
Making USC Football Great Again offers a glimpse into the work performed by the thousands of
people, both on and off the field, to ensure Trojan fans can watch the Men of Troy successfully
compete on the field.
Experiencing my first force majeure event, COVID-19 (Coronavirus), less than two
weeks before this thesis was due, made wrapping up the loose ends difficult. With the California
Governor issuing a Stay at Home Order, follow-up on-camera interviews were impossible.
Employees authorized to approve the reuse of video footage were unavailable, limiting usage of
third-party clips. Reviews of the documentary were difficult as USC experienced not only a
campus closure but a worldwide closure of sorts. We face a trying time for our country as a
whole, and, understandably, there will be delays. As I finish the documentary, the importance of
maintaining contact with those that have taken the time over the years to help me succeed is
foremost in my mind. Without their continued guidance, I would not have been able to publish
this work proudly.
As a longtime fan of collegiate football, especially USC football, I was not aware of the
work that went on behind the scenes allowing me to enjoy my Saturdays in the Fall. To many
3
people, the success of their football team is all about the wins. While definitely a measure of
success, there is much that goes on behind the scenes ensuring the athletes can compete on the
field, and therefore, win games. I hope this documentary opens the eyes of collegiate football
fans around the country, regardless of the team they cheer for, and gives a voice to those that
help student-athletes succeed both on and off the field.

4
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT
Title: Making USC Football Great Again

VIDEO AUDIO
https://youtu.be/hgUCiUcCPN4
B-roll:
Coliseum and accolades
VO: The University of Southern California is
home to one of collegiate football's most
successful programs, winning 11 national
championships over its 132-year history. USC
football has developed a culture that is no
stranger to success.
B-roll:
Accolades, Trojans in the NFL, and
Heisman

VO: Over the years, USC has recruited and
developed some of the best athletes in the world.
526 Trojans have played in the NFL including
six Heisman trophy winners.
B-roll:
Players in uniform preparing for game and
graduation

VO: Today, young athletes are looking to
attend a university that will enable them to
succeed not only on the field but off the field
as well.
B-roll:
Coach Helton, Juju Smith-Schuster
commitment video, Stevens Academic
Center, establishing shot of John McKay
Center, and Coach Helton interacting with
players
VO: To achieve this goal, USC's football
program requires strong leadership and support
staff, world-class recruiting, excellent student
athlete academic support services, state of the
art facilities, and most importantly, a winning
culture.
SOT: Spencer Harris
CG: Spencer Harris
Director of Player Personnel

Number one is culture. It's all about the culture
of the football program, as in the standard held
by the head coach, the coaching staff in every
facet of the program.
SOT: Mike Jinks
CG: Mike Jinks
Running Backs Coach

B-roll:
Players break huddle and Holiday Bowl
Celebration

The culture is everything. I mean, that's what
wins championships. We talk about offense, we
talk about defense, those change year in, year
out. Defensive identities, offensive identities
because of the makeup of the kids. But the thing
that stays consistent, whether it'd be offense,
defense, special teams in a football program or
any organization, is its culture.
SOT: Steve Murillo
CG: Steve Murillo
Offensive Quality Control Analyst

B-roll:
Players warming up and Trojan buzzwords
To me, it's probably the most important because
it kind of lays the foundation of what the
expectations are of the team, of the program and
the supporting staffing environment. I mean,
that comes from here. There's a huge supporting
staff, whether you're a coach, assistant, alumni,
5
all the way to the people that we have at
Heritage Hall.
SOT: Mike Bohn
CG: Mike Bohn
Athletic Director

B-roll:
We are SC mural, Helton fist-bumping
players, and Helton celebrating with the
team in the locker room

I mean obviously, the culture, it's such an easy
word to talk about, but so difficult to really
define in how critical it is. But, it's important to
have the same vision, the same chemistry and
commitment to each other, and the same goals
and everybody buying in on that. I think our
culture in the football program is one of
tremendous hope, I think it’s one of tremendous
pride. I believe it's one of a sense of
commitment to the institution and to
longstanding history that we've had here.

SOT: Steve Murillo

B-roll:
8 scoring touchdown, Troy Polamalu with
CG, and 7 scoring touchdown
If your culture's right, your players are going to
win on and off the field. If your culture's right,
you're going to develop young men that are
going to contribute to society that if they do go
on and win 100 games in NFL and win multiple
Super Bowls, like they're going to want to come
back or develop the next generation to do what
they did, if not better. The culture is going to be
the biggest thing because it's going to develop
your players, it's going to bring in recruits and
hopefully that moves to winning games.

B-roll:
Images of Lawrence Jackson while at USC

VO: Lawrence Jackson played defensive end for
USC from 2004-2007, under head coach Pete
Carroll. Jackson experienced the winning
culture that was present when the Trojans won
the National Championship in 2004.

SOT: Lawrence Jackson
CG: Lawrence Jackson
Defensive End, 2004-2007

B-roll:
Shots from Orange Bowl, and USC vs. San
Jose State

You know, we had a very simple, in terms of
what constituted the culture, it was about
protecting your teammates and protecting the
team. And with that, you can have fun, you can
do what you do as an individual as long as you
are protecting that team. That’s really where a
lot of people saw in terms of the performance on
Saturdays was a group of guys who were
disciplined enough to follow the rules but were
trusted enough to display their individual
athletic creativity. But, it’s a culture of trusting
one another and intense preparation that leads to
total confidence.
B-roll:
John McKay Center wall, Howard Jones,
John McKay, John Robinson, Pete Carroll,
and Coach Helton

VO: USC earned its 11 national championships
under the legendary leadership of just four head
coaches: Howard Jones, John McKay, John
6
Robinson, and Pete Carroll. A successful
football program can only be achieved if a
strong leader is at the helm who will ensure a
winning culture is instilled in every facet of the
program.
B-roll:
Articles calling for Helton to be fired

VO: Following a disappointing 2018 season
where the Trojans finished 5 and 7, fans called
for the firing of Helton, and the hiring of a new
head coach that would return USC to the wins it
experienced under Carroll’s 9-year regime.
SOT: Lawrence Jackson
CG: Lawrence Jackson
Defensive End, 2004-2007

B-roll:
Orange Bowl victory, national championship
trophies in John McKay Center

The biggest thing for me about the
championship talk, what we need to do to get
back is to take a step back away from the Pete
Carroll era and understand that the same thing
that we’re criticizing coach Helton for about,
you know, his Rose Bowl win. And, if you are
judging success by national championships,
coach Carroll only has one outright national
championship. However, we treat him as if he
won three or four. We had success but it wasn’t
the Alabama type success of recent years. But,
unfortunately, when you look at the
measurements of championships, Alabama is
superior.

B-roll:
Mike Bohn’s tweet

VO: On December 5th, 2019, less than a month
after starting as USC’s athletic director, Mike
Bohn has announced that he is retaining head
coach Clay Helton for the 2020 football season.

SOT: Mike Bohn
CG: Mike Bohn
Athletic Director

B-roll:
Assistant coaches during practice

Well, I think that all you have to do is look at
the success that he, he likes to say we recently,
the coaches that he's assembled to put this team
together with the number three number of
returning players in the country is a huge asset
and a huge salute to his leadership. And when
you understand that he had the ability to pull all
those people together in those challenging times,
I think says a lot about him as a person, as a
leader, as a coach, and it validates him in a big,
big way. That's why I'm very excited about our
promising future.

SOT: Steve Murillo
CG: Steve Murillo
Offensive Quality Control Analyst

B-roll:
It starts with the head coach and giving us a
vision and then all of us staff coming together
and implementing ideas, rules, regulations that
point us in the direction of getting that.

7
Helton during game and Helton during
practice

SOT: Mimi Butler
CG: Mimi Butler
Director of Athletic Academic Support

B-roll:
Various shots of Helton during practice with
players, 29 scoring a touchdown, 26
celebrating with team

The head coach has to be, and the athletic
director, of course, they have to set a tone that
academics and athletics go hand-in-hand. That
one is not more important than the other, which
is usually a lot of the case where the coach
thinks football is way important than academics.
I think that we're lucky in Coach Helton and that
he recognizes the belief that I have, which is that
you don't compartmentalize. You're a self-
regulated learner, you're a self-regulated athlete
and that's the character, that's the kind of player
you want to have a successful program where
there aren't violations, where there aren't arrests,
where there aren't major off the field issues or in
the classroom issues. We've got a really good
thing going right now. I think that's what makes
it successful is your head coach buys into the
academic portion of it and your athletic director
does too.

B-roll:
29 hugging family, walking into locker
room, and walking towards camera

VO: Although countless athletes around the
world want to play for USC, scholarships are
offered only to those players that will thrive
under the team's culture.

SOT: Spencer Harris
CG: Spencer Harris
Director of Player Personnel

B-roll:
29 and 7 celebrating, 15 hugging young
fans, 9 putting pads on

They're making a commitment to you and your
program and you're making a commitment to
them, so you're looking for the type of person
that we think is going to fit into how difficult it
is to be a college football player. I mean, these
guys are full-time athletes, which is a full-time
job on top of being full-time students and being
a student alone at USC is obviously really
difficult and then you put in the workload and
the difficulty it is to be a football player. I mean,
it takes a lot out of them.

6 putting on jersey

Hardest part of the game right here, getting that
jersey on.

SOT: Spencer Harris

B-roll:
6 during senior day with friends and family

Most of these kids you're recruiting as
sophomores and juniors you begin the recruiting
process, and it's a weekly process to get them on
the phone and figure out who they are as people,
figure out their family background, their
academic background, and make sure they
8
check all the boxes that they need to check in
order to become USC student athletes.

B-roll:
Members of USC’s 2013 recruiting class
during John McKay Center photoshoot, list
of top recruits to go to USC, and graph
comparing USC and University of Oregon
national recruiting rankings

VO: High school athletes looking to compete at
the collegiate level are ranked by multiple
analysts from one to five stars based on their on-
field performance during high school games,
college camps, and seven-on-seven tournaments.
USC has a history of signing the best four- and
five-star recruits nationwide. According to
247Sports, from 2003 to 2018, USC's recruiting
class averaged fourth best in the country.
However, in 2019, USC ranked 19th and it's
2020 class ranked 55th in the country.
Meanwhile, the University of Oregon continues
to improve year over year in the rankings at
USC's expense.

SOT: Jordan Iosefa
CG: Jordan Iosefa
USC Senior – Captain

B-roll:
Oregon recruits that have left California and
other states to go to Oregon

Who wants to go to the state of Oregon and play
football in just cloudy weather and it's
constantly raining three quarters of the year, and
who would want to go there? Yet they got five
five-star kids from LA to go up there or four-
star kids and just stay up there. They got these
kids from the East Coast who would leave their
family to go to a place where it rains three
quarters of the year. I think that in itself kind of
speaks on how they're able to recruit.

B-roll:
Footage of Matt Leinart, Matt Barkley, and
JT Daniels, articles of Bryce Young’s
commitment to USC, article showing Young
flipped commitment to Alabama, and
Young’s tweet announcing his commitment
to Alabama

VO: Since 2001, USC successfully recruited star
quarterbacks, Matt Leinert, Matt Barkley, and
JT Daniels, from Mater Day High School, a 35-
minute drive from the campus. In July 2018,
Bryce Young, a 5-star recruit, as well as the
nation’s #2 dual-threat quarterback, committed to
USC.
For more than a year, Young helped recruit high
school athletes around the country to commit to
the Trojans. In a shocking turn of events, on
September 22, 2019, Young announced he was
changing his commitment from USC to
Alabama.

SOT: Lawrence Jackson
CG: Lawrence Jackson
Defensive End, 2004-2007

B-roll:
8 scoring a touchdown, 99 tackle

If you’re so good, why don’t you come here and
compete for a job and help restore the glory. If
you do that, you live forever. You got a lot of
cats who don’t want to live forever. It ain’t
about what USC can do for you. We know that.
It’s about what you can do for USC. So, all the
9
ballers out there, they think they good going to
other schools and stuff, it doesn’t matter if you
win a national championship at Oregon if you’re
living in California. You win the national
championship at USC and you go pro and come
back home, you always got a home.

SOT: Gavin Morris
CG: Gavin Morris
Director of Player Development

B-roll:
56 autograph and 18 taking a picture with a
young fan

Recruiting, you're building a team. A lot of
times, fans look at rankings. They don't
understand the whole concept of what a school
is trying to do, what the school's agenda is.

SOT: Spencer Harris
CG: Spencer Harris
Director of Player Personnel

B-roll:
Coliseum and fans inside

There's always factors that the fans and the
recruiting rankings don't account for, a lot of
factors, but they definitely play a role. It's just I
think you have to take the recruiting rankings,
not as blood. You got to take them as with a
grain of salt.

SOT: Mike Bohn
CG: Mike Bohn
Athletic Director

B-roll:
Heisman trophy, Song Girls, Traveler, and
USC Behind the Mic

Why wouldn't you choose USC? Look at our
proven history, Heisman trophies, NFL players,
the ability to create an experience. I mentioned
before, playing in what I believe is the most
iconic stadium in the country, in the country's
finest city for sports, and the ability to take all
the equity associated with USC academically,
athletically, socially, and build that into your
own brand is invaluable. I believe we provide a
level that is completely unique and exceeds our
competition.

B-roll:
Drone establishing shots of John McKay
Center, indoor football field, computer
room, locker room and lounges
VO: In 2012, USC opened the John McKay
center. The $70 million, 110,000 square foot
facility features an indoor football field,
academic support center for student athletes,
training rooms, locker rooms, student lounges
and nutrition centers. The McKay Center serves
as a testament to USC's commitment to
sustaining a world-class football program.

SOT: Jordan Iosefa
CG: Jordan Iosefa
USC Senior – Captain

It kind of just brought it all together in one
place. We brought academics on the first floor,
so everyone we got to interact with and all
10
B-roll:
Stevens Academic Center sign, exterior of
John McKay Center, computer lab, football
meeting room, televisions in lobby, All
American walk, indoor field, weight room,
training room, athletic medicine tables,
ending with establishing drone shot of John
McKay Center

sports was on the first floor. You knew exactly
where everyone was, all the counselors, all the
computers, where to go. Then we have the
football meeting rooms. Our head coach's room
and the position coach's room and you have the
big TVs in the front. Then you go downstairs,
and you go through the locker rooms and when
you go down the All-American walk, take a
right and you just look down and there's an
underground turf field. Then you go into the
weight room and it's big enough to fit two teams
where we can work out simultaneously. Then
you go to the right and you're in the biggest
training facility I've seen personally. You see all
kinds of sports, whether it's water polo, rowing,
lacrosse, baseball, football, volleyball, just
rehabbing the same place. It kind of, like I said,
it brings USC athletics together. That's all
within one building. For it to not be separated,
that's what it's so good about it and why it
makes it so great.

B-roll:
Headlines of other programs’ new football
facilities

VO: Other schools are building bigger and more
modern facilities, many of which include
impressive gimmicks to attract recruits.
However, it takes more than a fancy building
with impressive gimmicks to successfully
support today's student athletes.

SOT: Steve Murillo
CG: Steve Murillo
Offensive Quality Control Analyst

B-roll:
Various strength and conditioning coaches

The facilities and whatnot, they're cool, but at
the end of the day, it comes down to the people
in the facility and the relationships with the
players, relationships with students and how
they develop. I mean, you can have a slide, you
can have a waterfall, you can have this and all
that, but if you don't have the guys that are
going to help you build your character, your
program into a successful one, then what's the
point of having all that stuff?

SOT: Hatcher Parnell
CG: Hatcher Parnell
Director of Game Management

B-roll:
Exterior shots of John McKay center
I think that the biggest thing it brought is it's
much more broader than the football program.
It's the academic side. More than a third of that
building is academics. And, that is what's huge
for us. I think the first five or six years, our
11
GPA's have gone up every single year because
of the academic center over at JMC.

SOT: Mimi Butler
CG: Mimi Butler
Director of Athletic Academic Support

B-roll:
Exterior shot of Stevens Academic Center,
Five Traits of a Trojan, computer lab, and
First Team Academic All-Americans
Well, this is our house, this is our home. And, at
all of our tutoring, all of our academic support
takes place here. The fact that it's such a nice
facility really helps us because we can have all
of our learning specialists have their individual
offices and then we have our own small
computer lab and we can offer a lot of one-on-
one tutoring out in the general area. And, then
they can go to the other side where we have the
tutorial services and they can get content area
tutoring over there.

B-roll:
Strength and conditioning coaches with
players
VO: The athletic department's role in
maintaining the health, safety and conditioning
of the football team does not conclude at the end
of the season. It is a year-round commitment.

SOT: Todd Hewitt
CG: Todd Hewitt
Director of Equipment Operations

B-roll:
Summer workouts

As soon as we're done, like after the Holiday
Bowl, the players had a couple weeks off, but
we came back, got things ready and prepared for
the winter workouts. They're in the middle of
winter workouts now. We're going on the field
twice a week for team runs and activities so you
have to get ready for that. Then there's recruiting
going on. There's always something going on.
It's a year-round job even though football is not
in season, there's something always going on.

B-roll:
Song Girl mural in Coliseum and classic
game footage

VO: USC's culture is steeped in tradition. USC
has never wavered from its traditional cardinal
and gold uniforms, and there are no plans to do
so in the foreseeable future.

SOT: Todd Hewitt

B-roll:
Tony Boselli quote, jerseys and equipment

When you see us play on Saturday, if there's no
sound on and you glance at the TV, you know
it's SC. I think we just say that like you're
coming here to a place where you're going to
wear the same jersey that we got great players
that are playing in the National Football League
or in the Hall of Fame now who’ve worn, and
you're wearing something that is totally iconic
or you're not ... I mean, I always say that if
12
you're changing uniforms and changing colors
and doing different things, you've got to try to
sell your product and we shouldn't have to sell
our product. We're SC, you know? We shouldn't
have to try to sell it.

SOT: Jordan Iosefa
CG: Jordan Iosefa
USC Senior – Captain

B-roll:
Players walking down tunnel and 56 sack

A lot of people hate like, "Aw man, I wish they
switched like our uniforms. I wish they switched
like our color combinations," but I love it. I just
love how traditional we are. When I came to
USC, I knew exactly who I was going to play
for. I was playing for the people before me, the
people that's after me, and so when you think of
that and you think about, "Wow, the next guy
that wears 56, he's like, 'Who wore number 56
before? Oh, Jordan Iosefa.'" If I can leave that
reflection of just like how people can't wear 55
anymore and just knowing those kinds of things
and knowing like what if I was able to get my
jersey retired or something like that. That is the
best feeling ever. So, wearing cardinal and gold
has just so much meaning to me and that's why I
love this school so much.

B-roll:
Various shots of renovated Coliseum

VO: In order to stay competitive with other elite
football programs, on September 5th, 2013,
USC expanded its footprint to the other side of
Exposition Boulevard, entering a 98-year lease
with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. As
part of the lease, USC committed to a minimum
of $70 million in renovations. Flush with cash
from the university's $6 billion fundraising
campaign, USC spent $315 million renovating
the stadium and now has one of the best football
stadiums in the country.

SOT: Mike Bohn
CG: Mike Bohn
Athletic Director

B-roll:
Black and white establishing shot of
Coliseum, banner in Coliseum suite tower,
drone establishing shot of Coliseum

Having wonderful facilities is a huge piece of
the arms race across the country. I personally
believe that the Coliseum is the finest college
football venue in America. It has incredible
history. I mean, we've had a World Series there.
We've played Super Bowls there. We've had two
Olympics in there. Having a third coming up
and having that iconic flame at the end of the
stadium through the cauldron, I think no one
13
else in the country has that. I believe that that on
top of all of our other wonderful facilities is
certainly essential to have that for our student
athletes, because you want to set them up and
have them visualize themselves competing and
growing through those venues so that they can
be successful.

SOT: Jordan Iosefa
CG: Jordan Iosefa
USC Senior – Captain

B-roll:
Drone establishing shot of Coliseum, 29 and
56 talking post game, players walking down
tunnel, players running out of tunnel, POV
shot of running out of tunnel, and ISO shots
of 56 during game
It is better than any other stadium. I can say that
without a doubt. I've played in Arlington, I've
played in the Rose Bowl, I've played in the
PAC-12 championship. Nothing beats a calling
game versus UCLA at Notre Dame or Utah.
Utah's up there too. Those three games to me
have always been my favorite games to play.
Always. When you walk through the tunnel and
you get out and you run out, you just can't like
believe how the aura and the presence of like
greats you're in. You pass by the greats. You
pass by Jimmy Seattle, Chris Claiborne, Carson
Palmer, Troy Polamalu, you know guys like
that. You're just running past watching them
like, man, they played right here and so you just
walk in and you see the torch up, the two
screens and you just see just a sea of cardinal
and gold. To me, that is by far the best feeling in
the world, and then playing in front of them,
playing in front of our fans is second to none.
It's just the best feeling ever.

B-roll:
Team walking down peristyle steps, Helton
coaching in locker room during half time,
Pete Carroll holding up trophy, Helton
hugging assistant coach, Helton hugging 10,
drone establishing shot of Coliseum,
assistant coaches during practice, and 2004
national championship trophy

As part of his winning culture, head coach Clay
Helton continues to implement the changes
necessary to return USC football to the national
championship game. Replacing a majority of his
assistant coaches within three months of the end
of the 2019 season, Helton is building the staff
necessary to end USC's two-year recruiting
slump. USC has invested heavily in its facilities
and has the support staff and services to educate
and ensure the success of its student athletes.
Everyone within the athletic department needs
to work together as each component is important
to accomplishing USC's goal of returning to the
national championship game.

14
Helton giving post-game speech in locker
room

Credits

Players singing USC’s fight song,

15
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gavin Morris, interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, February 27, 2020.

Hatcher Parnell, interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, February 25, 2020.

Jordan Iosefa, interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, March 17, 2020.

Kaplan, Jesse. Lawrence Jackson USC Photos. Jesse Kaplan Photography. Accessed March 30,
2020.

Lawrence Jackson, Zoom interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, March 28, 2020

Michael Bohn, interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, March 19, 2020.

Michael Jinks, interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, February 27, 2020.

Mimi Butler, interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, March 9, 2020.

“Oregon 2019 Football Commits.” 247Sports. Accessed March 17, 2020.
247sports.com/college/Oregon/Season/2019-Football/Commits/.

Spencer Harris, interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, February 27, 2020.

Steve Murillo, interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, February 27, 2020.

The526.org. “John "JuJu" Smith USC Signing Day Announcement.” Filmed [Feb. 2014].
YouTube video, 3:56. Posted [Feb. 2014]. youtube.com/watch?v=06QU9bcBnd8

Todd Hewitt, interview by Grayson Adler, Los Angeles, February 27, 2020.

“USC 2019 Football Commits.” 247Sports. Accessed March 17, 2020.
247sports.com/college/usc/Season/2019-Football/Commits/.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract My thesis, Making USC’s Football Team Great Again, is captured in the form of a documentary. The idea behind the documentary is simple—what will it take to return USC to its National Championship ways of the past? The answer, however, is not so simple. Numerous moving parts have to interact behind the scenes preciously, both on and off the field. It will take a lot more than just winning games to make the program great again. ❧ First and foremost, a team's culture sets the tone day in and day out. Universities recruit the players that buy into their culture in hopes of convincing the athletes to accept the scholarship offer. The facilities these players practice in must include top of the line strength and conditioning equipment, medical services that meet the needs of the numerous athletes, and academic centers enabling the student-athletes’ success in the classroom. Finally, academic tutors, advisors, and councilors must work with the student-athletes ensuring they can balance their athletic and academic workloads. ❧ To investigate those aspects, I interviewed a variety of individuals affiliated with the football program at the University of Southern California. Mike Bohn, USC’s Athletic Director, discusses what makes a football program successful. Running backs coach Mike Jinks and his quality control analysts, Steve Murillo, discuss the importance of the team’s culture and the guidance head coach Clay Helton provides to every member of the program. Lawrence Jackson, a player from USC’s 2004 national championship team, shares his experience playing for Pete Carroll under a winning culture. Spencer Harris, Director of Player Personnel, and Gavin Morris, Director of Player Development, discuss the importance of seeking out the best high school athletes around the world to help USC’s football program continue its tradition of excellence. Todd Hewitt, Director of Equipment Operations, looks at the athletic department’s year-round commitment to the football players, as well as the traditions that run deep within the Trojan Family. Hatcher Parnell, Director of Game Management, discusses the importance and impact of a program’s athletic facilities. Mimi Butler, Director of Athletic Academic Support, discusses the support provided by the athletic department to ensure the players can compete in the classroom with their academic peers. Finally, Jordan Iosefa, a senior captain on USC’s football team, shares his opinion as a player as to what USC can do to return to the National Championship. ❧ Through the medium of video, I have provided a face to the people that work together to ensure USC can operate not only a successful football program, but a great football program. Making USC Football Great Again offers a glimpse into the work performed by the thousands of people, both on and off the field, to ensure Trojan fans can watch the Men of Troy successfully compete on the field. ❧ Experiencing my first force majeure event, COVID-19 (Coronavirus), less than two weeks before this thesis was due, made wrapping up the loose ends difficult. With the California Governor issuing a Stay at Home Order, follow-up on-camera interviews were impossible. Employees authorized to approve the reuse of video footage were unavailable, limiting usage of third-party clips. Reviews of the documentary were difficult as USC experienced not only a campus closure but a worldwide closure of sorts. We face a trying time for our country as a whole, and, understandably, there will be delays. As I finish the documentary, the importance of maintaining contact with those that have taken the time over the years to help me succeed is foremost in my mind. Without their continued guidance, I would not have been able to publish this work proudly. ❧ As a longtime fan of collegiate football, especially USC football, I was not aware of the work that went on behind the scenes allowing me to enjoy my Saturdays in the Fall. To many people, the success of their football team is all about the wins. While definitely a measure of success, there is much that goes on behind the scenes ensuring the athletes can compete on the field, and therefore, win games. I hope this documentary opens the eyes of collegiate football fans around the country, regardless of the team they cheer for, and gives a voice to those that help student-athletes succeed both on and off the field.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Adler, Grayson Ryan (author)

Core Title Making USC football great again

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Specialized Journalism

Publication Date 04/25/2020

Defense Date 04/01/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag college football,documentary,Football,OAI-PMH Harvest,USC,USC Football

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Abrahamson, Alan (committee chair), Fellenzer, Jeff (committee member), Turner, Miki (committee member)

Creator Email adlerg@usc.edu,graysonadler48@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-288333

Unique identifier UC11666147

Identifier etd-AdlerGrays-8328.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-288333 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-AdlerGrays-8328.pdf

Dmrecord 288333

Document Type Thesis

Rights Adler, Grayson Ryan

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA