As my husband Jim and I walked to the Grand Opening of the USC Village, Trojan Candy saw a familiar face walking towards us. He smiled at us and gave me a big hug. Victor Blackwell (9/8/2011), a USC Football Alumnus wide receiver, told us that he had just worked out. He came back to USC to finish his degree in Communication. I somehow remembered that Victor and his family live in Cerritos, because we also live in Cerritos! Victor smiled for this picture. Congratulations and FIGHT ON, Victor!
My husband Jim and I arrived at the John McKay Center for the taking of the pictures of the 2017 USC Football team. We waited in the alcove outside the main entrance to the John McKay Center.
Trojan Candy saw twenty-five Freshmen walk inside to the main lobby to have their individual pictures taken by our friend and USC photographer Dan Avila (1/16/2009). Each one donned a shirt, tie, and coat for his picture that would be in the game programs. I wish that I could have met each one of them, taken his picture, and interviewed him. Such wishful thinking! FIGHT ON, 2017 USC Football Freshmen!
As we were waiting, four children came into the alcove. Then, #62 came out already dressed in his football uniform and spoke with the children and the lady who accompanied them. Trojan Candy took a picture of Matthew Hulsy with his friend USC Freshman Brett Neilon. Then I took a picture of Matthew's family and friends with Brett as his teammates walked out to Brittingham field outside the McKay Center.
The next group was the 2017-2018 Seniors who surrounded Head Coach Clay Helton. The Football Senior Class posed in two rows. From left to right standing in the back were Viane Talamaivao, Nico Falah, Jackson Boyer, Richie Wenzel, Wyatt Schmidt, Reid Budrovich (8/22/2015), Matt Lopes, Coach Clay Helton, Chris Hawkins, Steven Mitchell Jr., Uchenna Nwosu, Kenny Bigelow, Christian Herrera and Alec Hursh. Kneeling in front were Grant Moore, Jalen Jones, Milo Stewart, Yoofi Quansah, Corbin Jountti and James Toland IV. FIGHT ON, USC Football Seniors!
Jim joined me and took the remaining group pictures. Meanwhile, Trojan Candy stepped out among the rest of the team to take some candid pictures.
The 2017 Freshmen were next. They posed in three rows. In the back row from left to right were Erik Krommenhoek, Jalen McKenzie, Andrew Vorhees, Brandon Pili, ?, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Randal Grimes (?) and Jay Tufele. In the middle row were Tayler Katoa, Brett Neilon, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Stephen Carr, Levi Jones, Jack Sears (2/1/2017), Jacob Lichtenstein and Austin Jackson. Squatting in the front row were Juliano Falaniko, Je'Quari Godfrey, Bubba Bolden, Greg Johnson, Joseph Lewis IV and Damon Johnson (2/1/2017). FIGHT ON, USC Football Freshmen!
Next are Trojan Candy's candid pictures of the team.
I saw some players posing around the John McKay statue, so naturally I ran over to take their picture. In the back row was Chris Edmondson, James Bermingham Jr., Ronald Jones II, Aca'Cedric Ware, James Toland, Coach Deland McCullough, Ben Easington and Corbin Jountti. The front row players were Vavae Malepeai, Dominic Davis, and Stephen Carr.
Trojan Candy was lucky to catch all these players just as they were leaving the field to go inside the John McKay Center. After all, it was very hot on the artificial turf....in the mid-nineties. I took one picture, then many more players showed up, so I took this one. Crowded together from left to right were Roy Hemsley (2/4/2015), Andrew Vorhees, Jordan Austin, Toa Lobendahn, Frank Martin II, Richie Wenzel, ?, Viane Talamaivao, Nico Falah, Jacob Daniel, Jalen McKenzie, Cole Smith, ?, Clayton Johnston, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Brett Neilon.
From sixteen squished players, Trojan Candy asked friend Sam Darnold (12/14/2016) to gather his fellow quarterbacks for a picture with him. Quarterbacks Thomas Fitts, Jack Sears, and Holden Thomas posed with Sam.
I rushed over to catch more players before they walked inside to get out of the heat. Ajene Harris, Velus Jones, Jr., Jalen Jones, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Ykili Ross, Jack Jones, Coach ?, Isaiah Langley, Greg Johnson, Matt Lopes, and Yoofi Quansah posed for me.
A young high school student asked me to take his picture with two friends, Greg Johnson and Iman Marshall. The student attended Hawkins H.S. with Greg Johnson.
The next group was startled when Michael Pittman threw ice over them, so Trojan Candy took another picture. This time, they actually "pretty much" posed for me. Smiling, from the back row, were Joseph Lewis IV, Tyler Vaughns, Michael Pittman, Jackson Boyer and Randal Grimes, who was still surprised. In the front row were Josh Imatorbhebhe (2/3/2016), Milo Stewart, Keyshawn "Pie" Young, and Velus Jones, Jr., who, like Randal, didn't smile.
The running backs clowned around for this picture. In the back row was Chris Edmondson, Aca'Cedric Ware, Ronald Jones II, ?, Juliano Falaniko and Ben Easington. Scattered in the front was James Toland IV, Stephen Carr, Dominic Davis, and Tyler Vaughns.
My last picture was of Special Team punters and kickers. Damon Johnson, Chase McGrath, Chris Tilbey, Wyatt Schmidt and Reid Budrovich smiled for my "special" picture.
What an exciting "hot" day!
FIGHT ON, 2017 USC Football Team!