McDonald thrilled to be at USC

ROGER CARLSON

There’s nothing quite like a winning locker room, at any level.

It’s crowded, it’s noisy, it’s steamy and it’s happy.

Not one mistake is recalled from the past two or three hours of

competition and it’s over all too soon.

So it was the other Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

where the USC Trojans had just taken care of business with a very

strong foe in Brigham Young University and I found myself searching

for a Newport Harbor High product who, at this point, is along for

the ride.

Freshman quarterback Michael McDonald, at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds,

filled his cubicle area with that of a starter, enjoying every minute

of a satisfying victory before 75,315, and I do believe if someone

had offered him the role of a starter anywhere else in the din of

that moment, he would have turned it down.

“I’m just grateful to be on a good team,” said a happy McDonald,

who came to the Trojans as a walk-on after serving as Harbor’s

starting quarterback in 2002.

McDonald, the son of one of USC’s legendary quarterbacks, Paul, is

used to waiting for his chance. He spent two years as an understudy

to Morgan Craig at Harbor, and when he finished his senior season

with honors, waited for a call, which did not come.

So, he did the next best thing. He walked on at USC and endures.

He’s No. 16 in terms of jerseys, No. 6 on a list of six

quarterbacks which the Trojans carry for their home games.

As for his competition, he serves as a quarterback on the “service

team,” also known as a “scout team,” which tries to emulate the

competition during the week of practice leading up to Saturday’s

showtime.

“I just help where I can,” said McDonald, a business major who is

trying to learn as much as he can by watching. He shares quarterback

duties on the service team with junior Billy Hart.

At some point this fall McDonald will redshirt, giving him four

years of eligibility, leaving doors open for that moment when all the

dominos fall in place.

He’s very much aware of what can happen with walk-on quarterbacks

at USC, especially those with Newport Harbor backgrounds, such as the

celebrated college career of Gordon Adams.

Adams, you’ll recall, was a walk-on who redshirted and eventually

earned a scholarship as a junior and went on to enjoy awesome moments

for John Robinson.

As a prep, with all due respect, his numbers just didn’t add up.

But as a player, it is very difficult to imagine anyone standing

taller. Although my only source is through photos and films, I

visualize Doyle Nave of 1939 when I think of Gordon Adams. Someone

who stood up and did it when it needed to be done. Priceless lore.

Adams’ exploits, however, were a long time ago, 1980.

Today the saga of the walk-on is in the hands of Paul McDonald’s

son.

“Anything can happen and I’m just enjoying the experience,” said

McDonald later by telephone from his Newport Beach home. “I’m just

being patient,” following the advice of his dad.

“He’s told me to be ready, anything can happen,” said the

freshman. “I’m happy where I’m at and I’m having a good time.”

It’s easy advice for dad, of course, who had a storied career at

USC and in the NFL. In his two years as a starter for the Trojans,

USC was 23-1-1 and he had all the imposing numbers, including a “16”

on the back of his jersey.

It’s a strange combination which Michael McDonald finds himself

in. Injuries and other scenarios are the last thing anyone wants, but

there is the stark realization that it can happen, and if it does

happen, there must be a commitment to be ready to step in where

needed. So patience is the No. 1 goal McDonald must adhere to.

McDonald doesn’t have much time to be anything but patient, and

improve on his own talents.

With classes from 8 am. through the early afternoon preceding

practices from 2:15 to 5:45 on Mondays and 2:15 to about 6:30 the

next three days, it’s a full schedule.

One of the more satisfying scenarios for McDonald is the general

team attitude.

Receiver Mike Williams or quarterback Matt Leinart or linebacker

Matt Grootegood may get the lion’s share of attention from the press,

but among his peers, McDonald finds himself on a level playing field.

“No one is singled out, they treat you like everyone else,” said

McDonald.

“I know I just have to be ready and on my toes, to stay in the

game as much as I can.”

The Trojans’ next game is Saturday at Cal and a week later USC is

at Arizona State.

McDonald won’t be making those trips; the Trojans take five

quarterbacks with them on the road.

“I have to live with that, being No. 6. I didn’t expect anything

coming in and there’s a reason why they were recruited,” said

McDonald, who’ll miss those trips.

“I’ll be at home,” said McDonald, “enjoying a couple of days off

from football, watching TV with a couple of guys. Maybe I’ll go over

to Morgan’s place and hang out.”

For an athlete of McDonald’s stature, it seems a terrible waste of

talent.

But that’s only because his time is still to come. When he’s 21

he’ll be a junior.

And when the time does come, boy, first thing I’m going to do is

run over to Gordon Adams’ house and see what he has to say! Then I’ll

go find a winning locker room.

*

While McDonald’s future would seem to be cloudy, another local

walk-on with the Trojans, Corona del Mar High product Jay Bottom,

seems to be just getting started after the Trojans’ 3-0 start.

Although he appeared in special teams roles in all but two games

as a sophomore, Bottom was just cleared to return to the practice

field last week after missing the Trojans’ first two victories this

season because of an infection from an “insect bite,” according to

the 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive lineman.

“I still have some things to sort out,” admitted Bottom, who saw

fourth-quarter action against Hawaii, just missing out on a

quarterback sack when he was held, which cost Hawaii 10 yards.

He’s on a schedule which will find him graduating in 3 1/2 years,

but he’s also thinking about graduate school, perhaps dependent on

his projected role on the football field.

He’s majoring in international business relations, with a touch of

power politics.

Hey! See you next Sunday

* ROGER CARLSON is the former sports editor for the Daily Pilot.

His column appears on Sundays. He can be reached by e-mail at

[email protected]