Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who guided USC to two national titles but also oversaw the program during a time in which the school broke NCAA rules, was selected for induction into USC's Athletic Hall of Fame on Monday.
He was one of 16 athletes or coaches selected; among the others were former football players Jack Del Rio, now the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos, and Tim Rossovich, a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1968 who later became an actor.
Carroll coached the Trojans for nine seasons (2001-09), guiding them to the 2003 and '04 national titles. He also led the Trojans to seven Pac-10 championships, won 84 percent of his games while at the school and coached three Heisman Trophy winners. At one point during his tenure, USC was ranked first by The Associated Press for a record 33 consecutive weeks.
Carroll left to coach Seattle after the 2009 season, and USC was put on probation in June 2010. Carroll said last month that had he known what was going to happen with the NCAA, he would've remained at USC.
Del Rio was a four-year letterman (1981-84) as a linebacker, twice being named a first-team all-conference performer. He also was the starting catcher for the baseball team in 1983 and '84. He spent 12 seasons in the NFL, with the New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins, and has been a head coach or assistant in the NFL since 1997. He was coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-11.
Rossovich made his presence felt with his play and his outsized personality; he was known for chewing glass and (we're serious about this) setting himself on fire. He was a three-year letterman (1965-67) and was an All-American defensive end on USC's 1967 national championship team. He played seven seasons in the NFL, with Philadelphia, the San Diego Chargers and Houston Oilers. He was one of five USC players taken in the first round of the 1968 draft.
The other football player selected was quarterback Jimmy Jones, a three-year letterman (1969-71). In 1969, he became the first black college quarterback to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was a two-time team MVP who still ranks in the top 12 in school history in completions. He played seven seasons in the CFL.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
