COLLEGE BOWL SEASON: RIDEAUX REDUX USC CORNERBACK PLAYS UP TO EXPECTATIONS.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

Darrell Rideaux's season of redemption at USC didn't end with a raucous celebration in New York City, but he didn't need to be handed a 55-pound statue in order to feel the weight of his accomplishments.

Rideaux waited through three seasons of underachievement - not only to enjoy success on the football field but also to have solid peace of mind - to know he silenced critics who said he never could be a productive Division I cornerback.

Now Rideaux, at 5-foot-9, can stand every bit as tall as 6-5 Carson Palmer, the Trojans' Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

``I know it's not exactly the same, but my story and Carson's story are somewhat parallel,'' Rideaux said last week, as the Trojans began preparations to play in the Jan. 2 Orange Bowl against Iowa. ``We've both been through a lot, a lot of changes and tough times, and we came through it.''

The similarities only go so far, even though Palmer and Rideaux also share a Dec. 27 birthday. With Palmer, the question was whether he could turn his obvious talents into a NFL career. Nobody got that far with Rideaux, and many questioned whether he was even good enough to start at USC.

``Watching him succeed has been one of the great rewards of this season,'' coach Pete Carroll said of Rideaux, who started all 12 games and had 42 tackles and two interceptions despite giving up significant height to almost every opposing receiver.

A second-team freshman All-American by one major publication in 1999 and a part-time starter as a sophomore in 2000, Rideaux served as a full-time backup to Chris Cash last season. Rideaux watched as his career regressed, and he didn't like it.

So Rideaux, a talented sprinter, skipped the 2001 track season and focused on football. He committed himself to the weight room to get stronger and went through countless meetings with Carroll, who also serves as USC's defensive coordinator.

Rideaux needed to get stronger and improve some of his techniques, but above anything else, he needed confidence. Playing under three position coaches in four years can mess with a player's head, and Carroll sensed Rideaux needed focus.

``I thought it was important to build him up and instill our belief in him,'' Carroll said. ``He had to work in order to earn that, but I thought that was more important than anything. He had a series of frustrating seasons where he really hadn't contributed on a regular

basis, so I don't think he was sure of what he could do.

``We wanted to try to bolster him as much as possible, while he was learning. He always had great speed and an intensity about learning, but by the middle of the season he made a big turn and really started believing in what he was doing, and he knew he could play with anybody.''

Rideaux found a football savior in Carroll. The two met at a high school game three days before Carroll was hired, and Rideaux expressed to Carroll his desire to improve. The relationship didn't show dividends right away, but Rideaux stayed with it and believed in Carroll.

``Talking to Coach Carroll,'' Rideaux said, ``he explained to me that you find your game and allow the coaches to detail your game, instead of trying to play outside yourself in order to please the coaches. That's when it started to come around.

``Early in my career, I found myself focusing on my opponent and what they could do. Now, I find myself respecting my opponent but also focusing on my own game.''

Rideaux's drive to improve comes from an intense competitive nature. Since high school, Rideaux has heard many times he wasn't tall enough to succeed at cornerback, and that provided a perfect outlet for his competitive drive.

``He's always had to compete, because he's little,'' said safety DeShaun Hill, Rideaux's teammate at Long Beach Poly. ``He had to compete to stay on the team, to get a scholarship, to get a starting job here, so he knows what it's all about. You have to compete on every play.

``It carries over in life. Everybody just sees the football aspect of it, but he's like that with everything. In school, he always wants to be the best, the smartest guy. It could just be some silly game, a video game, and he's still competitive.''

And now, that competitive thirst has been quenched by a successful season, one Rideaux didn't want to slip away. He was the only player to speak at the pep rally before the UCLA game and also gave his teammates a stirring speech before they played the Bruins.

``To really earn the respect of my teammates and be an every-down player,'' Rideaux said, ``it meant so much, and I truly wanted to savor the moment. To be part of a team that played like the days of old, it's really a special time.

``I don't know what the Lord has in store for my future, in terms of playing football, but I know that these are days I will always remember. I'm more of the spiritual leader more than the emotional rah-rah guy, but I felt like it was appropriate to speak at that time, to recognize that we had an opportunity to do something great.''

ORANGE BOWL

USC (10-2) vs. Iowa (11-1)

Jan. 2, 5 p.m., Ch. 7

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Once he hooked up with USC coach Pete Carroll, cornerback Darrell Rideaux rediscovered success on the field.

(2) Despite being 5-foot-9, USC cornerback Darrell Rideaux (22) has given opposing players fits this year with his increased strength.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer