DICKSON THE REAL DEAL HIS TALENT BLOSSOMING IN 2ND YEAR WITH GRANT.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

Growing up across the street from the Coliseum in South Central Los Angeles, Grant High running back Anthony Dickson had to walk only a few yards to watch his heroes at USC play football on Saturday afternoons in the fall.

To say a seed was being nurtured is an understatement. Dickson would sit in the stands each week and envision himself on the field, shredding the Coliseum turf with long touchdown runs and leading the Trojans to the Pacific-10 Conference championship.

And, who knows? He might be on his way there.

Dickson is blossoming at Grant of Van Nuys, where he gained 1,376 yards and scored 16 touchdowns as a sophomore last year and has 381 yards and a touchdown through two games this season.

It's not USC or another major-college program - at least not yet - but he's doing what he loves.

``Being that close to them and watching them play every home game, I knew I wanted to play football myself,'' Dickson said of the Trojans. ``That was my dream.''

Unfortunately for Dickson, he had no viable outlet to chase his dream. There were no youth football programs in Dickson's neighborhood, so he was forced to make do by organizing pick-up games with his buddies.

It was fun but not satisfying.

``All we had was street ball,'' Dickson said. ``And that was frustrating. I wanted to play real football, but there weren't any teams to play on.''

In fact, it wasn't until Dickson and his mother moved to Van Nuys three years ago that Dickson played his first year of organized ball for the East Valley Trojans. That probably would come as a surprise to anyone who has seen the elusive, tough-running Dickson barrel through, over and around opposing defenders.

But the fact is, he has played only three years of ``real'' football.

``He's got a lot of natural talent,'' Grant coach Bill Foster said. ``That was pretty obvious from the moment we first saw him. He can play.''

Dickson made his Grant debut last year, stepping into the lineup as a 10th-grader and rushing for 193 yards in the first game of the year.

The performance was bittersweet for Foster, who realized Dickson should have been with the Lancers a year earlier. Dickson played on his youth team instead of high school ball when he was a ninth-grader.

``Looking back, he was ready to contribute as a freshman and I'm still a little upset his (youth) coach talked me into waiting,'' Foster said. ``I think it was a case of the coach wanting Anthony to play for his team. But the bottom line is, he should have been playing for us.''

At least the wait was worth it.

Dickson was understandably nervous going into his first game with Grant. He was the only sophomore in the starting lineup and he was playing at a level he'd never experienced before.

But it took just a few carries before he convinced himself and everyone else he was up to the challenge.

``I felt pretty good right from the start,'' Dickinson said. ``I knew I could play up here pretty quickly.''

Dickson, a sturdy 5-foot-11, 185-pounder, carried that confidence through the rest of the season, putting together a prolific career-opening year.

And he came into this season determined to improve, adding about 10 pounds and improving his speed and running ability.

``I'm looking to go over 2,000 yards (this season),'' Dickson said. ``That's what I'm shooting for.''

Dickson says this with confidence, pointing to his own improvements and that of his veteran offensive line, which returns all but two starters from a year ago.

After a slow start in Grant's season opener, Dickson, with help from his line, was in typical form Friday against San Fernando. He torched the Tigers for 220 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.

``I felt good coming into the game, but I also felt confident because I know my line is always going to do the job,'' Dickson said. ``They were blowing open holes all night. All I had to do was run the ball. They make my job easier.''

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Grant High running back Anthony Dickson was inspired by watching USC while growing up in South Central L.A.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer