FANTASY BOWL I; WHO'D WIN BATTLE OF LEGENDS?Byline: Jon Wilner Staff Writer J.J. Stokes one-on-one against Ronnie Lott Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott (born May 8, 1959) is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety and strong safety in college football and the NFL. . . . Jonathan Ogden Jonathan Phillip "Big Fat Boy" Ogden (born July 31, 1974 in Washington, DC) is an American football offensive tackle who currently plays for the Baltimore Ravens. He received his education at St. Albans School, excelling not only in football but also in track and field. blocking Chip Banks
Previously, Claiborne played for the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, and the New York Giants. tackling Freeman McNeil Freeman McNeil (born April 22, 1959 in Jackson, Mississippi) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New York Jets in the 1st round (3rd overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 214 lbs. . . . Junior Seau Junior Seau: [SAY-ow] (born Tiaina Seau, Jr. on January 19, 1969 in San Diego, California) is an American football linebacker. Seau is notable for his 12 career Pro Bowl selections and 16 seasons for the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins. blitzing Cade McNown Cade McNown (born January 12 1977 in Portland, Oregon) is a quarterback who played in the National Football League. He attended played college football at the University of California, Los Angeles. . Forget the possibilities. Imagine the prices. ``Boy, I want to be the ticket vendor for that game,'' said UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX assistant Bob Field. ``That would really be something.'' Imagination meets newsprint in the Daily News' two-part mythical matchup between the greatest players from UCLA and USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. . Today, the Bruins offense faces a USC defense so good that Dennis Thurman Dennis Thurman (born April 13, 1956 in Los Angeles, California) is a retired American football cornerback in the NFL. Professional career Thurman played for the Dallas Cowboys between 1978 and 1985 and in 1986 played for the St. Louis Cardinals. and Willie McGinest William Lee McGinest, Jr, (born December 11, 1971 in Long Beach, California), is an American football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns. Early life and career didn't make the cut. UCLA's offense isn't bad, either. Quarterback Gary Beban Gary Joseph Beban (born August 5, 1946 in Redwood City, California) is a former American football player. Son of an Italian-born mother and a first generation Croatian-American father, Beban won the 1967 Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious award in college football, and the , the school's only Heisman Trophy Heisman Trophy Annual award given to the outstanding college gridiron football player in the U.S. The trophy was instituted in 1935 by New York City's Downtown Athletic Club and was officially named the following year for the club's first athletic director, the player-coach winner, didn't make it. Neither did left tackle Kris Farris Kristofer Martin Farris (born March 27, 1977 in St. Paul, Minnesota)) was an American football offensive tackle in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. , an Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman. It is named after John H. Outland. Outland was one of only a few players in history ever to be named All-America at two positions, John Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in 1898 winner, or tailback Gaston Green Gaston Alfred Green III (born August 1, 1966 in Los Angeles, California) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1st round (14th overall) of the 1988 NFL Draft. A 5'10", 189-lb. , the school's career rushing leader. At first, the matchup might seem one-sided. The Bruins have no Heisman Trophy tailbacks, and tight end Tim Wrightman Tim Wrightman (born March 27, 1960 in Harbor City, California) is a former professional American football player who played tight end for two seasons for the Chicago Bears. and receiver Dick Wallen probably would struggle against USC's defensive backs (Lott, Mark Carrier, Dennis Smith Dennis Smith may refer to:
He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round (34th pick overall) of the 1987 NFL Draft. .) Even UCLA's offensive line, however accomplished, might lack the overall size and speed to repel Gary Jeter Gary Michael Jeter (born January 24, 1955 in Weirton, West Virginia) is a former professional American football defensive tackle in the NFL. An All-American at the University of Southern California in 1976, Jeter was selected by the New York Giants in the 1st round (5th overall) in , Tim Ryan
Timothy J. "Tim" Ryan (born July 16, 1973) is an American member of the Democratic Party, who is a U.S. representative for the 17th district of Ohio, serving since 2003. and a Trojans linebacking corps for the ages: Seau, Claiborne, Banks and Richard Wood. ``There's a long list of great Trojan players,'' former UCLA assistant coach Jerry Long said. ``Some of those guys were giants. But you look back and there are some incredible UCLA victories against the monsters from USC.'' The Bruins have a chance, if only for one reason: Their offense is stocked with players who made their names with legendary performances against USC. Size and speed are nice, but there's nothing more important than playmaking ability in the pressure-filled city series. Ask Trojans fans which UCLA quarterback they'd least like to face, and it probably wouldn't be Beban or John Sciarra or Bob Waterfield or even Troy Aikman. It'd be McNown. He was to USC what Rodney Peete was to the Bruins in the late '80s - a nemesis nonpareil Nonpareil - One of five pedagogical languages based on Markov algorithms, used in ["Nonpareil, a Machine Level Machine Independent Language for the Study of Semantics", B. Higman, ULICS Intl Report No ICSI 170, U London (1968)]. The others were Brilliant, Diamond, Pearl and Ruby. . McNown beat the Trojans four times and invariably in·var·i·a·ble adj. Not changing or subject to change; constant. in·var  i·a·bil made the game-winning plays. As a true freshman in 1995, his last-minute, third-down sprint preserved UCLA's possession and enabled the Bruins to run out the clock. In 1996, McNown passed for 356 yards, scored three touchdowns and directed the greatest comeback in school history. (The Bruins trailed 38-21 with 6 minutes left, then won in double-overtime.) In 1997, McNown passed for three touchdowns in a seven-point win. The same is true for Stokes, whose three-touchdown, 263-yard masterpiece in 1992 helped the Bruins to a 38-37 victory. (UCLA trailed by 14 points in the fourth quarter.) McNeil, too, saved his best for the Trojans. The Bruins could have five Ogdens blocking in the mythical matchup and they'd still struggle to run outside on Seau and Banks. But McNeil, at 210 pounds, was strong enough to run between the tackles, thereby negating USC's speed. What's more, McNeil has the playmaking skills to match Stokes and McNown, as the 1980 USC-UCLA game proved. Playing with an injured hip that necessitated extra padding, McNeil had 111 yards running and 74 receiving. His last play was best: With two minutes remaining and the Bruins trailing by three, Jay Schroeder's sideline pass to McNeil was deflected by USC cornerback (and current NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga coach) Jeff Fisher. McNeil made an acrobatic catch, then raced 35 yards for the winning touchdown. The 20-17 victory snapped USC's four-year mastery of the Bruins. It was also coach Terry Donahue's first win over the Trojans after several narrow defeats in the late 1970s. ``That play, that win, was huge for the program,'' Field said. ``It was a real breakthrough.'' It was the stuff of legends. UCLA OFFENSE Pos.Player QB Cade McNown RB Freeman McNeil RB Kenny Washington WR J.J. Stokes WR Dick Wallen TE Tim Wrightman C Jonathan Ogden G Vaughn Parker C Dave Dalby G Randy Cross T Jim Salsbury K John Lee KR Jackie Robinson Coach: Henry ``Red'' Sanders USC DEFENSE Pos. Player DL Gary Jeter DL Marlin McKeever DL Tim Ryan LB Richard Wood LB Junior Seau LB Chris Claiborne LB Chip Banks DB Dennis Smith DB Ronnie Lott DB Mark Carrier DB Tim McDonald P Desmond Koch UCLA'S ALL-TIME OFFENSE QUARTERBACK Cade McNown 6-1 210 1995-98 Accolades: All-American. Third in 1998 Heisman Trophy voting. Comment: His four wins over USC are three more than Gary Beban and four more than Troy Aikman. Owns five school records. Playmaker play·mak·er n. A player in a sport with goals, such as a guard in basketball, who initiates offensive plays. play without peer. RUNNING BACKS Freeman McNeil 5-11 210 1977-80 Accolades: All-American in 1980. Comment: Tough competition from Mel Farr, Wendell Tyler, Gaston Green, Karim Abdul-Jabbar and Skip Hicks. But McNeil's all-around ability gives him the edge. Kenny Washington 6-2 185 1937-39 Accolades: All-American in 1939. Comment: Led nation in total offense in '39. His career rushing total (1,915) was a school record for 34 years. First retired jersey in school history. RECEIVERS J.J. Stokes 6-4 215 1991-94 Accolades: All-American in 1993. Seventh in Heisman voting that year. Comment: Awesome in '93, injured in '94. Didn't have much competition for this spot; Bruins haven't produced many elite receivers. Dick Wallen 6-0 175 1956-58 Accolades: All-American in 1958. Comment: Led Bruins in receiving three straight years. Gets the nod over '55 All-American Rommie Loudd based on career numbers. TIGHT END Tim Wrightman 6-3 235 1978-81 Accolades: All-American in 1981. Comment: Finished career as UCLA's No. 2 receiver, with 73 catches. Slight edge over '89 star Charles Arbuckle for career impact. LINEMEN Jonathan Ogden 6-8 310 1992-95 Accolades: All-American and Outland Trophy winner in 1995. Comment: Greatest lineman in school history. Four-year starter. Allowed one sack last two years. Already has two Pro Bowl appearances. Vaughn Parker 6-3 270 1990-93 Accolades: All-American in 1993. Comment: Three-time all-conference selection and second-round draft choice. Career excellence gives him the edge over Luis Sharpe and Outland Trophy winner Kris Farris. Dave Dalby 6-3 235 1969-71 Accolades: All-American in 1971. Comment: Won team MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. award in 1971, unusual for a center. Did not miss a start in three years. Slight edge over Frank Cornish. Randy Cross 6-4 260 1973-75 Accolades: All-American in 1975. Comment: Cross played guard and center, but with Dalby on the team, Cross is strictly a guard. Al Sparlis, a star in the '40s, was close second. Jim Salsbury 6-1 210 1951-54 Accolades: All-American in 1954. Comment: Best lineman on greatest team in school history. Helped '54 Bruins average 5.7 yards per rush with combo of speed and strength. KICKER John Lee 5-10 175 1982-85 Accolades: All-American in 1984-85. Comment: No one's close. Set NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association records for career field goals and accuracy (.857). Made 108 consecutive PATs. In the clutch, he was ice. RETURNER Jackie Robinson 5-11-1/2 185 1939-40 Accolades: Made his name in another sport. Comment: The greatest athlete in school history, Robinson averaged amazing 21 yards on punt returns in 1940. Don't forget awe factor: Trojans would rather get his autograph than tackle him. COACH Henry ``Red'' Sanders 1949-57 Comment: Coached UCLA's only national-championship team. Had career winning percentage of .773, compared to Terry Donahue's .665. Smart enough to know the single wing wouldn't work today. USC'S ALL-TIME DEFENSE LINEMEN Gary Jeter 6-4 255 1973-76 Accolades: All-American in '76. Comment: A member of three Rose Bowl teams and '74 national champs. He also played 12 years in the NFL. Marlin McKeever 6-1 230 1958-60 Accolades: All-American in '59-60. Comment: He and brother Mike known as ``Marvelous McKeever Twins.'' Marlin's 12-year NFL career included seven seasons with Rams. Tim Ryan 6-5 260 1986-89 Accolades: Two-time All-American in '88-89. Comment: A Lombardi Award Finalist in '89. Ryan played in three Rose Bowls and started four years. LINEBACKERS Richard Wood 6-2 218 1972-74 Accolades: All-American from '72-74. Comment: ``Batman'' is USC's only three-time All-American. He was one of the most prominent players on two national championship teams. Junior Seau 6-3 245 1988-89 Accolades: All-American in '89. Comment: Despite playing only two seasons, one of Troy's most dominating players. Arizona coach Dick Tomey said he ``completely destroyed'' Wildcats. Chris Claiborne 6-3 250 1996-98 Accolades: Butkus Award winner in '98. Comment: He is probably the best combination of speed, power in school history. Led USC in tackles, interceptions and pass deflections last season. Chip Banks 6-5 230 1978-81 Accolades: All-American in '81. Comment: A member of two Rose Bowl championship teams and '78 national champs. Banks enjoyed 11-year career in the NFL. BACKS Dennis Smith 6-3 205 1977-80 Accolades: Ranks third in career interceptions (16). Comment: A member of the '78 national champs, Smith formed perhaps finest safety combination in college football with Ronnie Lott. He played 13 years in the NFL. Ronnie Lott 6-2 200 1977-80 Accolades: All-American in '80. Comment: Lott is widely considered the finest safety in football history. His trademark hard-hitting style made him a legend with the San Francisco 49ers Mark Carrier 6-1 185 1987-89 Accolades: Thorpe Award winner in '89. Comment: A two-time All-American, he finished with 13 career interceptions. Carrier also led defense in three Rose Bowls. Tim McDonald 6-3 205 1983-86 Accolades: All-American in '85-86. Comment: A member of '85 Rose Bowl champs, McDonald intercepted 11 passes in career. He's still enjoying successful NFL career (11 years). PUNTER Desmond Koch 6-0 207 1951-53 Accolades: Led NCAA in punting in '52. Comment: Set conference records for three years. Holds Rose Bowl record (72 yards). Won bronze medal in discus in '56 Olympics. - Compiled by Scott Wolf and Jon Wilner CAPTION(S): 15 photos, 3 boxes PHOTO (1 -- color) Dave Dalby (2 -- color) Freeman McNeil (3 -- color) J.J. Stokes (4 -- color) Richard Wood (5 -- color) Ronnie Lott (6 -- color) Junior Seau (7 -- color) Rose Bowl illustration by Eric Barrow (8) Jonathan Ogden (9) Cade McNown (10) Kenny Washington (11) Vaughn Parker (12) Mark Carrier (13) Tim McDonald (14) Dennis Smith (15) Gary Jeter Photos Courtesy of USC and UCLA BOX: (1) UCLA offense (see text) (2) USC defense (see text) (3) UCLA's all-time offense; USC's all-timne defense (see text) |
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