INNER GAME GETS TROJAN JACKED UP BOOK HELPS DEFENSIVE END GET PASS-RUSH GROOVE BACK.

Byline: SCOTT WOLF Staff Writer

With pre-season All-American Lawrence Jackson failing to register a sack in USC's first eight games, Trojans coach Pete Carroll pulled out one of his secret weapons to pull the junior out of his funk and salvage his season.

Carroll's trick was not a motivational speech but a simple, 144-page book that shaped his own mental outlook since the 1970's. He gave Jackson a copy of ``The Inner Game of Tennis'' by W. Timothy Gallwey.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but Jackson responded with three sacks, 10 tackles and a tackle for a loss. It was by far his best game of the season. Jackson credited the book, which he read during free time at the team hotel Saturday afternoon.

``It helped out because I was being critical and judgmental,'' Jackson said. ``I just gave in to those feelings. I would be disappointed in myself. It hindered me physically.

``After wins, I wouldn't be excited about the win, I would be disappointed with no sacks. Coach Carroll said that was a natural feeling.''

The first eight games were so disappointing, some called Jackson ``no sack'' instead of his preferred nickname of ``LoJack.''

``Coach Carroll and I had a talk earlier in the week about how I was

trying too hard and how it inhibits you from being yourself,'' Jackson said. ``If you tell yourself to do this or do that, it slows down your play.''

One of Carroll's prime philosophies is that in big games, teams that win don't play better, the losing team usually plays worse. It stems from Gallwey's book, which tries to eliminate fear, overthinking, overjudging and overadapting from athletic performance.

``It's an extraordinary philosophy and easy to understand,'' Carroll said. ``It's a poignant read. I've espoused it since I read it. I met Gallwey in graduate school. I live with that philosophy.''

Carroll has given the book to kickers when he was in the NFL, and more recently at USC, to Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.

``It's about understanding your mind can make you press,'' Carroll said. ``It can cause you to get stilted in your performance.''

That certainly was an issue for Jackson, who recorded 20 tackles and no sacks in USC's first eight games. His performance against Oregon was a weight off his shoulders, more because of the perception he was struggling even though he graded highly when the coaches analyzed game films.

``I've known him for four years and we were roommates for two and he works so hard,'' nose tackle Sedrick Ellis said. ``I knew it really bothered him each week even though he didn't say it.

``Of course he would be upset even if we would win. But he was playing well even without the sacks. Pass rush is hard work and a little bit of luck. (Three sacks) never happened to me before but I know he'll get a lot more this season.''

Coincidentally, about a year before Carroll came to USC, he met former Trojans tennis player Sean Brawley, one of the few who learned under Gallwey, to further discuss the philosophy.

``I helped him get a clear philosophy,'' Brawley said. ``He thought after getting fired twice, I'm only getting one more chance.''

A one-hour meeting turned into four hours and when Carroll got hired at USC, he let Brawley work with athletes from time to time.

``When athletes don't perform, they think too much about what they are doing, or react harshly to making mistakes,'' Brawley said. ``We all have a tremendous amount of potential to perform optimally and it's true we get in our own way.''

As an example, Brawley said he worked with former USC tailback Reggie Bush, who experienced problems fumbling kickoffs one year.

``He was always thinking, `Don't fumble, don't fumble,''' Brawley said. ``I got him to count from when the kicker kicked off to when he caught the ball to take his mind off fumbling.''

This year, Brawley worked with offensive lineman Chilo Rachal.

``Chilo tried to be too perfect and have a perfect game,'' Brawley said.

``It caused him to try too hard. To not trust in his own ability. He improved the next game 30 percent.''

Carroll said he occasionally quotes the book to players or when he talks to the team, but now he can use Jackson as his latest example of how the Inner Game philosophy works.

``He took the pressure off last week and settled down,'' Carroll said. ``He didn't worry about expectations. Sometimes high expectations change the way you prepare and perform.''

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