TROJANS' GREEK HERO; TAILBACK PAPADAKIS HAS TWICE SAVED THE DAY FOR USC.Byline: Steve Irvine In his first two seasons at USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. , Petros Papadakis  This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling.You can assist by [ editing it] now. spent a lot of time on the sidelines On the sidelines An investor who decides not to invest due to market uncertainty. on the sidelines Of or relating to investors who, having assessed the market, have decided to avoid committing their funds. . But when injuries knocked Chad Morton Chad Morton (born April 4, 1977 in Torrance, California) is an American football running back and kick/punt returner who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. from the USC backfield, Papadakis went from standing still to gaining 118 yards against Cal on Oct. 10. Last week against Washington State and with Morton back, Papadakis gained 84 yards on just six carries. He hasn't had that much work since he gained 2,026 yards and scored 22 touchdowns in 1994 as a senior at Peninsula High. Still, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. quarterback Mike Van Raaphorst, every Trojan knew about Papadakis' potential. ``Everyone on this team has seen it,'' Van Raaphorst said. ``Once he gets ahead, you're not catching him from behind.'' Speed is what Morton and receiver R. Jay Soward Rodney (R.) Jay Soward (born January 16, 1978 in Rialto, California) is a football player who most recently played for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts as a wide receiver. College career He burst onto the college football scene with a 4-TD game vs. have, but you just wouldn't think a 6-foot-1, 215-pounder would be that fast. Papadakis has a 65-yard run (vs. Cal) and a 53-yarder (vs. Washington State). ``There was a stalemate stale·mate n. 1. A situation in which further action is blocked; a deadlock. 2. A drawing position in chess in which the king, although not in check, can move only into check and no other piece can move. tr.v. at the line for a minute,'' Papadakis said of the 65-yard first-quarter run against Cal. ``I got to the line and throttled down, and when (guard Jason Grain) dumped his guy, I slipped through. After that I had an open field.'' It seemed so familiar to Papadakis, but it wasn't. ``They probably misjudged my speed,'' he said, ``because no one has seen me go anywhere in about five years.'' The junior tailback tail·back n. Football The back on an offensive team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage. tailback Noun Brit a queue of traffic stretching back from an obstruction redshirted his first season at USC and saw limited playing time last year, appearing in 10 games but earning only 24 carries and 103 yards rushing. This year didn't start out much better. His lack of success was magnified with the absence of Morton, whose back problems have kept him from the starting lineup For the line of action figures, see . A starting lineup in sports refers to the set of players actively participating in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes since the team's loss at Florida State. Papadakis started against Oregon State but gained only 11 yards in six carries. Morton came on in relief and gained 123 yards on 23 carries and scored a touchdown. The following week against Arizona State, with Morton remaining on the sideline in street clothes, Papadakis had just 17 yards. ``I was starting to get down,'' said Papadakis, whose lone bright spot to that point was a 1-yard scoring run in the season-opening win over Purdue. ``I started to miss keys and miss holes, which is not good. I was thinking maybe I was just a Tank-group (short-yardage) guy.'' His confidence was restored after his breakout game against Cal - and it couldn't have come at a better time. Out of high school, he had signed a scholarship with the Bears, spending nearly three months - including the first week of football practice - at Berkeley. ``I probably did so well because I knew those guys (at Cal),'' he said. ``I knew not to be scared of them.'' Papadakis has easily avoided a big head after his best two games as a collegiate player. ``It's one game, that's the thing,'' said Papadakis, an English Literature English literature, literature written in English since c.1450 by the inhabitants of the British Isles; it was during the 15th cent. that the English language acquired much of its modern form. major who has a weekly Tuesday segment on Vic `The Brick's' radio show on KXTA 1150. ``Maybe if I had 700 yards or wasn't averaging 1.2 yards per carry, I would be basking in the media glory.'' Instead he was trying to avoid the family glory. The Papadakis family, which owns and operates the Papadakis Taverna ta·ver·na n. A café or small restaurant in Greece. [Modern Greek taverna, from Medieval Greek tabern in San Pedro, is a USC family. Petros' father, John, played linebacker at USC in 1970-71 and older brother Taso was a letterman in 1994 and 1996. On game day at the L.A. Coliseum, there's generally 50 or so Papadakis family members and friends on hand. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1) After limited action last year, USC tailback Petro Papadakis has lived up to his potential while stepping in for injured Chad Morton. Myung J. Chun/Daily News (2) ``There was a stalemate at the line for a minute. I got to the line and throttled down, and when (guard Jason Grain) dumped his guy, I slipped through.'' - Petros Papadakis, on his 65-yard run against Cal |
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