USC SAFETY TESTED POSITIVE FOR STEROIDS BRANDON TING QUIT TEAM LAST WEEK.

Byline: SCOTT WOLF  Staff Writer

USC safety Brandon Ting tested positive for steroids last winter and would have been ineligible this season before deciding to quit the football team with his twin brother, Ryan, according to multiple sources.

According to an NCAA official, players who test positive lose one year of eligibility and are held out of competition for one year. The penalty cannot coincide with a redshirt year.

Brandon Ting was going to be a senior. He practiced last spring and would have been eligible to practice this fall, as long as he did not play in games. He could not be reached for comment.

Last week, Ryan Ting released a statement when the brothers announced they would no longer play football to concentrate on the demands of their medical school ambitions.

According to a school spokesperson, the brothers are enrolled in a post-baccalaureate program for medical school.

``For the past 3 1/2 years, Brandon and I have been able to balance the demands of football and academics,'' Ryan Ting said. ``Now, as our focus turns toward medical school, we realized it was in our best interests to end our playing careers.

``We realized we couldn't balance both if we want to be serious about med school. While it is difficult to leave our teammates, we know that they and the talented incoming recruits will have a great season in 2006.

``We appreciate the opportunity that Coach (Pete) Carroll gave us, we value the fact that we were part of some special times at USC.''

Carroll could not be reached for comment.

Ryan Ting was slated to be USC's No. 1 punt returner this season before quitting the team. Without him, Steve Smith is considered the No. 1 returner.

Listed as a safety, Ryan Ting had two interceptions and 25 tackles last season. Brandon Ting played in all 13 games last season and intercepted one pass.

Many observers were surprised when the brothers announced they would forgo their senior seasons, because of their active roles on the team.

They also were stellar students. Ryan had a team-high 3.93 grade-point average last school year; Brandon's was 3.83. The brothers made the Pacific-10 Conference's all-academic first team.

Their father, Dr. Arthur Ting, is a Bay Area physician who treated Barry Bonds for his knee injury in 2005. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Ting was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury in U.S. District Court in the federal investigation of Bonds.

According to NCAA statistics, positive steroid tests are down almost 50 percent over the past five years. The NCAA conducts steroid tests year-round and also at championship events. More than 10,000 athletes were tested for steroids in 2004-05, with 51 testing positive.

Notes: USC received an important commitment Tuesday as offensive guard James Wilson of St. Augustine, Fla., selected the Trojans over Notre Dame. Wilson is rated the No. 2 guard in the nation by Rivals.com. Wilson was also offered scholarships by Alabama, Florida, Florida, State, Miami and Ohio State. He is USC's ninth commitment. ... Only four of USC's incoming freshmen are waiting to be certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse. One of the four is highly regarded wide receiver Vidal Hazelton. ... USC players officially report to training camp today and begin practice Thursday.

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(color) Brandon Ting