Reggie Bush (left) and Matt Leinart (right) both won the Heisman Trophy during their time at USC.
Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images
By Greg Beaton
Here's a fact about USC you might have already known: with seven Heisman Trophy winners, the Trojans are tied with Notre Dame and Ohio State for the most stiff-arming statuettes. But here's one you might be less familiar with: since 1904, USC's athletes have also won a staggering 234 medals in the Summer Olympics. The 112 gold medals that Trojan athletes (and Women of Troy, the official name for the university's women) have won during that time period is only exceeded by 10 nations.
So while USC gets the most attention each year for its gridiron success -- especially with the recent renaissance under Pete Carroll -- the football team is just symbolic of the entire athletic department's success. How many football players made SIOC's Top 10? Here's how our list breaks down:
10. Mark McGwire
9. Lenny Krayzelburg
8. Carson Palmer
7. Lisa Leslie
6. Stan Smith
5. Reggie Bush
4. Matt Leinart
3. Cheryl Miller
2. O.J. Simpson
1. Marcus Allen
That's our list -- now tell us who we missed, who we overrated, underrated and anything else you want to say about the Trojans.
I think you have heard of a guy named Anthony Davis...he graced the cover of your magazine three times, including a foldout poster. I believe he is still the only NCAA athlete to win two national championships in two different sports - USC football in '72 and '74, and USC baseball in '72 and '73.
I'm not sure who gets kicked out of the Top 10, but Davis certainly belongs.
You gotta have Freddy Lynn on there. Greatest baseball player in USC history. 3 College World Series, College World Series MVP, and only USC player in College baseball HOF.
10. Rodney Peete 9. Sam Clancy 8. Charles White 7. Junior Seau 6. Reggie Bush 5. Matt Leinart 4. Cecil Mamiit 3. Mark Prior 2. OJ Simpson 1. Keyshawn Johnson
USC yada yada yada easy to get the best recruits in the country with their weather and girls but that said they have only won the pac-10 title by one to two games over the years so they are no jugernaut. yea I know they still won. Big Deal
Pretty amazing for a school to be so packed with talent that several of its Heisman Trophy winners can't even make the list, and Hall of Fame-caliber guys like Lynn Swann and Junior Seau are just faces in the crowd.
sooners yes cheryl miller belongs on there. she was before the wnba which is why you havent heard of her because she does sideline reporting, but she would have dominated more than any other woman ever if the league had been created.
Mort Kaer - The first unanimous All-American at USC. Led the nation in scoring and might have been the Heismann Trophy winner if they had a Heismann Trophy back then. Also competed in the Olympics in the Heptathlon.
USC IN NO WAY CAN COMPETE WITH UNC CHAPEL HILL AS FAR AS PROMINENT ATHLETES ARE CONCERNED, WE HAVE THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME, THE GREATESST LINEBACKER OF ALL TIME, AN THE GREATEST WOMENS SOCCER PLAYER OF ALL TIME, NOT TO MENTION THAT 25 OF 28 TEAMS AT UNC MAKES IT TO THE NCAA POSTSEASON, AN GIVE BUTCH DAVIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AN IT WILL BE 26, THE ONLY OTHER SCHOOL THAT CAN COMPETE WITH UNC IN ATLETICS IS TEXAS
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