Long before Joe McKnight ever set foot on USC's campus, he was being hailed as "the next Reggie Bush." Coaches who had scouted the shifty Louisiana football star couldn't resist; whenever they're searching for a way to gauge someone's worth, comparisons are the first place they head.
McKnight was fast (though probably not as blazing fast as the Heisman Trophy winner), elusive and versatile and could also be a factor as a receiver and return man -- all things that Bush did with the Trojans. When USC coaches first visited McKnight, they talked about how, as a cornerback, he could do a "three-and-out," meaning play three years at USC and then leave for the NFL as a first-round defensive back. But the Trojans' staff realized that probably wasn't the best way to woo McKnight. Instead, he would be showcased like Bush, which sounded great to him. McKnight signed on amid a recruiting frenzy with plenty of drama the night before he made it official and in the days right after.
McKnight disappeared the night before signing day, and none of his closest friends had any idea where he went or with whom, especially since he didn't have a car and wasn't answering his cell. Then on signing day, McKnight made some comments that raised the issue of Bush's involvement in his recruiting process, which USC later had to investigate.
The weight of those Reggie Bush comparisons often have proved to be very heavy for McKnight. I kept thinking about that when I saw the USC junior's name roll across the ticker the other night.
After a breakout performance in the 2008 Rose Bowl, McKnight was pretty candid about trying to cope with those expectations:
"Coming out of high school," McKnight said, "there were some very big expectations on me, but the coaches kept telling me 'Just be you,' and 'Don't worry about who other people are comparing you to.' But I was nervous before the game. This was a national television game."
Still, for the next year, he struggled, suffering injuries to seemingly every part of his body, and had a penchant for fumbling. Off the field, he came across as a very enigmatic figure. Last November, I was doing a book signing for "Meat Market" out at the Los Angeles Coliseum before the Cal-USC game. (McKnight is an important figure in the book.) One of the people helping me out at the Coliseum that day knew McKnight pretty well; she mentioned that he was about to become a father and his excitement about it. I wondered at the time how he'd handle it.
The next time I talked to McKnight was early last summer. He seemed to be very comfortable. Teammates said they had noticed a big change in his demeanor. Being a father had forced him to mature and to become more focused, they pointed out. McKnight said he agreed with the assessment. This season, he was more consistent and ran for more than 1,000 yards. The Reggie Bush talk had faded. Of course, so did much of the spotlight, as the Trojans were dealing with their worst season in almost a decade.
But then, last weekend, the report in the L.A. Times came out, and his name rolled across the ticker -- McKnight had been seen driving an expensive SUV around campus. Whose Land Rover was it? The Times disputed McKnight's claim that he had never driven the SUV, saying a reporter had witnessed the running back behind the wheel. After the story broke, local businessman Scott Schenter -- who was linked to the car and to McKnight and his girlfriend -- sent an e-mail over the weekend to both the L.A. Times and the L.A. Daily News saying that the car is driven by Johana Michelle Beltran -- McKnight's girlfriend -- and that he helped purchase the Land Rover because Beltran's family had had trouble qualifying for a loan.
"It is her car," Schenter wrote. "She makes the payments and she is responsible for insurance. The payments are a little over $500/month [not a big amount]." Schenter also said he is a University of Washington fan who has "nothing to do with agents, marketing players or representing athletes" despite his ownership of the Web domain www.4joemcknight.com, which he says has not been renewed.
And just like that, the Reggie Bush comparisons are back -- and once again, it's probably not such a good thing. USC is already under review by the NCAA and Pac-10 regarding accusations that Bush and basketball star O.J. Mayo received improper benefits during their time at the school.
We tend to think that when schools are cheating it's because coaches or boosters are giving cash or cars to star players. That's not the issue in these instances: It's the players and their alleged dealings with people not connected to the school who might have their own agendas. It is all very messy. There is much that USC -- and the NCAA -- will need to sort out here in this latest round with McKnight.
Schenter's comments raise as many questions as they answer. You don't have to be a cynic for it to sound weird. Maybe more importantly, it sounds (at the very least) sloppy for a high-profile program already coping with major allegations that involved big-name college stars. Maybe Schenter's contention that he and McKnight's girlfriend have known each other for years is legit and therefore McKnight's status as a college star is irrelevant to the matter. But if you're USC and you've seen McKnight -- a guy everyone inside the program knows doesn't come from a lot of money -- in an expensive car, you need all the answers because you should expect someone to start asking questions.
One last note on the McKnight story for today: I noticed on one of the newspaper Web sites, in the right-hand margin near the bottom of a report on the McKnight investigation, there was an ad selling USC gear. The ad was for a USC No. 4 jersey: Joe McKnight's jersey.
Around the college football landscape
• The New Orleans Bowl was pretty entertaining. Middle Tennessee QB Dwight Dasher showed why he's one of the top run-pass threats in the country.
• Wyoming also finished the season strong, and you had to like what you saw from true freshman QB Austyn Carta-Samuels, who threw three TDs and ran for 71 yards as the Cowboys upset Fresno State. He was named game MVP.
• Another impressive performance this weekend came from Villanova's versatile star Matt Szczur (pronounced like "Caesar") who sparked the Cats to the FCS championship by running for 159 yards. That effort prompted a great line in the Daily Philadelphian:
Forget Michael Vick. Matt Szczur is the best Wildcat in Philadelphia.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder is an intriguing prospect. He was drafted out of high school by the Dodgers and was a star sprinter in high school. I'm curious what NFL scouts will think of Szczur.
• Florida A&M's LeRoy Vann was at it again working his magic in an all-star game, St. Clair Murraine writes:
"It was very special because for a very long time I didn't have a chance in the MEAC because they stopped kicking to me," said Vann, who rewrote FAMU's record books for punts and kickoff returns for touchdowns. "I knew everybody was out here to show their talent so they kicked me the ball. I just went all out."
• Texas Tech beat out Arkansas for Scott Smith, the nation's top-rated junior college defensive lineman. The 6-foot-7, 275-pound DE faxed his signed letter of intent to Texas Tech on Saturday, clearing the way for him to join the Red Raiders in January, according to RedRaiders.com:
"I'm done," Smith said of the recruiting process. "I've made my decision." Smith also spent one year apiece at the universities of California and Arizona, redshirting at Cal and sitting out a mandatory year at Arizona after transferring. Smith said his decision to sign with Tech was influenced somewhat by Tech senior Daniel Howard, who also went to Butler and plays the same position.
"He knew where I was coming from," Smith said, "so it was pretty cool."
• Fascinating story by John Canzano on the father of Oregon State stars James and Quizz Rodgers.
• I watched most of the Florida high school title game between Dwyer of Palm Beach and Niceville on Saturday. There were a few Florida Gators commits who looked very good for Dwyer, but the guy who really caught my eye was Dwyer TE Nick O'Leary, who is Jack Nicklaus' grandson. I spoke to a few college coaches who are really high on the 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior, and I can see why. O'Leary displayed soft hands and good body control and runs hard. He also punts, returns punts, is the holder on kicks, and had a sack as a defensive end in the game.
On the telecast, the Golden Bear was interviewed at halftime and told a story about how as a 12-year-old O'Leary hit some golf balls on the driving range and the next day played his first round of golf -- and shot a 77 on a legitimate 18-hole course. OK, that sounds like a bit of a tall tale, but if you'd believe anyone telling this story, it probably would be Jack Nicklaus, no?
• I must've seen ads for some NFL show featuring Redskins TE Chris Cooley, and I kept thinking, Man, he reminds me of someone, but I can't recall who. Then it hit me. Jeffrey Ross, the star of the Comedy Central Roasts.
• Tweet of the Day: JayPaterno -- Happy Birthday to Joe Paterno and here's to many more.