FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2010,

by Phyllis Corliss

Rotarian Bruce McCallum, USC alumni, introduced our speaker, Shane Foley, former quarterback for USC.

 Tom Crosby, our famous song leader and USC grad led us all in a USC “Fight On” cheer to the disdain of the UCLA Rotarians.  (This fun and good cheer will always be a benchmark for our club.)

 Shane Foley was raised in Orange County and was a quarterback at his high school, Newport Beach High, where in his last year had 3100 passing yards.  He then went on to USC and during his time as quarterback for the Trojans they won the most coveted honor of being in the Rose Bowl three times.

 Currently, Shane does writing for USC and assisting with the coaching staff.  He also is a Vice President, Private Banker for Wells Fargo in Pasadena.

 Pete Carroll was mentioned throughout his talk and Shane felt that he was one of the best coaches ever.  During Carroll’s career the Trojans once won 34 straight games.

 As Shane continued with football stats and talking about his alma mater, he seemed to become more and more robust in his talk and finally said “It means a lot to be a Trojan.”

 To be an outstanding quarterback, Foley said that you have to know exactly what is happening in each play.  It is like learning a foreign language, and you not only speak that language, but you are thinking in that language.  That’s what quarterbacking is all about and you are continually reacting and you just know what you are going to do at all times.

There has been good and bad times, Foley continued, and the sanctions that were placed on USC are not isolated, however they were made an example for all teams.

Coaches when recruiting are looking for young men that have character and are behind the college that they are attending.  If, in interviewing, the person may be a strong player, but is not that interested in the school, he will be passed up.  Coaches are looking for the person that will fight to win and fight to win as a team.  Each person is to do the best that they can and to focus on education,

A question was asked about the two new teams in the PAC10.  Utah and Colorado has been added and Shane did not know how this was going to work in scheduling as the schedules are set three and four years in advance.  And, he added “There are no door mats in the PAC10.”  However, the films of the games SC lost this past year by USC will be studied, over and over.

Probably the most astonishing remark towards the end of his talk was the fact that in nine years the Trojan football budget increased from 18 million a year to 80 million a year.  Shane mentioned that this is typical of all major universities throughout the country.

Shane Foley’s talk was well received and especially the honestly in which he expressed the recent happenings to USC.  As he talked about the coaches and how they help each team member to develop and become responsible men with great character, it was very rewarding for our members to hear.

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Editorial comment:  This article was written by Phyllis Corliss, a wonderful Rotarian but not one who follows sports…..She did a great job don’t you think?  – Bruce McCallum