No. 55 Dawson becoming leader on defense

No. 55 Dawson becoming leader on defense

Published Apr. 5, 2012 8:21 p.m. ET



mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">LOS ANGELES —
As
is the case with most Army All-Americans, Lamar Dawson came to USC with lofty
expectations.



When he stepped onto campus as a freshman in 2011, those expectations grew even
more.



Head coach Lane Kiffin decided he would give Dawson No. 55.



It's a number that is sacred at USC. It was previously worn by Trojan legends such
as Junior Seau, Willie McGinest, Chris Claiborne and Keith Rivers.



They were all great football players.



However the No. 55 extends beyond just greatness on the football field, which
prompted Kiffin to bestow the honor on Dawson, entering his sophomore season.



"It's a very unique number and it's not just about playing," Kiffin
said.  "Going through the recruiting process with Lamar and talking
to the people at his high school and who he's been for years and how focused he
is as a student-athlete and what he represents, he's a team captain type of
guy. That's why we did it. Not just because he was a great player (in high
school)."



Upon giving him the No. 55, Kiffin had to explain to Dawson the significance of
it.



"We talked about the players that have worn it before and what they
represented," Kiffin said. "I think it showed him how serious we were
about him being a great player here too and we put a lot of pressure on him to
make sure he was doing things right."



The soft-spoken, middle linebacker from Kentucky is a football player through
and through.



He loves Los Angeles but couldn't tell you much about his new home, because
"I haven't seen much of the city yet."



Last season Dawson took over as starter at middle linebacker for the final four
games.

This time around, he enters the season as clear-cut starter
in the middle of the Trojans defense.



His biggest issue rests in defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's Cover 2
playbook, which Dawson says he doesn't completely understand "but I'm
getting there."



Having a complete grasp of the defense is a requirement of manning the middle for
a defensive coordinator like Monte Kiffin.



"He expects me to know everything. All the checks, all the calls, and getting
everybody lined up," Dawson said. "I'm just ready for the challenge.
I like it. It's something that I want to do."



It's also something his teammates are expecting him to do as well. He's now
counted on to become more of a leader for the "The Dark Side," also
known as the Trojans' defense.



"I'm becoming more vocal and more of a leader," Dawson said.
"Some of the guys are looking up to me and they just expecting me to make
plays."



He’ll certainly have plenty of eyes on him. Wearing 55 in the Cardinal and Gold
has a tendency to do that.



Dawson's beginning to understand that.



"It's a historical number," Dawson said. "It's a legendary
number and it means everything to me."  



minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">Notes:
Running back Tre Madden
went down with a knee injury on Thursday, falling to the ground untouched after
trying to make a cut. The severity of the injury is unknown . . . Quarterback
Cody Kessler was picked off for the first time this spring . . . Kessler and
Matt Barkley took the reps during team drills because Max Wittek is dealing
with a foot injury . . . Tight end Xavier Grimble (toe) returned to practice.
He's been out since the Trojans’ first practice of the spring.

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