At 6’3” 205, T.J. McDonald is an imposing figure in the USC defensive backfield. He’ll enter the 2012 season with 23 starts under his belt. He’s a Thorpe Award and Lott Trophy candidate making a name for himself while carrying the same name of his six-time All-Pro father, Tim. Despite his father’s success on the football field, T.J.’s chance at stardom on the gridiron wasn’t so obvious. T.J.’s first love was baseball and he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays coming out of Edison High School in Fresno. We went one-on-one with him recently after he led his teammates through a summer workout.
FOX Sports West: Why did you choose USC?
T.J. McDonald: I’ve wanted to go here my whole life. I grew up a Trojan. My pops went here. My first sweatsuit I ever got was a Trojan, a USC sweatsuit when I was about, I don’t know, younger than I can remember. I’ve always been an ‘SC fan. I’ve been coming to games since I was little. It’s my dream to be here.
FSW: Is the reality better than the dream?
TM: Reality, I mean, I love it here and that set in when I was a freshman. Now, as you get older, you’re objectives change and you get different priorities. It’s more than just me being here at ‘SC. It’s my future, it’s my everything.
FSW: What’s something people may not know about you?
TM: It may not be too obvious but I love video games. I love to chill out. I love my family. I have a little sister (Taryn) that’s coming to ‘SC in about a couple of weeks so I’m excited about that.
FSW: So are you guys going to start triple teaming (UCLA safety and brother) Tevin?
TM: Oh yeah. We got to. With my little sister we got three Trojans and one Bruin, but I think he’ll still get some support. He’s a brother before anything.
FSW: What was your favorite sport growing up?
TM: Baseball.
FSW: How did you get into football?
TM: I snuck onto the team. My dad wouldn’t let me play because he had too many surgeries, so I had to sneak onto a team when I was about 11 (years old). I tried to sign the waiver form myself and my coach knew it wasn’t me and called my dad and my dad found out. He ended up taking me off of that team and I started playing Pop Warner and he was my coach. He taught me how to play. He told me if I was going to learn how to play I was going to learn the right way.
FSW: What’s your favorite food?
TM: I would have to say …my mom makes this chicken broccoli casserole that’s bomb. Fire.
FSW: Did she give you the recipe?
TM: The thing about it is, even if I tried to make it, it wouldn’t be nothing like hers so I can’t do it.
FSW: If you’re not playing football, what are you doing?
TM: (Laughs) I beat (USC wide receiver De’Von Flournoy) in video games. Watch movies, chill out and just stay out of trouble any way I can.
FSW: If you weren’t a football player, what would you do?
TM: Play baseball, hopefully or I would like to be a physical therapist or do something with communication …something influential to people. I want to, whatever I do, leave my mark on somebody.
