Record-setting Woods hails teammates' firsts

Record-setting Woods hails teammates' firsts

Published Oct. 22, 2012 10:36 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES -- Robert Woods stands alone as USC's all-time career leader in receptions. A feat he accomplished in just 32 games.

However, if it wasn't for a current Trojan, he may not be wearing the USC Cardinal and Gold today.

Woods credits fellow wide receiver De'Von Flournoy as one of the reasons he ended up signing with the Trojans.

The two faced each other in a passing league tournament during Woods' junior year at Serra High School when Flournoy was a senior and a top wide receiver prospect coming out of Birmingham High School.  

As Woods reflects, it wasn't a very good game for him.

"I was at safety and he torched me," Woods recalls. "He was like 'Yeah, I'm going to SC.' So it was like 'OK, I'm going to go to SC too. I want to see what you about.'"

As the story continues today, both players eventually landed at USC but their careers have gone in different directions.

Woods has accumulated 220 career receptions in his career. While he was passing Dwayne Jarrett as the school's all-time leading receiver last Saturday against Colorado, Flournoy was making his first career catch.

He ran a corner route in the second quarter taking the feed from Matt Barkley for a 21-yard gain.

An excitable moment, culminating the long journey the now redshirt junior has taken since that passing league tournament when he got the best of Woods.

"Finally," Flournoy exclaimed, exhaling a sigh of relief. "It's a feeling you really can't explain in words. I ran the route and the ball was in the air. I just had to go make the catch and once you secure the catch and the play is over and the whistle is blown then it kind of sinks in, 'OK, this is what it feels like to catch a ball as a USC receiver.'

"It was great feeling."

One of the first to congratulate Flournoy on his catch was Woods.

"I've seen D-Flo work for many years and I'm proud for him and he'll have many more catches to come," Woods said.

Flournoy was one of the players USC head coach Lane Kiffin mentioned while meeting with the team in the locker room immediately following the win over Colorado. Flournoy's catch also received huge cheers from his teammates on Sunday during the team's film session.

"It was really neat," Kiffin said. "It's kind of funny for the guys going through all the big, huge records for the guys, and then De'Von Flournoy's first catch. So, there was some good stories in that game."

There were other firsts last Saturday as well.

Redshirt junior defensive end Kevin Greene recorded the first and second sacks of his career. Junior college transfers Tony Burnett and Gerald Bowman each picked off their first passes.

Redshirt freshman Cody Kessler completed the first two attempts of his career.  Freshman tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick made his first career catch.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Max Wittek threw his first career touchdown pass. The beneficiary was redshirt sophomore running back, D.J. Morgan. It was the first touchdown of his career. Woods was one of the firsts to congratulate Morgan as well.

Morgan, who's roommates include starters Woods and Marqise Lee, joked about being the odd-man out in the house, not having much statistical weaponry to add to house discussions.

After scoring his first touchdown, he now may be able to chime in a word or two.
 
"They're every day, every week consistent touchdown (scorers)," Morgan said. "Once I get on that level then I'll feel like I can hold a conversation with them."

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