Monday, Aug. 25, 2003 | 9:39 a.m.
LOS ANGELES -- Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura don't have anything on USC football coach Pete Carroll when it comes to dealing with family issues and problems.
Especially when it relates to the Trojan Family.
It was Carroll who personally invited UNLV coach John Robinson to attend Friday night's annual Salute To Troy gathering at Cromwell Field. More than 2,500 USC fans and alumni attended the almost four-hour dinner and ceremony that not only introduced the 2003 edition of Carroll's squad but also honored the 25th anniversary of the school's last national championship squad in 1978.
The head coach of the 1978 team was John Robinson. His running backs coach was current Rebels' assistant John Jackson. And both flew in especially for the ceremony following UNLV's final practice of fall camp earlier that morning.
Although he had attended a memorial for former defensive line coach Marv Goux on campus two years earlier, it was Robinson's first official public appearance at a USC event since his well chronicled feud with athletic director Mike Garrett ended with his firing on the night of Dec. 16, 1997.
Robinson had coached the Trojans to a 41-32 Rose Bowl victory against Northwestern only two years earlier and ended the school's 13-year streak of losses to Notre Dame the following season with a dramatic 27-20 overtime win in Lou Holtz's last game as Irish head coach. He said he learned of his firing by a message that Garrett left on his home telephone answering machine while he was out Christmas shopping with wife Linda.
The following day Garrett, who had tried unsuccessfully to lure Holtz to USC, announced at a news conference Paul Hackett had been hired to replace Robinson. Robinson, meanwhile, spoke out at his own news conference at a downtown Los Angeles hotel where he criticized Garrett's handling of the matter. The two reportedly didn't speak for more than a year after Garrett demanded changes in Robinson's coaching staff. There also was an ugly confrontation between Garrett and running back Delon Washington on the USC bench during a game against UCLA.
"I conducted myself with dignity and I have given my best at USC," Robinson said that day. "We had 10 seasons where we won eight games or more and then the last two years we won six games and we were fired. ...
"Unfortunately, the dignity was not shown us over the past three weeks. Our coaching staff has kind of been hung out to dry."
The rift grew even bigger in 2001 when Robinson was told indirectly not to appear at that year's Salute To Troy gathering which honored the 25th anniversary of the 1976 squad, his first as Trojans head coach after replacing legendary John McKay.
When word got out that Robinson had not been invited to the event, a number of former Trojans players threatened to boycott future football functions. One of those was the quarterback of that 1976 squad, Vince Evans, who would go on to play in the National Football League for 16 years and the USFL for two more.
"He was my Branch Rickey," Evans, who heard more than his share of boos early in what turned out to be a 11-1 season that culminated with a 14-6 Rose Bowl victory over Michigan. "What Branch Rickey did for Jackie Robinson is what John Robinson did for me."
USC was stunned by Missouri, 46-25, at the Coliseum in Robinson's debut as head coach that year. The only boos louder than the ones for Robinson that night were for Evans, a black quarterback in an era that was almost void of any other black college quarterbacks.
"I'm telling you the fans were booing like you would not believe," Evans said. "But Coach Robinson, as manly and as with as much courage that he had, stood up and said, 'Hey, it's my fault. We weren't prepared. But I guarantee you that we'll play extremely well the rest of the season.' And then we won 11 in a row and beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and had one of the best seasons in SC history."
When he learned that Robinson would be in attendance at this year's Salute To Troy, Evans made sure he was there to greet his old coach.
"When I heard that he was going to be here I really couldn't wait to get back and hug him," Evans said.
He wasn't the only one.
The call
Pete Carroll was walking back to his second floor office at Heritage Hall after watching a special reunion of the 1978 squad next door in the Galen Athletic Center, an athletic dining facility that Robinson was instrumental in getting built before his firing.
When asked about his motive about personally inviting Robinson to this year's Salute To Troy dinner, Carroll tried to low-key the significance.
"I just gave him the call," Carroll said. "He was excited about the opportunity to come back and see his team members and coaches and staff. It just seemed like the right thing to do. It wouldn't have been right without him. It was the perfect opportunity for him to come back here."
Carroll then paused.
"Shoot, this is his place," Carroll said. "He did tremendous stuff here. It's a great thrill for me to bring him and be a part of of him coming back here. It felt right. And when I just saw him in there with his players, I knew it was right."
This despite the fact that Garrett, the man who had such a messy public divorce with Robinson, is the man who hired Carroll two years ago and is still his boss.
"I don't know the details of what happened and it didn't have any bearing on my decision," Carroll said. "It was just the right thing to do. It was just thrilling that he wanted to be a part of it and that he could work it into his schedule so he could come. It means so much to so many of his players. It was great."
Carroll said he will never forget Robinson's generosity when it came to allowing USC to practice at Rebel Park and use its weight room before the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl.
"He was just beautiful to us," Carroll said. "He was gracious and just took care of us and gave us all the help we needed. He was a great guy."
Carroll was asked if he thought that Robinson's return to USC helped to mend some big wounds in the Trojan Family.
"Absolutely," he said.
Moment of truth
Mike Garrett was not on the stage when Robinson was introduced to the crowd on Friday night. That duty went to Paul McDonald, the quarterback of the 1978 squad and now a radio broadcaster for Trojans games.
Still the questioned remained: Would the man who left USC under such bitter circumstances be welcomed with as much enthusiasm by the 2,500 boosters in attendance as he was by people such as 1978 Heisman Trophy winner Charles White, Evans and 1979 Lombardi Award winner Brad Budde?
When Robinson was brought on stage to talk about his 1978 squad, he received a standing ovation that lasted 35 seconds before he finally cut it off.
What's that old saying that time heals all wounds?
"Seeing them all today has just been a thrill for all of us and being back for me and seeing all of you is, too," Robinson said. "I just can't tell you how much fun it is. It's the memories. Marv Gouv's big line was that always the biggest thing in sport is the memories. And that's true."
Robinson only had less than four hours to relive those memories. Although he gave the team Saturday off so they could rest up and move into their dorm rooms, he and Jackson were booked on a 9:15 p.m. flight back to Las Vegas so that they could be back in the office the next morning to resume game preparations for Friday night's season opener with Toledo.
"We cut it pretty close," said Jackson. "We literally had to leave from the stage and rush to the airport to catch our flight."
Still, it seemed like a special night for all those involved.
"I hope it does mend those wounds," Don Winston, USC's senior associate athletic director, said. "It's a hard thing for everybody when those things happen. But we're very pleased to have him back. He should be here. It was his team. Everybody in our administration was very pleased that he was here."
"I'm the kind of guy who thinks that they should put a statue of John Robinson over there in Heritage Hall," added Lynn Cain, who set a USC fullback rushing record with 977 yards while also blocking for White in 1978, said. "I think that would be nice and well deserved."
"He needed to be at this event," White said. "Little things like that go a long way. I've always believed in the old Trojan Family saying that once a Trojan, you're always a Trojan. John is a Trojan."
Even though he is the head coach at UNLV now?
"He's UNLV's coach for now," White chuckled. "But when it's all said and done, he'll always be a member of the Trojan Family."
The Rebels have released their two-deep chart for the Toledo game with only a few minor surprises. Sophomore Zach Gorham won the starting right tackle spot over highly touted JC transfer Tyler Crandal. As expected, JC transfer Willie Tagoai won the starting cornerback spot opposite of junior Ruschard Dodd-Masters with sophomore Joe Miklos earning the nod at free safety. Junior Ryan Claridge, hobbled much of fall camp with a foot injury, was listed as a co-No. 1 at one inside linebacker spot with junior Zach Bell. Senior Larry Croom won the starting tailback spot with Dominique Dorsey, Alvin Marshall and Deon Burnett listed behind him in that order although all four will see plenty of action. Junior Dyante Perkins of Bishop Gorman will start at fullback ahead of senior Andrew Faga. Robinson didn't name a backup quarterback with redshirt freshman Tyler Arcia ga, sophomore Scott Turner and impressive true freshman Shane Steichen all listed as co-No. 2's behind starter Kurt Nantkes! . ....
Toledo coach Tom Amstutz announced that sophomore Bruce Gradkowski would start at quarterback for the Rockets on Friday night although junior Cedric Stevens will also play a lot.
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