Robinson: Norv and I would sneak into old Mac Court and throw at targets. That was the first thing he talked about in meetings. He stressed to the players that we’re gonna go good against good on a daily basis. I had been a GA at Oregon and he hired me to come to USC. Coach went to USC as an assistant on John McKay’s staff and then to the Raiders for a year before he got the SC job. Norv Turner, USC wide receivers coach: George Seifert was the secondary coach at Oregon and had recruited me. We could talk and argue, and at the end of the day no one was upset at anybody.

I think I worked with him for 16 years (between stints with USC and the Rams). Hudson Houck, USC offensive line coach: It was so much fun coaching because we had a great head coach. He is the best football coach I’ve ever had in my life. Keith Van Horne, USC offensive tackle: Hudson Houck is the whole reason I was able to start in college and made it in the pros. We played Alabama at home my sophomore year, we got a few illegal use of hands penalties because when you have a split crew they weren’t used to seeing us coming out and punching with the hands and extending. We were using our hands at USC, punching with the hands. The staff really complemented the talent.Īnthony Munoz, USC offensive tackle: Hudson was so on the cutting edge of what he was teaching us. Norv Turner is one of the best offensive minds ever. Our offensive line coach, Hudson Houck, was probably one of the greatest offensive line coaches in all of football, period. Each one of those coaches went on to do some really amazing things. Ronnie Lott, USC safety: That whole staff that Coach Robinson had was outstanding. They really weren’t worth a shit till I got hold of ’em. John Robinson, USC head coach: It was all coaching. The two starting running backs both won Heisman trophies. USC’s offensive line alone combined for 30 Pro Bowls.

John Robinson’s 1979 team collectively played in 64 Pro Bowls. Three others helped teams win Super Bowls: Keith Van Horne and Jeff Fisher with the 1985 Bears and Riki Ellison with three 49ers teams.īy comparison, the stacked 2001 Miami Hurricanes roster combined to appear in 46 Pro Bowls. Seven of their teammates also played in Pro Bowls during their NFL careers: Dennis Smith, Joey Browner, Chip Banks, Don Mosebar, Roy Foster, Hoby Brenner and Charles White. Among those Trojans are four Pro Football Hall of Famers: Anthony Munoz, Ronnie Lott, Marcus Allen and Bruce Matthews. As loaded as some of college football’s greatest champions were, they didn’t have the number of all-time greats that the 1979 USC team had.

Wake Me Up by Ronnie Matthews