USC RB Travis Dye: ‘I’ve never had this much fun in my life playing football’
Ex-Norco star on his season-ending injury, his time and legacy in one season as a Trojan, and upcoming fatherhood
Adam Grosbard (OC Register) — For four years, running back Travis Dye was a key member of one of USC’s biggest rivals. But it did not take long after the former Norco High star transferred from Oregon back to Southern California for him to win over the Trojans’ fan base with his tough runs, thoughtful critiques of the team and the occasional dancing to “YMCA” on the sidelines.
But Dye’s season and college career came to a premature end Nov. 11 because of a fractured ankle. Dye spoke with the Southern California News Group about that day, his time at USC and what the future holds in store for him.
Q: Let’s take it back to that moment on the field in the first half of the Colorado game after you’ve been hurt. Your brother Tony tweeted he had never seen such an outpouring of support for a fallen teammate as he did when all the USC players crowded around the cart. What do you remember from that moment?
Dye: “When the injury happened, I knew it was going to take me out for the season. I felt like my teammates and even the other team around me just knew that it was a situation where nobody wants to be. And they kind of rallied around me, which was a beautiful moment. But at the same time I’m still thinking, ‘I’m never going to put on a USC uniform again.’ And that hurt a lot, just that thought. It kept replaying in my mind. I’ll never be able to suit up with these guys again, my brothers again. So that’s what was racing through my mind. But just the overwhelming support that came through, it was unmatched. It helped me to calm down, it helped me to relax knowing that the guys were there, that they got me. Even the other team coming up to me and giving me their two cents, that was really nice, too.”
Q: Your teammates talked about your high spirits when you got back to the sidelines. How did you maintain such a positive attitude despite understanding the magnitude of the injury?
Dye: “Control what you can control. And at that point in time, I couldn’t control anything about me going back on the field. There was no reason for me to sulk and feel sorry for myself at that point. I was done with the injury and so they wrapped me up and I wanted to go straight down to the field and encourage my guys. Because that’s what I could control at the time. I couldn’t control anything else, I could only control my attitude. I was trying to make sure my guys knew it wasn’t about me, it was about the team, always.”
Q: You raised a red flag early in the season, trying to set a higher standard and worrying about the team’s preparation and focus. Given that, how proud were you to see how the team closed the season and fought through injuries in the Pac-12 championship?
Dye: “It was super awesome to see because I was a little worried when I first came in. How is this team going to react to all of these transfers coming in? Me coming in. I’m from a different Pac-12 school so I’ve played against a lot of these guys. So it was a lot of uncertainty. But I knew I wanted to go in there not just for my personal gain, trying to get my draft stock up or anything. I went in with the thought in mind that I’m trying to win, I’m trying to make a difference at this school. So just to see how the season ended up, it was unbelievable. I could have never guessed it would have went this far. Not just the wins and losses, but the connection to the team. It was unmatched. I’ve never had this much fun in my life playing football. Even in the meeting rooms, it just somehow, some way turned out to be fun. But the thing is with this team, we know when it’s time to work, too. We had a good mesh of that on this team.”
Q: Coach Lincoln Riley spoke last week about how the legacy of the 2022 USC team will be that it started a new era of winning. What does it mean to you to have that be part of your legacy here?
Dye: “Oh, it means absolutely everything. When I was little, when you’re talking about college football, all you can think about is USC. You can’t have a conversation about college football unless you put ‘SC in the conversation. And that kind of went away in the last few years. And so just to be able to put that back on the map where USC is in that conversation again, to be the team that propels the future, to plant the seeds even though we’re not going to enjoy the shade, there’s a sense of just accomplishment. It was pretty crazy to think about and to think our team was the one to do it.”
Q: Part of the reason for you transferring back to Southern California was to be close to your family in Norco for a year before the NFL. How did that aspect live up to your expectations?
Dye: “It played out even better. I wouldn’t expect any of this to go down the way it went down. The family part, it was wonderful, having even my wife’s family here and my family at your disposal, it was really nice. We were going down almost every weekend, especially on our breaks going to see them and having lunch and dinner and stuff like that. Bringing her family and my family closer and make one big family, that’s what’s been really nice to see. This year’s been the glue to that.”
Q: And I understand you and your wife are expecting your first child, a boy due in June. What aspect of fatherhood are you most excited about?
Dye: “Mostly just I want to teach him as much as I can and let him choose whatever path he wants to choose, whether that’s in sports or whatever he wants to do. I just want to give as much information and education as I can to him so he can choose wherever he wants to go, be what he wants to be. I’m just excited to watch him grow from a baby to a little human. I’m really excited about that part.”
Q: The next step for your football path is preparing for the NFL draft. Where are you in that process and how is the recovery going from your injury?
Dye: “Recovery is going really well. I’m walking, I’m out the boot and stuff. It’s going really fast, too. I’m training for the combine now and using all the resources I can through USC. Even Oregon’s been helping me out a little bit. So it’s just been a lot of support trying to get me back on track and I can’t do anything but appreciate it.”
ocregister.com
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Now the Bruins have to pay a “Berkeley Tax” of up to $10 mil per year to the usually woeful Bears just to get out of the picture.
As usual, USC is center stage. How many other of these schools still wear black shoes besides the Trojans?
Near the end of the first half with UW leading TEXAS 10-3, a very concerned Sark called a timeout with UW going for a 1st down on his own 13 yd line, and you could read his lips — “What the ‘bleep” is going on?”
UW settled for a FG to lead 13-3 at half.
I am all for second chances and never root for another man to fail, but I don’t think Sark is ever going to win big.
I was never impressed with Sark, aka Seven Win Sark per Husky fans. That’s a perfect nickname for him, as the Huskies proved yet again tonight.
He should be able to recruit exceptionally well in Austin, but I agree, he’ll never be anything special. But I do believe he’ll probably still be head coaching somewhere 20 years from now. He’s probably better than The Cat, but I’m not sure by how much.
I still can’t believe TEXAS hired him. He is now a measly 59-47 as a CFB HC, and has never won his conference.
My nickname for Sark is Cutty Sark. He had a drinking problem when he was the UW HC, then Haden hired him for USC. To think that Pat Haden, a Rhodes Scholar and Lawyer, didn’t do his due diligence before hiring Sark still boggles my mind.
Suck’s dope and booze ‘problems’ or whatever is his way of coping with the fraud he is pulling … this mental midget knows he has no business getting these jobs. Just a matter of time before Horns toss his fat ass aside too.
Love the way UW started against TEXAS in the Alamo Bowl with a big gain flea-flicker.
OU and FSU are tied 25-25 with 11:05 to go in the Cheez-It Bowl.
I used to think No. 1 2023 TE Duce Robinson (6-6, 225; Phoenix Pinnacle, AZ) was a lead pipe cinch for USC. But no longer for this Feb signee.
I sure hope the Trojans sign him, but we’ll still have to beat #1 GA and even ORE, so often a thorn in USC’s side, to do just that. Various sources around the web lead me to believe this remains a hugely contested battle.
Maybe I’m being affected by USC’s slow recruiting news for a while now. It’s easy to get impatient with and for recruiting successes.
USC DL coach Shaun Nua (Facebook) — “Sitting here at the Cotton Bowl with some rare free time, I finally have the clear mind to say something about my mentor, father figure and friend Ken Niumatalolo. The only coach to give me my first full-time job as his DL coach at the Naval academy from 2011 til 2017. Coach Ken, everything starts with his faith and belief in the Gospel. His love and passion for our Samoan culture is a big part of how he structured everything, Love, Discipline and accountability. His competitiveness and toughness is second to none, but… Read more »
With Lebron James now hinting (I mean proclaiming) he wants out of the Lakers as they stand (and as he built), I agree with Bill Plaschke on this one — let him go for all you can. He’ll never be a true “Laker great” as far as I’m concerned. He won a shrunken Covid season Championship which many never saw, nor paid much attention to. I know I didn’t. The Lakers have stunk most of the time Lebron’s been in L.A. He’s maybe the greatest who ever played, and still has real gas in his tank for sure. But I’d… Read more »
Stewart Mandel Nuggets: • Almost no one is following any rules on tampering, pay-for-play, etc., because they realize there is a next-to-no chance of the NCAA busting anybody for it. As one coach told me, if you’re waiting for a kid’s name to show up in the portal before contacting him, you’re already too late. • There is a growing industry of small-time agents trying to make a living out of convincing kids to go in the portal so they can get paid elsewhere (and take a hefty commission) rather than stay where they are and get nothing. These guys… Read more »
This was the 1,200 sq ft office then 33-year-old Lincoln Riley inherited when he took over for Bob Stoops at OU in June, 2017. Stoops, who painstakingly custom designed the office with his wife, Carol, never worked in it as he retired as the Sooner HC before he could set up shop there.
Says Katelynn Henry, the lead interior designer. “Lincoln just accepted everything as it was. If a Nick Saban comes in, they would want to scrap it and do their own style, their own pieces. The furniture was second-hand to Lincoln, but he loved it.”
“Lane Kiffin Is My Wife” Lane Kiffin does a total faceplant after starting this season 7-0 and getting a brand new big OLE MISS contract after flirting with other jobs, including AUB. Last night his Land Sharks, QBd by none other than Jaxson Dart (yet another Trojan signal-caller castoff) got totally wasted by TT 42-25 in the famous TaxAct Texas Bowl. Kiffin got into a prolonged argument with the refs over exactly what, I do not know … but one announcer cracked me up with this recount of Kiffin’s antics: “I’ve had my wife yell at me at times and… Read more »
Kiffin has always been a whiner and complainer. I didn’t like him when he was USC’s Head Coach but he did get us through those awful sanction years.
B1G commish Kevin Warren is a ‘final candidate’ for Bears president Matt Fortuna, Adam Jahns, Nicole Auerbach and Max Olson (The Athletic) — Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is among the finalists for the Chicago Bears’ vacant president and CEO job, team and league sources confirmed to The Athletic on Thursday. ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the news. Here’s what you need to know: Warren has interviewed at least twice with the Bears at Halas Hall, according to sources.The Bears have been searching for a new president and CEO after Ted Phillips announced his plans in September to retire at the end of the… Read more »
Dykes Gets It Right ALA played the WESTERN CAROLINA Catamounts on 11/23/19 and won 66-3. Nick Saban played the NEW MEX ST Aggies on 11/13/21 and won 59-3. Saban just played the AUSTIN PEAY Governors on 11/19 and just won 34-0. All games in Tuscaloosa. TCU’s Sonny Dykes — “We don’t have the good fortune to play an out-of-conference game like the SEC does in Week 10 or Week 11. You’re not going to catch The Citadel in Week 10. We caught Texas.” Sure would like to see the Tide (-6.5) lose to upset-minded KSU in the Sugar Bowl on… Read more »
Jaxson Dart throws three picks in 42-25 OLE MISS smash-up vs TT.
Watched most of the game. He was crazily sacrificing his body.
With a DOINK on their extra point Oregon wins the Holiday Bowl.
ORE deserved it, doink or no doink. Boy, you don’t see that every day. UNC had ’em with a 10-point lead well into the 4th, but went cold as ice as Mack Brown helplessly looked on, frequently nervously spitting on the sidelines.
I couldn’t help but think of when Pete Carroll was watching Brown’s Longhorns turn the USC game around and win 41-38 behind unstoppable Vince Young, snapping USC’s Pac-12 record 34-game win streak.
Nobody gets out alive.
Goatboy Kiffy getting his ass kicked again … be 5 losses in last 6 games lol
The fraud better spend more time trying to coach than on Twitter
Talk about a Unusual Penalty ????? …….Changing your Jersey number but NOT reporting it ….AND it gives Oregon the ball back !
That’s a CH Special…I think he owns the trademark on that maneuver.
So far Tar Heels giving Ducks a hard time .
Wish Oregon St would not had beaten the Quacks … we matchup better with Quacks
I thought it was interesting seeing Fickell coach Wisconsin yesterday after being recently hired. Usually it’s an interim guy, but they had Fickell jump right in. Makes sense, no reason not to, and gives the coach a chance to see what he has sooner rather than later. We’ll be facing him and his badgers before too much longer.
I’m rooting for the Tar Heels to beat the Ducks and it’s 7-7 with 11:33 to go in the 2nd Q at Petko Park (first football game played there). Both teams have missed makeable FGs.
Pregame show guys just said tonights Oregon vs North Carolina game has the Highest Over/under of all this years Bowl Games Hmmm ……………….
Hey ….A Bowl game that might be worth spending a little time watching tonight …..#15 Oregon vs a team (North Carolina) that played in ACC Championship Game .
I was looking at the 2024 football offers. It sure looks like the staff has some work to do. Not many from So. Cal and most are cool, which could mean a lot of different things.
We sure are getting good at not landing transfer portal guys who put us in their top 2 or 3.
Chris, you cited a great article by Arledge about NIL. LR has made it clear – SC will not engage in “pay for play” NIL. This is going to cost SC recruits, particularly on the OL and DL. How much did Haskins make for coming to SC? I do not know the answer but probably not much. I think the market will sort it out. And, while I do not know for certain, I would think an additional $100,000 a year would matter a lot to a transfer. And, CA taxes the daylights out of income so the difference between… Read more »
I agree. The reason NIL exists is to let players leverage their own name and accomplishments While in school. Paying high school kids and transfers to come play will soon be regulated. Once they are in and playing, go make money. Caleb Williams is worth 20X what any lineman recruit is worth in NIL value. Schools and collectives are going to get real upset real quick when those huge dollars don’t equate to much winning, Texas AM and Miami are the two that come to mind.
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https://www.on3.com/teams/usc-trojans/news/musings-from-arledge-uscs-signing-day-and-nil/
hi guys, not sure if we can post a link but this is good stuff.
USC’s Luke Huard (inside WRs coach) is a candidate for offensive coordinator in the SEC Donovan James (Yahoo) — “The Texas A&M Aggies and coach Jimbo Fisher fired Darrell Dickey after five seasons this past offseason. They did so after having the worst offense in Fisher’s tenure. “As they try to find their new way forward, they are looking for a new OC. Could Luke Huard of the USC Trojans be next in line? “Huard, 43, was an offensive analyst under Fisher at A&M from 2019-21 before joining USC. Prior to his three seasons in College Station, Huard was Sacramento… Read more »
Lateral move for Garrett Riley and he is in the playoffs. Seems like ole Jimbo is having to dig deep for Huard. If LR thinks he is valuable to keep he will try to do so, otherwise, Inside Wide Receiver Coaches, not hard to replace.
If he leaves that is the slot they could use for that highly regarded special teams coach. Whatever Riley does is okay, he kinda knows what is going on.
Wow! Is A&M ever a grease fire. When Saban seeks OC, he gets the best and the brightest, with experience as OC. He has had Lane Kiffin, Sark, and I think several pro OCs and HCs. A&M goes after an OC and they have to hire a guy with no experience as an OC? Wow!
Saban hired those F sticks because they have the same agent … he has won 7 titles with 7 different OCs Goat and Suck just happen to be there like at SC
I love Travis Dye, and everything about his game. Wish him the best in the NFL. And I can’t stand Helton. It was a joy watching his teach blow a winnable game. The GSU fan base better realize that 6-7 is the benchmark. They will probably never see that again from Clay, even though his players will “fight like Warriors” ” he will look at the game film and clean up all mistakes” and ” his teams will be tough and disciplined”.
I can’t help it. I’m thrilled Clay Helton ended up with yet another losing season, this one, 6-7 at GA SO after losing to BUFF 23-21 in the 2022 Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. I know many believe Gentleman Clay is the world’s nicest guy, but I’ve never bought into The Cat’s schtick, not after watching the blowhard sink USC football to the depths of utter woefulness until he was mercifully canned when long-since-over-the-hill David Shaw took Helton to the cleaners for the last time in the Coliseum. Per College Football News – “Georgia Southern couldn’t stop screwing up. It had chance… Read more »
Soft spoiled children have “nice” parents. Helton never understood the concept of tough love. Hey, Atl DDS, how does the GSU fan base like Helton now?
My daughter (GSU Alumna) complained about how the team seemed to be making the same mistakes over and over again as the season went on in 2022. I pointed out to her that was the modus operandi of Helton’s teams at SC–being a soft “player’s coach” to Uncle Clay meant no accountability of player performance. Her response was that they did better than 2021’s GSU team. She still thinks GSU has a winner for a head coach, but I think .500 is probably Hugs’ typical high-water mark. But what do I know, anyway? I am just her father who has… Read more »
He must be breathing, his mouth is open.
Travis Dye is quite a guy, and I hope the Trojans can find someone that can carry that leadership and unity in future years.