USC Trojans Legend Todd Marinovich Reveals Exclusive Recruiting Stories, Advice

"It was Stanford that started recruiting me before anybody my freshman year at Mater Dei (High School), they put the pressure on early. It really appealed to me because they were talking a lot about art. Ed McCaffrey was my recruiting host. The head coach asked me when I was leaving, ‘Of five is signing with us, where are you at on the scale?’ And I said, four," said Marinovich.

"I told my family that I would take a trip to USC, even though I've been on campus my whole life. The coaching staff at USC was like, 'No, that's not enough, you need to take a trip," and so I did. They got me. (My grandfather) took me aside, he said, 'Hey, let me ask you a question, where do you want to live when you're done in college?' I told him Southern California,' he said. 'There's your answer.'"

Question: After leaving USC early, how was that transition for you when you entered the NFL at such a young age?

"Yeah, it was super hard. That was one of the most challenging and difficult times in my life. I was torn, having off the field and academically, I was having the time of my life. I was just loving because I finally, it was Coach Smith, actually, that had a meeting with me because I was just not attending class, and it was because I wasn't doing what I wanted to do," said Marinovich.

"They gave me the key to the whole facility, the art department. I would go in there after practice, or anytime, and I was just creating. I was in love with that part of my life as I had never really given it any serious energy. It was something that I always did, even when football took precedence in the house, or just sports took precedence in the house."

Question: Based on your own journey, what do you try to share with younger athletes?

"There has to be a balance, and that's what I'm trying to do in my life. It's really hard to do, yeah, you know, I spend a lot of time painting and creating, but then another area of my life will suffer if all my time is spent there," Marinovich said.

"The intensity that my dad lived with, and I did, was unhealthy. It was just over the top. It instilled in me discipline, to do it every day, and I don't think kids understand. And how could they? They don't. They haven't experienced what they're about to do in athletics. That's why I'm a huge fan of people playing multiple sports, because I only played two in high school, but I couldn't imagine just playing football, because it was when I got basketball season, it was almost like a sense of relief, since it wasn't the focus, it was more play than performance," he continued.

Question: You talk about loving team sports and how beautiful it is that your children get to experience that, just like you experienced the Trojan brotherhood at USC. What lessons or experiences do you hope your kids — and younger athletes — can take away from your story?

"The relationships that I made during those two years at USC were by far the most special. It's just that time in your life. I think it's really the sport that does it, and the school is, is the vehicle, because your guys are coming from all over the United States, hooking up with a guy like Matt Gee from Kansas, who had never seen anything like this, that was just really influential. And that guy changed my life," said Marinovich.

"When I do have talks at the high schools, I just say that it's an experience that really shouldn't be missed if you have interest in whatever it may be. It's great even if you don't do whatever you major in. And after all, it's really about the experience. I really enjoyed it, and I always have my experience to share. I still have this bond with these men today that are like brothers. I, of course, heard the term Trojan family when I was young, and until I experienced it, I was like, ‘yeah, it is. It's real.'"

Question: Right after the table of contents, there's a page that says "For those brave enough to live their truth," how do you hope this message, and your memoir shapes your legacy?

"I love the intro. It's like, you don't have to really even read any further. That's the gist of it because it takes real courage. There's so many outside influences in our lives that have the best intentions, but can cause a lot of disruption because you're not being true to yourself. A lot of fortitude, and it's not easy. That's the deal. And nothing I've done that has any substance is easy."

"As an artist, that's, that's who I am as a core, and I was playing this quarterback because I was around it, and I saw so much of it, because that was my life that I was born into, and I just imitated guys that I admired, and that's how I really did it. I felt like I was kind of acting. It wasn't until Sundays or Saturdays, game day, that I got to express myself on the field and love that the coaches have to stay on the sidelines," Marinovich said.