USC Connection

It may come as a surprise that Southern Cal, the premier college football program over the last five years and a producer of more first round NFL draft picks than any other school, sports exactly zero former players on the Ravens' roster.

Yet Troy's influence in Baltimore can hardly be overstated.

Former Trojans Dennis Thurman and Mark Carrier, both unanimously selected All-Americans during their time at USC, have teamed to coach the Ravens defensive backfield.

Thurman, who has been in Baltimore since 2002, spent eight years as a position coach at his alma mater before returning to the NFL, where he spent eight years as a cornerback and safety for the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Cardinals from 1975-83.

After USC, Carrier played professionally for 11 seasons, including seven with the Chicago Bears, where he won NFL Defensive Rookie of Year in 1990. He is in his second season with the Ravens, and says he works mostly with the younger defensive backs while Thurman oversees the entire unit.

And both make it clear that if Penn State is "Linebacker U." and playing quarterback at Notre Dame is the most scrutinized position in college sports, indeed there is also something special about playing defensive back in the famed L.A. Memorial Coliseum -- something that gives them a knack for coaching, as well.

"It's kind of funny because people that are around us, even though we're from different times, there's a certain way we carry ourselves and a certain way we work - going out to be the best and that's it," Carrier said. "It's amazing because even though we're 10 years apart, our feelings about USC, UCLA, and everything else – it's all the same."

According to a number of Ravens, that attitude and mindset has shown up in the way the pair handle themselves and run practice.

"I can tell both of them are from USC," second-year cornerback Ronnie Prude said. "Both of them have a little cocky attitude, and both are fun to be around, always joking, stuff like that."

While Thurman doesn't necessarily agree with the "cocky" attitude, it comes from a good source. Counting themselves among a group that includes great players like Charles Phillips and Ronnie Lott, and more recently Troy Polamalu and Darnell Bing, Thurman and Carrier stand out among the legacy of USC safeties.

"When you go to a school like that there's tremendous peer pressure because everyone there is used to winning," Thurman said. "That's the norm. When you go to school there, you understand what's expected, it becomes a part of who you are."

Prude emphasized that one aspect of Thurman and Carrier's styles is how easy each is to approach about off the field issues and concerns. Thurman attributed that to his personality more than calling it a reflection of his experiences as a player.

"Having been where these players are, I took with me what I liked about my coaches," Thurman said. "I didn't like when my coach yelled at me - if I made a mistake I was the first one to know I made a mistake. I didn't like it, why should I use it?"

What they are doing is obviously working. In 2006, the Ravens' defense boasted an NFL-best 28 interceptions, 22 of which were from defensive backs.

Carrier and Thurman have known each other since the younger safety's first year on campus, when Thurman's brother was a senior for the Trojans. They have been compared since Carrier assumed Thurman's No. 7 jersey, and they both knew success in their time at Southern Cal.

Now Thurman is helping Carrier get used to coaching at the pro level, an opportunity for which Carrier is grateful because he was not so arrogant as to assume that he would step in and be a good coach.

"It's all him, I follow his mold," Carrier said of Thurman. "He gives me a lot of leeway to make the young players better. When I first got into coaching, people said, ‘You'll be a natural,' but I didn't buy into that. I learned that you have to help them to become better and successful in order to earn their respect."

That seems like a lesson Thurman would want to instill first. Working with successful players like Chris McAlister and Ed Reed, Thurman emphasizes that while the Ravens' stars are very coachable, much of his role is defined by what his players need, and how much his instruction is on-demand.

"I had my time as player. This is their time and it's about them and their legacy," Thurman said. "They're out there performing. I'm here for them in terms of helping them get where they want to go. That's all that is important to me."

And, as a part of the legacy, Carrier has not been able to leave USC football behind – not that he would want to. He says that he still follows the Trojans to a fault, and is quick to jump into a conversation about this year's team.

"Obviously you have to give Pete a lot of credit for what he's done over the last five years, bringing the program back to the elite level it was at during the 60s, 70s, and early 80s," he said.

Thurman is excited about this year, too, and he knows that he needs to enjoy USC's run while it lasts.

"Things are going well," Thurman said. "It's fun. No one stays on top forever anymore. In all sports, things seem to be running in cycles but right now that's an up cycle for the Trojans. You hope that it lasts a long time."

For the Ravens, one can only hope that USC's upward swing continues for its alumni, as well. And maybe next year one of those ex-Trojans will find himself in purple and black.