A student journalist at USC tried out for the football team earlier this month to write an article about the experience for the school paper. To his shock, he actually made the team:
I had gone out to the tryout not to actually make the team - no, I went through the tryout to write a story and inform the readers of the Daily Trojan who don't get this opportunity. That's all. To say the least, things have changed.
I went in to talk to [head coach Pete] Carroll a little before noon, and if he was playing a joke, he sure was doing a fine job of showing a poker face.
"You could catch some balls out there," Carroll said before complimenting my speed and route running.
Wait a second, Pete Carroll is commending my football-playing abilities?
This can't be real.
"We're really low on numbers, especially wide receivers," Carroll said as he dribbled a basketball while sitting on a plush leather coach in his office. "Do you want to do it?"
"Heck yes," I responded, still in disbelief of what was happening.
"Well, let's do it," Carroll said as he tossed the basketball at me. He shook my hand, turned away and was immediately off to work.
I'm hardly an 'SC fan, but I thought this was an encouraging story about the surprising things we can achieve when we give ourselves permission to try.
