FOOTBALL

Clay Helton Claims Jobs Must Be Earned

It’s the last day of spring practice and Clay Helton unleashed this familiar refrain today:

“Everybody’s going to have to earn a job. We’re going to play the best kids that are in the moment.”

That’s a cliche. But how often is it even true at USC? Many times, you already know who is starting no matter what happens at practice . . . or even games. Remember how fans were upset that Helton would not let someone else play center when Toa Lobendahn had trouble with snaps? Or JT Daniels? I’d argue the past couple seasons that Vavae Malepeai seemed to have carte blanche as a starter.

  • Can you name the Trojan below who played in 1966-67?

The answer is in today’s USC’s newsletter.

27 thoughts on “Clay Helton Claims Jobs Must Be Earned”

  1. LMAO. First Slovis, Drake Jackson, and Drake London will start. Others that have played and started will start. New positions like left guard, and people who left for the draft will have their positions open. Then the new de will either start or get in there real fast. If Helton was true to his word, then the new qb, Darts or Drax, the one that can run and thorw should get equal practice time.

    Helton will say what you want to hear but will not do as he says.

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  2. I really dont think Helton is the one making decisions at USC anymore. Harrell and TO are the ones, or their position coaches, that decide who plays.

    So why rag on Helton’s comments? It is just better to ignore what he says and focus on whether the coordinators seem to be up to the challenge.

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    1. Helton doesn’t matter anymore? Nothing he says counts for shit? Well…. as I think about it….. you’re probably right.
      #ButCanWeRagOnHimAnyway?

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      1. Keep on Ragging MG. 95 players drafted and only 1 player taken from Usc. This is pathetic! I don’t get the powers that be, that don’t care anymore. What a disgrace USC can’t even develop players to get drafted. Only 1 so far wow. Helton must go after this.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Helton is being paid to keep USC from returning to prominence.

        It’s all part of C.L. Max Nikias plan to De-Emphasize Trojan football.

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  3. Helton is full of it including all the cliches he uses. However, every player, and every coach including the head coach is going to have to earn a job, and their salary. For what they are paying Helton for USC to earn a sufficient return on their investment they must go 12-0. – Helton is making a national championship type of salary. His consistency in competing for Pac 12 South Titles each year certainly means he should be paid at the same salary level as the Coach at Cal, Stanford, Oregon State, Arizona, Colorado etc.

    Thank you Clay for letting us know there will be competition at each position on this year’s team. You are brilliant, and somehow I know if USC goes 7-5 this year you will tell us all it was a tremendous season despite finishing 3rd in the Pac 12 South

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    1. If Clay winds up 3rd in the south, we won’t be hearing ANYTHING from him…
      #…EverAgain…..

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      2. Ha! He’s like that cat in “Hocus Pocus” —he gets run over by a bus, dropped outta the sky —it doesn’t matter!
        #HeJustRe-Inflates…..

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      3. Of course that cat was possessed by the devil…
        #JustThrowingItOutThere….

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  4. Has Clay Helton earned a job at USC- past, present, and future. ???
    Has USC lost it desire to win football games. It certainly appears that way, and what’s
    worse they expect all the fans, and boosters to spend money on a sub-par product. The fans are the true jury her not Carol Folt. It appears to me they are finding Carol Folt, Mike Bone, and Clay Helton “100 % guilty of 1st degree poor management decision making.

    USC football games are a form of entertainment just like Disneyland. If the rides at Disneyland aren’t working no one would show up at the box office for entry into the park. Bottom line USC football is no longer entertainment it’s simply a bad product so ticket sales and revenue will continue to decline until a change is made.

    Mickey Mouse now has two homes- Disneyland, and USC Football. If we get rid of Dumbo, and Alice and Wonderland we have a chance to recover at some point.

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    1. Glad you picked Disneyland as an example. It sucks now. Walt built the first Theme Park —the new guys have turned it into just another mindless Amusement Park. And the crap films Disney Company puts out would make Walt puke. Maybe it’s time to boycott Disney too.

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      1. It’s like a reality of Mr. Toads wild ride at USC. You’re right my late grandfather help build Disneyland and worked there 26 years before he retired. Walt wouldn’t be happy with the political crap going on with his amusement park now a days. The family never should of sold out and protected Walt’s dream. Greed, now you see what happens when share holders only count and not everybody that it was built for. No matter your beliefs.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Couldn’t agree with you more, Boogs. Disneyland was built, said Walt on Dedication Day, “on the dreams and hopes AND HARD FACTS that built America.” The present goofballs just wanna go with whatever they think is trending….even if it’s bullshit.
        #SoDisneylandIsNowATriumphOfMishmash
        #[TipOfTheHatToYourGrandfather,BTW]!

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Let’s hold Helton to that standard. First Bohn- headed move he’s benched for the game. Then if he does a “presser” after being benched he can be benched two additional games. At the end of the season while doing his exit interview Bohn should ask if he, Helton has any suggestions for his successor. If Helton names someone, Bohn should pick up the phone and fire the suggested coach, while asking Helton for more recommendations.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Rialto —
      Love the general trend of your suggestions. But we have to work out some minor bugs. What if Helton suggests Saban? Does Bohn have to “pick up the phone and fire him”?
      #WhatWillThePresidentOfAlabamaSay?

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      1. Well MG, I’m making an assumption that Helton would recommend his underlings. Also that Helton would never acknowledge a coach who is better than he is. (Such every coach ever)

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I picked up a helluva book today,

        Running for the Outhouse
        By Willie Makit
        Photos by Betty Don’t
        Edited by Andy Didn’t

        How bout them Mets

        Liked by 2 people

      5. Thanks MG. I use to go to Disneyland every year, Kind of like USC football games after high school. Now, I don’t even go anymore and could careless. My grandpa was a gold member and could get us in any time when we were kids. After he passed away. It was transferred to my grandma. This is when Disneyland started turning me off.
        My brother called Disneyland ahead of time to see if he can use the gold pass without my grandma who wasn’t feeling good at the time, To make the 10 minute trip from Westminster to Anaheim, Disneyland to sign him in. They said it was ok and they understood about the situation. When my brother gets there to sign himself in. They threatened to arrest him for stealing my grandmas, gold pass. This is even after he called and confirmed it. That it was ok to use the pass because he was family. My brother even has same last name as my grandmothers by the way. So it wasn’t too hard to figure out. My family was not too happy especially after my grandfather working there so(26 years)long. They even threatened to take away my grandmas gold pass after their screw up and then denying my brother never called ahead. They only care about money and their share holders. Corporate greed and I agree with you their movies suck now. Have a beautiful day MG. Fight on!

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  6. John Mckay/Former USC President Norman Topping and Walt Disney both built something great, and are both rolling over in their graves at the politics and imposters running their empires today.

    Earn your salary Carol Folt (Alice in Wonderland), Mike Bone (Dumbo), and most of all Clay Helton.(Mini-Mouse). If you want people to fill the seats to generate revenue put on a good show for people to come and see. You are not fooling anyone except yourselves. All salaried employees are accountable, and must produce results for this wonderful university. At this point all 3 of you are not producing the results to justify your salaries.

    We all watched closely as an imposter entered the USC empire quite easily recently. Maybe the people responsible for letting him into Disneyland (USC) without a ticket are also imposters themselves.

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  7. And the fact people still get all excited about recruiting is baffling. It doesn’t lead to on the field success and it doesn’t lead to players matriculating to the NFL. If you’re good at football why is your dumb ass coming to USC? Cool uniforms and history/ Reggie Bush?

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  8. Wow- 1 USC Player drafted in first 3 rounds of the NFL draft.
    Will this scare away recruits absolutely. Amon Ra, I am sure you will get drafted, but you probably should have waited a year.

    Would you sign with USC right out of high school?

    Not a good sign. Helton is ruining this football program. Hate putting the Blame on Mike Bone but he is paid too well not to have all his decisions approved by Carol Folt. Is Bone in charge of the USC athletic program I say he made a mistake taking this job if he can’t sell Folt on his plan to revitalize the entire athletic program.

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  10. #53 CHIP OLIVER .. NOSE GUARD.. MY TWO A DAY’S ROOMMATE IN AUGUST 1967. OUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM.
    A VERY, VERY STRANGE DUDE.. ENDED UP WITH GYPSY BOOTS!!
    HE HAD GOOD MOTOR ON PASS RUSHES. ENDED UP IN THE PROS..

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