Everson Griffen to Hold the Line for Trojans

By Jeff Flinn, NFLHS.com

Everson Griffen began playing football just four years ago, but he has turned that experience into a four-year scholarship at Southern Cal, ready to play for Coach Pete Carroll's Trojans this fall.

Griffen -- the first member of his family to attend college -- didn't begin playing football until his freshman year of high school. But it wasn't like he was new to the sport. He was just "too big."

"I played flag football and all that, but I was too big for Pop Warner," said Griffen, the nation's No. 1 defensive end recruit, currently a senior at Avondale (Ariz.) Aqua Fria High School. "I was just big for my age. I knew I'd play, but I had to wait until 9th grade."

Griffen announced his choice Dec. 20 at a televised ceremony at his high school. But according to some, his mind was made up long before the school year began.

Griffen returned to Arizona after attending USC's Rising Senior Camp in June with visions of playing on the defensive line for Carroll's Trojans.

Being an athlete "is in the blood," he said, as his mother, Sabrina Scott, was an athlete herself -- she still holds the shot put record at Aqua Fria High School almost 30 years after setting the mark.

"My mom was behind me 100 percent regardless of where I chose," he said. "My mom and my brother, they've always been there for me, they never let me down.

"My coach (Avondale's Coach Kelly Epley) is behind me all the way, too; no matter what," Griffen said.

That support from Epley came unconditionally, and despite a few early issues.

"I was like a little knucklehead my freshman year, going through until my junior year, just a little knucklehead, never listening to nobody," Griffen said. "He didn't care how good I was, he always there to straighten me out, or send me home, whatever it took."

"Whatever it took" is right, for Epley knew what he had in Griffen -- a big athlete with huge potential. Griffen, at 6-foot-4 and playing at 265 pounds, lined up as a fullback in the Owls' backfield and ran for 1,200 yards and 22 touchdowns.

"Yeah, I was bigger than some of the defensive linemen we played against," Griffen admitted when asked about his size -- more akin to someone on the line rather than out of the backfield.

But Griffen made his mark -- and caught the eyes of recruiters -- with his defensive play. He topped his 70-tackle, six-sack performance as a junior with a 76-tackle, 16-sack senior campaign.

"I'm quick, I'm quick for my size," Griffen said, when asked what he thought USC coaches liked most about his play. "I have good hands, and I get other people involved when I get off on the ball good."

USC, a program already rich with talent, hauled in a highly ranked Class of 2007. Does walking onto a practice field already stoked with talent intimidate at all?

"Depth charts aren't really a big deal, because you have to go and compete anyways," he said. "Everybody at a college has the potential. You have to go and show what you've got.

"The main thing with me was going where I felt comfortable. I really didn't care about the depth charts or how good people they've got. It was about the comfort zone.

He added: "I felt more comfortable at USC than (other schools). I felt more comfortable; I felt the love with the players and the coaches at USC."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.