Pac-12 Conference Football Media Days Thursday, July 27 2017 Clay Helton USC Trojans The other thing that we need to do and the most CLAY HELTON: Hi, guys. Great to be back, and great important thing for me is the leadership qualities that to get started again with another season. Very proud those 14 men that left us provided. When I say the of our coaching staff and our players for the work that name Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, Mike Hutchings, Darreus they've put in in getting ready for this season in Rogers, JuJu Smith, Justin Davis, Zach Banner, Chad preparation for a great fall. You know, very proud of Wheeler, those type of men, yes, they're great players, their mindset, too, and their approach to what we're but they brought great leadership. Now our older doing. brothers have left, and it's time for the younger brothers to step up. When we started after that Rose Bowl game and making some great memories, we went to both the We put in Cam Smith into that mike backer role to be staff and our players and said: Guys, wasn't that the quarterback of the defense. Uchenna Nwosu and awesome? Made some unbelievable memories. And Porter Gustin to take that position where Stevie every kid and every coach said: Yeah, unbelievable, Tu'ikolovatu brought that staple of leadership for us on Coach. To make history was something truly special. the front. You look at Biggie Marshall and Marvell Tell and Chris Hawkins carrying what Adoree' Jackson did But then I asked the next question: Are you satisfied? for us from a leadership standpoint. Then Sam And to a man, not one hand rose. Because we Darnold in his third year at USC now capturing an understand what USC is about. It's about winning Pac- offense and being able to lead our offense to even new 12 titles, and it's about winning national heights. championships. And the fact of the matter is we did not accomplish that. That's always our goal and It's an exciting time for us, it really is, to be able to start always our expectation. this new season, to board 24 new freshmen. And we know the expectations, and we welcome them. We Looking at it from the head coach perspective, there look at it as an opportunity, not an obligation. We were some things that I really felt that had to happen in came to USC to win championships, and that will the off-season to be able to get to where we want to always be our goal. go. The first thing was to be very fortunate with the retention of our staff. To be able to keep all three I brought two great young men with me today in Cam coordinators in Clancy Pendergast, Tee Martin, and Smith and Sam Darnold. John Baxter, I think, was absolutely huge for us. To be able to stay within the same systems, the same And any questions that you might have, we welcome terminology, the expectations the players know that the them. So without further ado, feel free to ask. coaches have for them is extremely important. Q. Coach, how are you handling the idea of you The next thing I thought we had to have was we guys being the favorite not only to win the Pac-12, needed to know the reality that this is a different but to get to the championship? football team than last year's team. There are 14 men CLAY HELTON: When you come to USC, you welcome that left our team to go on to the NFL to pursue their those expectations. We've created a lot of momentum next step. And not only were they great players, they and a lot of confidence with what we did last season. brought dynamic leadership. And you look and you have guys like Sam Darnold and Cam Smith and Ronald Jones and Deontay Burnett, I think we addressed a lot of the talent issues, the loss you have some pieces of the puzzle that are already in of talent by bringing in 24 newcomers, freshmen that place, it makes you very excited for the season coming are going to help us, and also the development of the up. some of the kids that we red-shirted last year and some of our role players. During spring, I thought the But you've also got to know the reality. There are holes spring training we had was a true success in that area. we've got to plug to take care of two tackle positions, a nose tackle position. There is a lot of work to be done. Rev #2 by #170 at 2017-07-27 22:30:00 GMT page 1 of 6 Thank God we've got 29 practices before the opening the corner position. We'll be finding our punt returner ballgame versus Western Michigan. and kick returner. I think we've got some awesome candidates in those two areas. Q. What do you think of the rule change with the two-a-day practices? We've signed several young kids at wide receiver that CLAY HELTON: It's created a little bit different aspect. we red-shirted last year that are going to have to come It's added an extra week of knowledge. And you've got on and have a great chemistry with Sam and Cam and to be smart. I think coaching staffs around the country provide some of that explosiveness that Adoree' are going to have to understand that it is an extra brought to the offensive side. week. We are going into the new RARA NCAA rule which gives our players a day off, a true day off during Q. What did you learn from the 1-3 start last year, the week, which I think is an extreme advantage for and how did that make you a better coach moving them and their bodies and mentality. forward? CLAY HELTON: I understood how important But it's something that each and every day you're going relationships are. I had a huge advantage being with to have to look at your team and say, okay, where are myself. I had been at USC for six years. Part of being we? And there may be some changes. You may have a head coach is having the trust and relationship with a full padded practice that you were planning on doing, your players that when you are in adverse times, that but you've got some injuries and you have to back off a they trust the process. They trust when you tell them little bit. You'll have to gauge your team a little bit they're getting better each and every week, that they more, especially for us. You're talking about five trust you're saying the right things to them and being straight weeks of training camp, plus 12 straight brutally honest with them. games, so we're going to have to manage our team extremely well. And thank goodness I have a good Probably the biggest thing I've learned last year, it's not strength and conditioning staff, training staff with Russ all about the Xs and Os, it's about the relationships Romano and Ivan Lewis that can help me in that area. with 18- to 21-year-olds and how important that is. Not in the good times, that's easy; but when things, that Q. Sam Darnold going into fall camp for the first adverse situation, comes up, how you deal with it. time since the opening day started. What do you think that does for the cohesiveness of the Q. How are you a better football team this year than offense? you were a year ago? CLAY HELTON: It provides us, just like we're staying in CLAY HELTON: Without question, the lessons we the same system, to know who your leader is right off learned last year. I thought our maturity that we gained the bat, and the things that he's accomplished are from Game 1 to the Rose Bowl really showed. If you things that I think help us tremendously. look at us from Game 1, I thought we were an immature football team. And we learned how to win But the thing that I've been impressed with Sam is his games. We've learned how important it was to protect humbleness and humility in the process. We all see his the ball, limit penalties, understand that it's not about skillset, but how he's approached this off-season from the hype of the game or the environment of the game, a work-ethic standpoint and trying to progress as a it's about the preparation for the game. Those are student of the game, our kids see that. Obviously there lessons that we, our veterans, have carried on. are some grand expectations for him, but he's welcomed those. That's part of being a USC Now what is the challenge? 24 newcomers coming in quarterback. That's why you come to USC. You're the and that on-boarding process to bring them on and face of the program and you're the leader of the learn our culture and learn how we win and learn what program. it is to be a Trojan. Q. Coach, how will you replace Adoree' Jackson? That's why you love training camps. That's why you're CLAY HELTON: I don't know if you can.