Tongan massage gets USC's Stanley Havili back on field
USC FOOTBALL
The Trojans' fullback gets painful but effective hamstring treatment from his father and is expected to be ready for USC's Pac-10 opener against Oregon State.
With two days off last weekend because of an open date, USC fullback Stanley Havili returned home to Utah and sought treatment for a sore hamstring.
"I had my dad massage it out the Tongan way," Havili said.
The Tongan way?
"Massage it as hard as you can go and make him cry," Havili said, chuckling. "I wasn't crying, but I was screaming."
Havili was all smiles on Sunday after practicing for the first time since his leg was injured against Ohio State.
Receiver Damian Williams also returned Sunday after sitting out the previous week because of an ankle injury. Havili and Williams are expected to be in the starting lineup on Thursday when the top-ranked Trojans play their Pacific 10 Conference opener at Oregon State.
Havili has caught six passes, including a 35-yard touchdown reception against Ohio State. For all the attention bestowed upon USC's tailbacks, running back coach Todd McNair describes Havili as perhaps the most important part of the backfield equation.
"He's always a threat," McNair said.
Havili, a third-year sophomore, is not complaining about the Trojans' early-season schedule, which included an open date after the opener against Virginia and another last week.
The time off benefits healing, with or without a Tongan assist.
"I guarantee you that if we had a game last week, I wouldn't have been playing," Havili said. "I'm just thankful to be out here. You realize what you have when it's gone."
gary.klein@latimes.com
