Shawn Walters

The John Robinson-Charles White make-over of Shawn Walters seemed complete this week, 13 months after the project began. Walters carried 31 times--more than in any game in his life--and gained 207 yards Saturday in USC's 37-27 victory over Baylor. "My back was really sore--I got hit in the back a couple of times," he said Sunday morning, "but my legs felt fine. "I didn't feel banged up or anything. It was fun. I never got tired.

Shawn Walters reaches into his pocket, pulls out a jangling set of keys and places one on the table. "Look at this," he says, pointing to a cardinal-colored house key emblazoned with "USC" in gold letters. "I love USC. I have no qualms with USC and I never will." It's been 10 years since Walters carried the football for the Trojans, and a little more than a decade since his career was derailed by scandal.

Shawn Walters reaches into his pocket, pulls out a jangling set of keys and places one on the table. "Look at this," he says, pointing to a cardinal-colored house key emblazoned with "USC" in gold letters. "I love USC. I have no qualms with USC and I never will." It's been 10 years since Walters carried the football for the Trojans, and a little more than a decade since his career was derailed by scandal.

It's worse than a who's-on-first skit. It's Game 9 of the football season and USC doesn't really know who its quarterback or its tailback will be Saturday against Stanford at the Coliseum. Who's at tailback? With injuries rampant, defensive back Chad Morton switched to tailback Tuesday, more than a year after last season's emergency duty, when he played offense for three games and had a 143-yard performance against Oregon State. "I don't think he'll start.

The status of suspended tailback Shawn Walters remained uncertain. USC general counsel Bob Lane said the investigation into the latest allegation against Walters, the tailback whose suspension reached 14 games last week over his admission of taking money from an agent, is still pending. Lane said the school hopes to resolve the situation within a couple of days. Meanwhile, the game against Cal at the Coliseum on Oct. 5, will start at 12:30 p.m.

USC Coach John Robinson said after Wednesday's workout that senior tailback Shawn Walters "looked pretty good to me." Walters is expected to play for the first time since Sept. 23, 1995, against Arizona on Saturday at the Coliseum. * Wide receiver Billy Miller, who came out of last week's game against California because of an injured shoulder, was in pads and running at full speed in practice. Middle linebacker Taso Papadakis' sprained ankle shows little improvement, Robinson said.

USC worked for 90 minutes in pads and shorts Thursday, much of it on kick return and coverage. Suspended tailback Shawn Walters has been held out of practice the last two days, completing paperwork on the end of his one-season suspension. He becomes eligible for the Sept. 21 game at Houston. He was suspended for the last nine games of last season and the first three this year for taking money from an agent. Meanwhile, guard Chris Brymer twisted an elbow but returned after getting treatment.

USC Coach John Robinson met with Shawn Walters, his onetime starting tailback, most of whose remaining eligibility was restored by the NCAA last week. Robinson said Walters, a junior, could rejoin the team next season "if all goes well." The NCAA originally ruled Walters ineligible for further play for improper contact with an agent but on appeal he got all but three games of next season back. "He screwed up and his actions hurt this team," Robinson said.

USC Coach John Robinson said Tuesday that there is a chance suspended senior tailback Shawn Walters has played his last game of college football. "I think his only chance to come back now is if he can prove his innocence," Robinson said of Walters, who served almost a full season's suspension for his involvement with an agent and is again under investigation by USC. * USC could play either Nebraska or Alabama in its 1999 football season opener at the Coliseum.

With four starters suspended, Saturday's Coliseum game with unbeaten Cal becomes much more interesting. The Trojans could actually be missing a fifth starter--freshman guard Faaesea Mailo, who injured a shoulder against Houston and still isn't practicing. Robinson said Cedric Jefferson will start at defensive tackle for Darrell Russell, Ryan Tyiska for Sammy Knight at weakside linebacker, Billy Miller for Larry Parker at wide receiver and Rashard Cook for safety Brian Kelly.

Barring any pregame calls to the NCAA by anonymous tipsters, Superman rejoins the USC backfield today. His real name is Shawn Walters, but he's been absent for so long--he last played a year and three weeks ago--his legend has grown to near-mythical proportions to his teammates and USC partisans, both of whom badly need a lift today against Arizona. And Superman looks like the guy.

USC Coach John Robinson said after Wednesday's workout that senior tailback Shawn Walters "looked pretty good to me." Walters is expected to play for the first time since Sept. 23, 1995, against Arizona on Saturday at the Coliseum. * Wide receiver Billy Miller, who came out of last week's game against California because of an injured shoulder, was in pads and running at full speed in practice. Middle linebacker Taso Papadakis' sprained ankle shows little improvement, Robinson said.

Shawn Walters, who a year and a week ago seemed on track to become the latest gem on USC's glittering list of running backs, was cleared Friday to play again by the NCAA. Walters, a senior, served a 12-game suspension for accepting money from an agent.

USC Coach John Robinson said Tuesday that there is a chance suspended senior tailback Shawn Walters has played his last game of college football. "I think his only chance to come back now is if he can prove his innocence," Robinson said of Walters, who served almost a full season's suspension for his involvement with an agent and is again under investigation by USC. * USC could play either Nebraska or Alabama in its 1999 football season opener at the Coliseum.

With four starters suspended, Saturday's Coliseum game with unbeaten Cal becomes much more interesting. The Trojans could actually be missing a fifth starter--freshman guard Faaesea Mailo, who injured a shoulder against Houston and still isn't practicing. Robinson said Cedric Jefferson will start at defensive tackle for Darrell Russell, Ryan Tyiska for Sammy Knight at weakside linebacker, Billy Miller for Larry Parker at wide receiver and Rashard Cook for safety Brian Kelly.

The status of suspended tailback Shawn Walters remained uncertain. USC general counsel Bob Lane said the investigation into the latest allegation against Walters, the tailback whose suspension reached 14 games last week over his admission of taking money from an agent, is still pending. Lane said the school hopes to resolve the situation within a couple of days. Meanwhile, the game against Cal at the Coliseum on Oct. 5, will start at 12:30 p.m.

Suspended USC tailback Shawn Walters was again a hot topic of conversation Friday among Canadian Football League executives. USC offensive coordinator Mike Riley, a former CFL head coach (Winnipeg, 1987-1990), said he fielded calls Friday from four CFL teams, wanting information on the availability of the junior tailback, suspended Sept. 28 for improper contact with an agent.

Coach John Robinson thinks he may have overdone it with his freshman tailback, Shawn Walters. Robinson spent much of training camp and the first half of the season "encouraging" Walters to run through tacklers instead of around them. "Now, he's at the point where he'd run through a tree out there if he saw one," Robinson said. "So I had to go up to him and say: 'Look, if it's just one guy standing there, it's OK if you want to run around him.'

USC running back Shawn Walters has denied an anonymous accusation that he accepted gifts from an agent last year while he was serving a 12-game suspension for receiving gifts from a different agent. USC was informed Wednesday that the NCAA had received an anonymous call claiming Walters accepted travel expenses and tickets to a San Diego Charger game from Jordan Woy, a Texas agent, and Woy's assistant, Mike Merkow, last fall.

The yearlong suspension of USC tailback Shawn Walters was extended another week Thursday, days before he was to have played against Houston on Saturday. USC, saying an anonymous caller had told the NCAA of new accusations against the senior tailback, said it would hold Walters out of the Houston game while it investigates the new charge. He was suspended for the equivalent of one full season last year after he was charged with taking up to $15,900 from Oxnard sports agent Robert Troy Caron.