‘Disk Issue’ Involved in Booty’s Back Pain

USC Coach Pete Carroll on Sunday acknowledged that quarterback John David Booty is suffering from a disk problem in his back, a condition that has sidelined the junior since last week and interrupted the competition between Booty and Mark Sanchez for the starting job.

Carroll said Booty had “an old little disk issue” when he arrived at USC in 2003.

“Whether it’s a whole lot different, I don’t know that,” Carroll said. “But he’s still got a little disk bulge or something there.”

Booty attended practice for the first time since Tuesday, when he tweaked his back in the Trojans’ first spring workout and suffered severe spasms that required an epidural injection two days later.

Booty, however, was not in uniform and watched the workout from atop the baseball offices that overlook Howard Jones Field.

Booty said he was feeling better physically and that he can walk without pain. But he remains unsure about when he might return.

“The goal right now is to come back [during spring practice], but it really is a day-to-day thing,” he said.

Booty had an MRI exam Wednesday and is scheduled to meet today with Dr. Robert Watkins, a back and spine specialist.

Booty said he was frustrated -- “I’ve waited three years for this opportunity” -- but was not yet thinking about surgery.

“Until they tell me, ‘You need it,’ I’m doing what I can to get better,” he said.

Booty suffered from back spasms as a sophomore at Evangel Christian Academy in Louisiana, but went through his junior year of high school without problems.

After skipping his senior season to enroll at USC in the fall of 2003, he had back spasms during training camp, but he received an epidural injection and missed only three days.

“It’s just kind of one of those weird deals where you just don’t know when it’s going to happen,” he said.

Last year, with quarterback Matt Leinart recovering from elbow surgery, Booty took the majority of first-team repetitions during spring practice. This spring, Sanchez appears on track to enjoy a similar opportunity.

“I’m past the threshold of being nervous and being the young pup and now it’s like, ‘All right, I can start a fire here,’ ” Sanchez said after another impressive workout.

Sanchez said he was looking forward to April 9, when the Trojans will scrimmage at the Coliseum.

“A scrimmage is going to be the real test of how I’m doing, what I’m remembering and how well I’m progressing,” he said.

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Carroll said tailback Hershel Dennis’ inability to practice because of a strained hamstring was “a real disappointment” and that the senior was injured because he ill-advisedly ran at the beach.

Dennis, who missed last season recovering from knee surgery, injured his hamstring the week before spring practice began, according to Carroll.

“We try to send a message to our guys, ‘Don’t do something you haven’t been doing,’ and that’s exactly what he went out there and [did],” Carroll said.

Dennis said he would probably miss another week.

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Linebacker Thomas Williams will miss all of spring practice while recovering from abdominal surgery to correct a groin injury. Williams said he had the procedure for a “sports hernia” four weeks ago and that he would be able to resume full workouts in June.... Carroll said Chilo Rachal, Jeff Byers and Matt Spanos have performed well at the offensive guard spots. He also has been impressed by fullback Ryan Powdrell, receiver Patrick Turner, linebackers Kaluka Maiava and Rey Maualuga and defensive tackle Chris Barrett.... Walk-on linebacker Lou Ferrigno Jr. suffered a knee injury on the final play of practice and will have an MRI exam today.