Mr. Smith Goes to Trojans’ Practice : Coach Casts His Vote for Steve Webster as No. 1 Tailback

There’s always curiosity about a new coach. What system will he use? What does he expect from his players? What’s his philosophy?

Midway through spring football practice, USC’s new coach, Larry Smith, has already sent a signal to his athletes. He doesn’t intend to coddle them.

Apparently, no position is secure either.

Smith has shaken up the tailback position, the most prominent on the team.

Steve Webster, a junior, who has had minimal playing time the last two seasons because of a chronic ankle injury, has been promoted over veterans Aaron Emanuel and Ryan Knight.

“In our off-season program, there was a conditioning test the players had to take,” Smith said. “Webster was the best-conditioned athlete. He worked hard in January and February and accumulated the most points on the test.

‘So he got the first shot and has been keeping himself healthy. He has practiced well and worked himself up there.”

Smith was reminded that Webster, a slithering, quick-starting tailback, played in only one game last year. Now he’s running ahead of Emanuel, a junior, and Ryan, a senior, who shared the position in 1986.

“I think there are a lot of guys here like that,” said Smith, referring to Webster’s previous inactivity. “I’ve taken a tougher approach from that standpoint so the guys will push themselves more, mentally.

“I don’t mean playing when you’re really hurt, but some of the little things, guys will have to learn to overcome. Steve has been one of the guys who has pushed that through. Emanuel has come off his toe injury and has practiced every day.

“So has Paul Green, who has had an ankle problem. He has the potential to be one of the better tight ends I’ve ever coached.”

In other words, the Trojans have been put on notice: If you don’t practice, you don’t play. Coaches usually have a set lineup in their heads, even though they’ll say publicly that a position is wide open.

Smith says that he doesn’t have a lineup etched in stone.

“We have the tailbacks competing against each other,” he said. “We went into a scrimmage last Saturday with Webster No. 1, Knight No. 2 and Emanuel No. 3.

“After the scrimmage it was Webster 1, Emanuel 2 and Knight 3. But it’s a day by day thing, like ‘As the World Turns.’ We’re starting to get some good, heated competition. I think it’s something we needed.

“I don’t think anyone has reached out and grabbed the position and said, ‘It’s mine.’ I expect all three of them to get more intense.”

As a rule, incoming freshmen in the fall don’t figure to get much playing time. But Smith said he has told his freshmen tailbacks that they’ll get an opportunity to compete for the position.

“We’ve already told them we’re going to give them a chance,” Smith said. “The tailbacks we have now are not only going to fight each other off, they’re going to fight off some freshmen.”

“We need 2,000 yards out of our tailback position. And I don’t care how we get it, or who it is. You have to have someone who is physically and mentally ready to do it and will compete every day.”

There is ample room for improvement in productivity, considering that Emanuel, Knight and Webster combined for only 1,081 yards rushing last fall. Webster made his contribution of 60 yards in one game against Stanford.

Smith identified Scott Lockwood, Ricky Ervins and Calvin Holmes as the freshmen tailbacks who may challenge the veterans.

Otherwise, Smith said, he’s pleased with the attitude and cooperation of the players during the spring.

“There is a negative, though,” he said. “We just don’t have enough numbers to get the repetitions we need to learn the system. We’re operating now with barely two units of offense and defense. I’m used to having a third unit of each in spring practice.”

USC has already suffered some injuries. Offensive linemen Brent Parkinson, John Page and junior college transfer Bill Schultz are sidelined with knee and ankle problems.

Moreover, wide receiver Ken Henry is academically ineligible for spring practice, and quarterback Rodney Peete and flanker Randy Tanner are only part-time participants because they’re on the baseball team.

But those who can walk and don’t have legitimate medical excuses are aware that they had better answer roll call.

Trojan Notes USC will take a break from spring practice next week with spring vacation. Then, the Trojans will have eight more allotted practice days. . . . Offensive tackle John Guerrero, who didn’t play in 1986 because of a preseason knee injury, is practicing again. Coach Larry Smith said that Guerrero weighs between 330 and 340 pounds, but he wants him to pare down to 315 or 310. . . . Smith is impressed by senior offensive tackle Dave Cadigan. “I think he’ll become a dominant player,” Smith said. . . . Smith identified other players, who have been productive, including: linebackers Bill Stokes, Keith Davis and Michael Williams, quarterback Kevin McLean, wide receivers John Jackson and Gary Wellman, nose tackle Donald Gibson and safety Mark Carrier, who was red-shirted last year because of foot surgery. . . . Smith said he has inherited a young team with only 13 seniors. “Two-thirds of the team are either sophomores or freshmen,” he said.