Towns Does Things the Hard Way : Prep football: A discipline problem at Pasadena High, he finds third time is the charm in taking test to enter USC.

Treyvone Towns had a senior year most athletes only dream about. He was Pasadena High’s top football and basketball player.

His performances heightened the attention college recruiters began giving him two years ago.

Despite the attention, though, Towns said he enjoyed very little about his senior year.

“Since last summer, there has not been one day when I didn’t think about the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)” he said. “I knew I needed to pass it to get into college. And I knew it was not going to be easy.”

Towns took the SAT twice last fall and both times fell short of the minimum score needed for college.

Still, recruiters continued to call him. Towns, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker, visited San Diego State, Colorado and Nevada Las Vegas before signing with USC.

“Everybody wanted me to go to USC,” Towns said. “I wanted to be absolutely sure it was the right place for me. My family will now be able to watch me play.”

Coach John Robinson gambled on Towns, because USC does not accept Proposition 48 athletes.

So he sighed with relief when he learned that Towns had fared well on his third try at the SAT. Towns received the results earlier this week while practicing for the 42nd annual Shrine all-star football game.

The Shrine game, which pits top seniors from Northern California against those from Southern California, kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Long Beach Veterans Stadium.

Towns said he was elated when his father brought the news.

“Finally, the burden has been lifted off of my shoulders,” he said. “I really did not want to go to a junior college because I would have felt like I had to start all over again. I am ready for USC and am thankful I will be given the opportunity to prove myself.”

Towns, 18, has never done things the easy way, according to coaches at Pasadena. They describe him as a gifted athlete who tested everyone’s patience time and time again.

“I hope Treyvone understands that on the college level he’ll be given far fewer chances to correct himself than on the high school level,” said Pasadena basketball Coach Bill Duwe, who started Towns at forward three consecutive seasons. “I hope he’s learned from his experiences here.”

Towns grew up with his mother, Diane Wins, in Los Angeles and planned to enroll at Jefferson High. Troubles at home, however, resulted in a move to Pasadena to live with his father, Willie Towns.

Unhappy about leaving his mother and friends, Towns skipped football his freshman year at Pasadena.

Gary Griffiths, Pasadena’s football coach from 1982-1990, said he was pleasantly surprised when Towns showed up for the first day of practice his sophomore season.

“I had spoken to Treyvone about coming out the year before and he showed no interest,” said Griffiths, now the school’s athletic director. “I was happy when he finally showed up, but I didn’t want him to know that.”

Griffiths recalls making Towns wait three hours, until everyone else had received equipment, before issuing his gear. Then Griffiths worked Towns extra hard.

He started every game at defensive end, but the coach said it was not easy keeping him in line.

“There are parameters that every coach sets down for his players, and Treyvone always wanted to go outside of them,” Griffiths said. “He challenged the coaches a lot, but as he got older he seemed to follow orders better. He’s matured a great deal.”

Mike Merrill replaced Griffiths in 1991 and moved Towns from defensive end to inside linebacker. Towns also played tight end his junior year and tailback last season.

Merrill had discipline troubles with Towns, as well, and Towns said he was benched several times.

His talent was never in doubt, though, and Towns was at his best last fall. He finished the season with 153 tackles, four interceptions and nine fumble recoveries and rushed for 1,001 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“Scoring touchdowns is more fun than tackling a running back, but the coaches keep telling me that I’m too playful for offense,” he said. “I know my future is on defense.”

Towns has never lifted weights but was one of the strongest and biggest players on the team. He said he would like to red-shirt at USC this year so he can spend time in the weight room and adjust to college.

That may not be possible, though, because USC has a small recruiting class and will be pressed at outside linebacker.

“I would never turn down an opportunity to play,” he said.