COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : USC : Freshman Washington Grabs Spotlight

With USC tailbacks Shawn Walters, David Dotson, Leonard Green and Rodney Sermons temporarily sidelined because of injuries, freshman Delon Washington seized the opportunity to shine in Friday afternoon’s practice.

LaVale Woods, a freshman redshirt last season because of a knee injury, also played well.

Washington had several nice runs against the Trojans’ first defense. A 10.33 sprinter, Washington rushed for 1,579 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, as a Dallas prep player last year.

*

Early last summer, USC journalism student/football player Tony Gnau landed a summer internship with Chicago television station WBBM.

As expected, he spent most of the time in the station’s newsroom, learning about the daily gathering of TV news. But the station became shorthanded in late-summer and sports reporter Gnau was suddenly dispatched to ballparks and training camps for interviews.

“It was great, all of a sudden I was interviewing people on camera every day like Ryne Sandberg, Mark Grace and Rick Wilkins of the Cubs; Tim Raines, Alex Fernandez and Gene Lamont of the White Sox, and Mark Carrier and Curtis Conway of the Bears.

“I even interviewed Tommy Lasorda.”

Gnau, a scout team senior, says he wants to work for a Chicago or Los Angeles television station after graduating.

*

Injuries: Shawn Walters’ suffered a contusion after being hit in the back during run drills during Thursday’s practice.

Starting center Robert Loya’s foot injury is listed as a sprain and there has been significant healing, said trainer Jack Ward. “He’ll be out days, not weeks,” Ward said.