USC’s Goux Cared Only About Race to End Zone

John Papadakis, middle linebacker and defensive captain of the USC team that traveled to Birmingham to play Alabama in 1970, has written a movie proposal with Mark Houska about that game and the significance it played in integrating the South.

The authors discuss the role that energetic assistant coach Marv Goux played in making the USC football program a leader in integrating sports.

“His approach was simple,” they wrote. “Goux saw only two colors -- cardinal and gold.”

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Trivia time: Former catcher Tom Haller, who died Friday at 67 in Los Angeles, came to the Dodgers from the San Francisco Giants in a trade in 1968. What was significant about that trade?

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Recruiting perks: Former USC All-American linebacker Marlin McKeever, speaking at a Southern California Sports Broadcasters luncheon, recalled the college recruiting battle for him and his late twin brother, Mike, when they were All-CIF stars at Mount Carmel High in South Los Angeles.

“We would eat two days a week at the USC training table, two days at the UCLA training tables and at another university on the fifth day,” he said.

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Stop the music: From Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “Ron Artest is running himself so ragged pitching his new CD, we hear that he’s already asked for a month off to work on his basketball.”

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No tough guy: Former NBA player Steve Kerr, now an analyst for TNT, said, “I never would have gone into the stands, mostly because most fans could beat me up.”

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Another honest answer: Dick Vermeil, whose Kansas City Chiefs are 3-8, is a weekly guest of Van Earl Wright and Andrew Siciliano on XTRA. On Tuesday, Vermeil was asked to compare Green Bay Packer Brett Favre’s streak of 200 consecutive regular-season starts with Cal Ripken’s streak of playing in 2,632 consecutive baseball games.

“Well, I personally believe it’s a lot tougher to do what Brett Favre has done,” he said. “I’m not an expert in any other sport. ... Right now, I’m not an expert in any sport -- football or anything.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1973, Jack Nicklaus became the first golfer to pass $2 million in career earnings. Fred Couples won $640,000 in one day at the Skins Game on Sunday.

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Trivia answer: It was the first trade between the Dodgers and Giants since the teams moved West in 1958. In their previous trade, on Dec. 13, 1956, the Brooklyn Dodgers sent Jackie Robinson to the New York Giants for Dick Littlefield and $35,000. Robinson retired without playing for the Giants.

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And finally: “Here’s all you need to know about college football,” said Bret Lewis of KFWB. “Cincinnati lost to Louisville, 70-7, to finish at 6-5. And Cincinnati has been invited to a bowl game -- the Fort Worth Bowl [Dec. 23]. Officials are negotiating for an opponent from the ACC, the Big East, the Mid-American Conference or anyone else with a team that wants to win a game by 50 points.”

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.