Peete Was Looking for a Special Delivery

Just before the birth of Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete’s fourth child, Roman, in February, Holly’s water broke while they were at dinner in Beverly Hills, and an ambulance was called.

“The ambulance mistakenly took me to UCLA Medical Center instead of Cedars-Sinai, where my obstetrician was waiting for me,” Holly said. “Against the UCLA doctor’s orders, and with mommy well into labor, Rodney made like Jeff Gordon and raced me to Cedars in time to deliver.”

Said former USC quarterback Rodney: “No child of mine was going to be born at UCLA.”

Trivia time: In 1988, Peete led USC over UCLA and Troy Aikman, 31-22. What ailment put Peete in the hospital for two days the week of the game?

UCLA not all bad: The Peetes may not want their children born at UCLA, but educating them there is apparently OK. Their 8-year-old twins, Rodney and Ryan Elizabeth, attend an elementary school on the Westwood campus near their home.

“It’s a great school and we love it,” Holly said. “The only thing is, when Rodney takes the kids to school, he does it with his head down.”

Maybe a bit too flowery: As noted in Tuesday’s Morning Briefing, J.K. McKay said his late father, legendary USC coach John McKay, loved to tell the story about UCLA players carrying red roses out on the Coliseum field in 1973 before USC’s Rose Bowl-clinching victory.

Steve Klosterman, a guard on that UCLA team, e-mailed to say he doesn’t recall any UCLA players carrying roses. And Terry Donahue, then the Bruins’ offensive line coach, said, “A few players might have gotten roses from fans or girlfriends, I don’t know. But if that was the case, it was nothing [coach] Pepper Rodgers had anything to do with.”

Said J.K. McKay, who played in the game: “To be honest, I don’t remember the roses, either. It’s just I heard the story so many times I believed it.”

Twilight zone: McKay also said that although his father died in June 2001, he and his mother did not spread his ashes on the Coliseum sidelines until after the Trojans lost to Stanford on Sept. 29 of that year. So USC is actually undefeated at the Coliseum with the ghost of John McKay looking on.

One exception: Paco Craig, who was a wide receiver at UCLA when Matt Stevens was the starting quarterback, called Stevens after watching the USC-Fresno State game.

“We can beat SC, they’re human,” Craig told Stevens.

“What about Reggie Bush?” Stevens asked.

Said Craig: “Well, he is the only one who isn’t human.”

Looking back: On this day in 1980, USC’s George Rogers won the Heisman Trophy. That’s the other USC, University of South Carolina.

Trivia answer: Measles.

And finally: Texas’ Vince Young ranks himself No. 1 in the Heisman race. UCLA’s Drew Olson, asked if he had a vote who his choice would be, said, “Reggie Bush, without a doubt. He’s an amazing player.”

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