With Matt Barkley's USC playing career officially coming to an end yesterday, the question of No. 7's legacy has come into full focus.
Given the expectations bestowed upon the Mater Dei product when he entered college, some have zeroed in on a resume without a Rose Bowl or Heisman Trophy. The Trojans never reached the heights of Matt Leinart or Carson Palmer with the latest Orange County QB.
While wins and losses might be the traditional unit of measure, Barkley has never judged himself so quantitatively. He is defined by more abstract terms like character, leadership and loyalty.
By those standards, he leaves USC as one of the great Trojans. A man who rose when the football program was supposed to fall.
While he earned deserved plaudits for his work in the community and the classroom, he played some pretty decent football too. Barkley owns 20 USC career, season and single-game records, including the Pac-12 all-time touchdown pass and total offense marks.
"A lot happened. It wasn't your typical quarterback career," Barkley told the assembled media in El Paso. "A lot of fantastic moments I've had at USC and a lot of heartbreaks. That's one of the beauties of sports. You learn to deal with adversity in such a large scale and at the same time, you feel the exhilaration of winning."
He won some games too. A baby-faced Barkley silenced Ohio State in the Horseshoe. The sophomore beat UCLA in the Rose Bowl on an injured ankle. The junior ended Oregon's home-winning streak.
The senior wanted to "take care of some unfinished business," but he could not will it so. "When you strive for perfection in a game that rarely happens, there are times when you are going to be disappointed," he said with typical perspective.
Now, Barkley is eying a return to health, a potential Senior Bowl showcase and then a draft day celebration.
"I am at peace. I try to find peace in every situation. It's not what I thought would happen, but at the same time, I do have peace. Whatever the case is now, I can make it into a great case come April, which is essentially what my goal is now."
The irony in looking back at Barkley is that the player is always gazing forward into a brighter future.
Given the expectations bestowed upon the Mater Dei product when he entered college, some have zeroed in on a resume without a Rose Bowl or Heisman Trophy. The Trojans never reached the heights of Matt Leinart or Carson Palmer with the latest Orange County QB.
While wins and losses might be the traditional unit of measure, Barkley has never judged himself so quantitatively. He is defined by more abstract terms like character, leadership and loyalty.By those standards, he leaves USC as one of the great Trojans. A man who rose when the football program was supposed to fall.
While he earned deserved plaudits for his work in the community and the classroom, he played some pretty decent football too. Barkley owns 20 USC career, season and single-game records, including the Pac-12 all-time touchdown pass and total offense marks.
"A lot happened. It wasn't your typical quarterback career," Barkley told the assembled media in El Paso. "A lot of fantastic moments I've had at USC and a lot of heartbreaks. That's one of the beauties of sports. You learn to deal with adversity in such a large scale and at the same time, you feel the exhilaration of winning."
He won some games too. A baby-faced Barkley silenced Ohio State in the Horseshoe. The sophomore beat UCLA in the Rose Bowl on an injured ankle. The junior ended Oregon's home-winning streak.
The senior wanted to "take care of some unfinished business," but he could not will it so. "When you strive for perfection in a game that rarely happens, there are times when you are going to be disappointed," he said with typical perspective.
Now, Barkley is eying a return to health, a potential Senior Bowl showcase and then a draft day celebration.
"I am at peace. I try to find peace in every situation. It's not what I thought would happen, but at the same time, I do have peace. Whatever the case is now, I can make it into a great case come April, which is essentially what my goal is now."
The irony in looking back at Barkley is that the player is always gazing forward into a brighter future.
Fight On Matt! Thanks for the years and the memories.