DeShaun Hill Class: RS Senior Hometown: Long Beach High School: Poly Last College: Long Beach CC Height / Weight: 5-11 / 200 Position: S Birthdate: 07/16/1980 Experience: 2V

2002:
The capable and dependable Hill started at free safety as a senior in 2002. Overall in 2002 while appearing in all 13 games, he had 54 tackles, including 1 a sack for 23 yards, 2 interceptions, a fumble recovery, 2 forced fumbles and 8 deflections. He made the 2002 All-Pac-10 second team. He also made The Sporting News' All-Pac-10 first team. He was invited to play in the 2003 Hula Bowl. He had 4 tackles, a forced a fumble and a deflection against Auburn, 2 tackles at Colorado, 2 stops and a fumble recovery at Kansas State and 6 tackles with 2 deflections against Oregon State. He had had 8 tackles and a deflection at Washington State, another stop against California, a game-high 7 tackles against Washington, 5 tackles and 2 deflections at Oregon and another 5 stops at Stanford. He added a team-best 6 tackles and a diving interception in the end zone against Arizona State. He made 3 stops with a sack (to force a fumble which USC recovered at UCLA) and 2 deflections at UCLA, then he had a tackle against Notre Dame. He had 4 stops against Iowa in the Orange Bowl.

2001:
Hill, who served as the backup to Antuan Simmons at free safety for most of his 2001 junior season, took over the starting job there for USC's last 3 games (California, UCLA and Utah) when Simmons moved to cornerback because of injury. Overall in 2001 while appearing in all 12 games, he had 42 tackles, including 1 for a 3-yard loss, 1 deflection, 2 interceptions which he returned 10 yards (5.0 avg.), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He had a career-high 14 tackles against Utah (and forced a fumble that USC recovered), 7 tackles and an interception against Stanford, a team-best 6 tackles and an interception at California, and 4 stops versus San Jose State (with a fumble recovery) and Arizona.

2000:
When starting free safety Ifeanyi Ohalete suffered a season-ending ankle injury, Hill started 5 mid-season games (Oregon, Stanford, California, Arizona State and Washington State) there as a sophomore in 2000. He began the year as an often-used backup to Troy Polamalu at strong safety. He suffered a neck stinger against Washington State and was slowed for USC's final 2 contests. Overall in 2000 while appearing in all 12 games, he had 39 tackles, including 3 for losses of 15 yards (with an 11-yard sack), plus 5 deflections and tied for the team lead in interceptions with 2 (against Arizona to set up a USC touchdown and at the goal line at Stanford), which he returned 12 yards. Against Arizona, he had a game-high 9 tackles (2 for losses, with a sack), plus an interception. He had 7 stops versus Oregon and Arizona State, 4 at Stanford (with an interception and 3 deflections), and 3 against San Jose State and Notre Dame.

1999:
Hill, who transferred to USC in the fall of 1999 from a junior college, appeared as a reserve safety and special teams player in 3 of USC's first 4 games (Hawaii, San Diego State and Oregon State) as a 1999 sophomore. But he was bothered by a back sprain that sidelined him the rest of the season and he was allowed to redshirt. Overall in 1999, he made 2 tackles.

JUNIOR COLLEGE:
He made the 1998 All-Mission Conference Northern Division second team as a freshman at Long Beach (Calif.) City College. In 1998, he had 68 tackles (second on the team), including 48 solo, plus 8 deflections and 1 forced fumble. He once had 16 tackles and 5 deflections in a game. Long Beach City was 10-1 in 1998 and ranked third in the state and sixth nationally.

HIGH SCHOOL:
He prepped at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High. He missed his 1997 senior season (Long Beach Poly was the CIF Division I champion that year) because of a broken leg. He was a part-time starting defensive back as a 1996 junior. Current Trojans Kareem Kelly, Mike Pollard, Darrell Rideaux, Hershel Dennis and Winston Justice also prepped at Long Beach Poly.

PERSONAL:
He's a sociology major at USC.

DeSHAUN HILL ON:
His football idol, ex-Trojan All-American safety Mark Carrier: "I love Mark Carrier. He is just so smart. It's like he knows what is going to be run before they run it. I don't know how he does it, but my goal is to be just like him." Long Beach Poly's football tradition: "It's a great tradition going on there. Before I was even born, the system was set. It was well known that players who come out of Poly are talented and well coached." His Pop Warner team: "The name of the team was the Poly Trojans. They put me on defense and I found out right away that I could play. That's pretty much how it happened. I was just out there having fun."

WHAT OTHERS SAY:
Long Beach City College head coach Larry Reisbig: "Once I saw him play, I knew we had something special. Here is a kid with great speed, quickness and intelligence. He played free safety for us but he's quick enough and fast enough to play corner."