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Scott Ware

Class: Senior Hometown: Santa Rosa, Calif. High School: Montgomery

Last College: Santa Rosa JC Height / Weight: 6-2 / 215 Position: S Experience: 1V

2005: Ware likely will start at free safety as a senior in 2005.

2004: Ware, who came to USC in the fall of 2004 from a junior college, was an often-used, promising safety as a junior in 2004 before an injury slowed his progress. He also played on special teams. Overall in 2004 while appearing in 7 games (Colorado State, BYU, Stanford, California, Notre Dame, UCLA and Oklahoma), he had 16 tackles and a deflection. He even started 3 times (Colorado State, BYU and California) at free safety when starter Jason Leach had to move to strong safety for an injured Darnell Bing. He had 12 tackles against California and 3 versus Colorado State. He sprained his left foot, knee and ankle against California and missed USC's next 5 games.

JUNIOR COLLEGE: He was a 2003 J.C. Grid-Wire All-American first team, Super Prep JUCO 100, JC Athletic Bureau All-State Defensive MVP, JC Athletic Bureau All-Regional I Defensive MVP and All-Mid Empire Conference Defensive MVP as a sophomore defensive back at Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College. He had 70 tackles and 4 interceptions in 2003.

He made the All-League team as a freshman in 2002.

HIGH SCHOOL: He prepped at Montgomery High in Santa Rosa (Calif.), where he was named the Santa Rosa Press Democrat All-Redwood Empire League Co-Defensive MVP as a senior defensive back and wide receiver in 2001. He had 7 interceptions, a 72-yard scoring fumble return and an 81-yard TD catch in 2001.

He also started as a junior in 2000.

He also was on the track team at Montgomery.

PERSONAL: He's a public policy, management and planning major at USC.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

USC secondary coach Greg Burns: "He's smart and picked up the system pretty well. He's a physical guy. He hits the heck out of people. He's athletic."

GAME-BY-GAME WITH SCOTT WARE