The Whisperer Remembers ... Duane Bickett.

The University of Southern California has always been a school synonymous with great running backs. From OJ Simpson to Charles White, Marcus Allen, Lendale White and of course, Reggie Bush. But if the truth were to be told, the Trojans have also turned out their fair share of bone-crushing linebackers and during his stint in the City of Angels, this man doled out his fair share of bone crushes.

A son of the city, he was a three-sport athlete in high school, excelling on the diamond and on the court, but it was on the field where he did his finest work. When it came time to choose where he would apply his wares, it came down to a handful of blue bloods. He listened to the buzz that had him going out of state, then he listened to his heart and stayed close to home, building a storied career at an even more storied program.

A natural-born leader in the truest sense of the phrase, he patrolled the middle of the Trojan defense, forcing offenses to honor his presence while understanding the full weight of what it meant to face the Men of Troy. Whisperer Nation, raise your swords high today and give a stern look of admiration tinged with courage as we celebrate the greatness of former USC linebacker … Mr. Duane Bickett.