As Terrell Thomas walked off the Coliseum field for the last time Saturday, he didn't take time to stop and think about what he had accomplished in his five years at USC.
But then the cornerback got a little help from fellow senior Keith Rivers, who grabbed Thomas in the tunnel on the way to the locker room.
"I wasn't even paying attention to it, but Keith grabbed me and said, 'Soak it in,'" Thomas said. "I turned around and was able to see the fans and the field and know it was the last time."
Thomas realized he is part of a legacy of one the best five-year runs in the history of college football. One in which the fifth-year seniors won five straight Pac-10 titles, two national titles and had a 58-6 overall record.
"This has got to be one of the winningest senior classes of all time," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "They've been champions the whole time they've been here."
He has been known to make big speeches before games and always seems to deliver on his promises.
Last season he called on the defense to step up before the Stanford game, and the Trojans responded by posting a shutout, while Thomas added a defensive touchdown.
This time, Thomas had one speech left in him Friday night. He reminded the young players that winning doesn't come easy.
"I just said, 'Keep the tradition going. This is what we do here. We're 'SC,'" Thomas said.
And Thomas promised he'd do his part against the Bruins.
Thomas kept his word again by forcing back-to-back turnovers near the end of the third quarter, which helped secure the Trojans' 24-7 win.
On the first turnover, the Bruins had the ball in USC territory when Thomas blitzed and surprised UCLA receiver Brandon Breazell, who bobbled a reverse.
"I think he got nervous when he saw me because I was gonna hit him, but he just dropped it, and I went for the ball," Thomas said.
The Trojans took over, but their subsequent possession was shorter lived than Frank TV. Tailback Joe McKnight fumbled two plays later and Thomas had to go to work again.
This time, he intercepted Patrick Cowan on UCLA's first play of the drive with some help from linebacker Brian Cushing.
"Honestly, Brian Cushing eliminated the dude," Thomas said. "All I had to do was catch the ball."
Thomas did indeed hold on, and the Trojans responded with a touchdown drive to put the game out of reach at 24-7.
"It was a pivotal point in the game," Thomas said. "It just took the air out of their stomachs and took away all the hope they had."
It was a perfect day for Thomas, who wasn't sure what to expect before walking down the tunnel for the last time on Senior Day.
The only thing he knew was that his mom, Theresa, would be crying.
"My mom was crying like usual," Thomas said. "I was just excited to be there and see my family and go out with a bunch of guys I love."
Of course, it wasn't the first time he'd seen his mom cry. After all, she had cried when he committed to USC, even though campus is only 45 miles from his home in Alta Loma.
Luckily for her, Thomas chose to stay close to home, as he picked the Trojans over Washington State. Thomas was very close to becoming a Cougar, especially after they shared the conference title with USC in 2002 and played in the Rose Bowl.
"I wanted to get out of California," Thomas said. "I loved Washington State. It's a great college town."
But former coach Mike Price broke his promise and left for Alabama, which led to Thomas choosing the Trojans.
Five conference titles later, Thomas knows he made the right decision. And that's why when he walked out of that tunnel for the last time he was happy - it was a closing to an amazing chapter of his life at USC.
"It's not even a sad moment - I'm happy to get out of here," Thomas said. "It's time for me to go on to my next life. I love what I've accomplished here and what it's done to me. I'm gonna miss it, but I'm ready to get going."
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