USC football countdown to kickoff—A look at the legendary 55 Club
As almost every USC fan knows, perhaps no number holds more significance in program history than the No. 55. So today, rather than spotlighting just one player, we are going to take a look at the legendary 55 Club, and the four Trojan linebackers who have made the number iconic.
Junior Seau
The original No. 55 in Cardinal and Gold was the late, great, Junior Seau. Despite playing just two seasons for the Trojans, Seau established himself as a USC legend. In 1989, he recorded a historic 19 sacks, earning unanimous All-American honors. With Seau leading the way, the Trojans won the Pac-10 title and defeated Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
After USC, Seau would go on to have a Hall of Fame NFL career, during which he was named to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1991-2002. He tragically passed in 2012 by suicide due to CTE sustained during his football career.
Willie McGinest
After Seau left for the NFL in 1990, a freshman by the name of Willie McGinest came in and took over the No. 55. McGinest had quite an impressive career in his own right, starring at linebacker for the Trojans from 1990-1993. He earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors in both the 1992 and 1993 seasons, and was an All-American his senior year.
The New England Patriots selected McGinest with the fourth overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. He played 12 of his 15 NFL seasons for the franchise, making two Pro Bowls and helping the Patriots to win three Super Bowls. McGinest holds the NFL record for most career playoff sacks with 16.0.
Chris Claiborne
Of all of the great linebackers to come through USC, only one has ever won the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker in the country. That would be Chris Claiborne, who took home the award as a junior in 1998. That season, Claiborne also earned unanimous All-American honors.
After an eight-year NFL career, Claiborne got into coaching. He spent the 2020 season as an analyst at USC, before being hired as the linebackers coach at Arizona State. In 2022, however, he was forced out amidst an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations by the program that caused head coach Herm Edwards and defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce to lose their jobs. Claiborne is currently the linebackers coach for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League.
Keith Rivers
Although the other three members of the 55 Club all earned All-American honors, Rivers has one thing that none of them have: a national championship ring. A decorated recruit out of Central Florida, Rivers came in and made an immediate impact, playing a key role as a true freshman on the Trojans' 2004 national championship team. He earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors in both 2006 and 2007, and was an All-American as a senior in 2007.
Just as with the other members of the 55 Club, Rivers was a top ten NFL Draft pick. He went on to spend seven years in the league.
Who wore it last?
The most recent Trojan to wear the No. 55 was Lamar Dawson, who wore it from 2011 to 2015. Although Dawson had a fine career, he did not come close to living up to the immense expectations that arrived when then-head coach Lane Kiffin made headlines by giving him the number.
Since Dawson's graduation a decade ago, the number has not been given out. It will be up to head coach Lincoln Riley to decide if it stays that way, or if there is a player worthy of carrying on the legacy of No. 55.
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