Latest news with #Trojan
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
USC football countdown to kickoff—Chase McGrath in focus
The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 40 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we look at former USC kicker Chase McGrath. Position: Kicker Years played at USC: 2017-2020 Career highlights: Arriving on campus as a walk-on in 2017, McGrath won the starting kicker job immediately as a true freshman. The first two field goal attempts of McGrath's career were dramatic ones, as he hit the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation and the game-winner in double overtime to take down Texas at the Coliseum. After the season, he was awarded a scholarship. In 2018, McGrath redshirted after suffering a knee injury chasing down a defender after a blocked kick in the third game of the year. He returned from the injury in 2019, hitting a career-high 82.6% of his field goals and earning USC's Special Teams Player of the Year award, in addition to All-Pac-12 honorable mention. Prior to the 2020 season, however, McGrath was beaten out for the starting job by true freshman Parker Lewis. After USC: After losing the starting job at USC, McGrath transferred to Tennessee in 2021. He spent the next two years as the Volunteers starting kicker. In 2022, he hit another iconic game-winning field goal to help Tennessee take down Alabama for the first time in 16 years. In April, McGrath got engaged in the Coliseum to his longtime girlfriend, former USC Song Girl and recruiting staffer Adrianna Robakowski. The two met during McGrath's time playing for the Trojans.
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
George Gibney arrested over alleged sexual abuse following extradition from US
Former National and Olympic Swimming Coach George Gibney has been arrested following his deportation from the United States at the request of the Irish authorities. The 77-year-old was arrested by US Marshalls in Florida, where he had lived for over 30 years, earlier this month on foot of an extradition request by gardaí. He is accused of 78 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape. He had been held in custody in the US but was flown to Dublin overnight via Washington DC, escorted by members of the Garda Extradition Unit attached to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI). Gardai have confirmed that Gibney is currently being held in a garda station in Dublin and will appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice later this morning. In a statement, a garda spokesperson said: "Following an extradition from the United States of America at the request of the Irish authorities, a male (70s) was arrested by Gardaí attached to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau this morning, Tuesday 22nd July 2025 and is being brought before a sitting at the Criminal Courts of Justice at approximately 10:30am. "The man is currently being detained at a Garda Station in Dublin." Gibney was the alleged victims' coach and they were aged between eight and 14 at the time, according to the documents filed with a US district court. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week The court filings say the four women made complaints to gardaí between 2020 and 2022. The complaints came after the BBC podcast Where is George Gibney? re-examined the story of the Olympic coach who was charged with child sexual abuse but never stood trial. In 1993, the former coach at the Trojan swimming club in Dublin faced 27 charges of indecency against young swimmers. However, the prosecution was successfully halted. His lawyers argued there was a delay in the prosecutions being taken and a lack of precision defining the specific alleged incidents. This legal challenge ended up in the Supreme Court which ruled in his favour. The charges that Gibney is now facing are in relation to different instances of alleged abuse than the charges in 1993. Following the case over 30 years ago, the former swimming coach left Ireland and spent some time in Scotland before moving to the US, where he has been living since. An investigation was then reopened by gardaí following the 2020 BBC podcast documentary and a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions three years later. Last year, the DPP decided he should face charges in connection with allegedly abusing children that were in his care when he was a swimming coach. Gardaí then secured an extradition warrant in the High Court and it's understood they have been working with US authorities for the last six months. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Disgraced sex-crime charged swim coach expected in Dublin court today
Sources told the Sunday World that Gibney was on Monday transferred by US Marshals from Florida to a transit hub in America Disgraced former Irish national swimming coach George Gibney is expected to face criminal charges in Dublin today. The 77-year-old was arrested on foot of an extradition warrant in Florida earlier this month as he faces 79 charges relating to sexual offences in the 1970s and 1980s against minors. Sources told the Sunday World that Gibney was on Monday transferred by US Marshals from Florida to a transit hub in America. Members of the Garda extradition unit, attached to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI), are now expected to escort him on an overnight return flight back to Dublin. George Gibney While sources said that the current plans could change, Gibney is expected to appear before the Dublin District Court on Tuesday morning to be formally charged. The Director of Public Prosecutions has said that he should be charged with 79 sexual offences against four young girls between 1971 and 1981. On June 6, 2023, the Dublin District Court issued warrants for Gibney's arrest, covering 78 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape. He has been the focus of a lengthy investigation by the Garda National Protective Services Bureau after he was tracked down to a bungalow in Orlando, Florida, by the podcast Where is George Gibney. It appeared he was living far away from the storm over sexual abuse allegations that the BBC production had re-opened. But when confronted by the makers of the podcast, he declined to answer questions about alleged sexual abuse. Gibney coached children with the Trojan swimming club in Dublin in the 1970s and the 1980s. He was a high-profile sports figure who regularly appeared in Irish media, until he was exposed for allegedly sexually abusing children. He appeared before Dún Laoghaire District Court in April 1993 charged with 27 counts of indecency against young swimmers and of having carnal knowledge of girls under the age of 15. The prosecution was halted after he successfully took a judicial review arguing that the delay in the offences coming to court would deny him a fair trial and also highlighting the lack of precision around specific alleged incidents. The Supreme Court found in Gibney's favour, after which Gibney moved to Scotland and later to the US. He continued to coach children in the US, working for a swimming club in Colorado but he lost his job after details of his past allegations in Dublin emerged. He stayed in the US and worked in various non-swimming related roles. George Gibney in Florida News in 90 Seconds - July 22nd
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Disgraced former Irish swim coach George Gibney expected in Ireland on Tuesday
Disgraced former Irish national swimming coach George Gibney is expected to arrive in Ireland on Tuesday morning following his deportation to face criminal charges. The 77-year-old was arrested earlier this month in Florida under an extradition warrant. Mr Gibney is wanted in Ireland to face 78 counts of indecently assaulting four girls and one count of attempting to rape one of them. He was the alleged victims' coach and they were aged between eight and 14 at the time, according to the documents filed with a US district court. It is understood he is to be placed on a flight tonight (Monday) in America, escorted by members of the Garda Extradition Unit attached to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI). He is due to be formally charged when he arrives in Ireland and brought before Dublin District Court. He left Ireland more than 30 years ago and has not been back since. He was arrested in Florida three weeks ago by US Marshals on foot of an Irish extradition warrant, He was tracked down to a property in Orlando, Florida by the BBC-produced podcast Where is George Gibney as he has been the focus of an investigation by the Garda National Protective Services Bureau. Gibney coached children with the Trojan swimming club in Dublin in the 1980s and the 1990s. He was a high-profile sports figure who regularly appeared in Irish media until he was exposed for allegedly sexually abusing children. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
USC football countdown to kickoff—Thomas Williams in focus
The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 41 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we look at former USC linebacker Thomas Williams. Position: Linebacker Years played at USC: 2003-2007 Career highlights: In most other eras, Williams would have started at linebacker for the Trojans. During the Pete Carroll era, however, USC had a plethora of great linebackers, including Dallas Sartz, Oscar Lua, Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing, and Rey Maualuga. Because of this, Williams was primarily relegated to reserve duty during his career in Cardinal and Gold. Between 2004 and 2007 (he redshirted as a true freshman in 2003), Williams appeared in 49 of USC's 52 games. He made 14 starts at three different positions—including fullback—and played a key role on special teams. As a redshirt senior in 2007, he was named All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention and USC's co-special teams player of the year. After USC: Despite not having started much at USC, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Williams in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He became somewhat of a journeyman in the NFL, spending time with six different teams over the next five years. He finished his NFL career with 14 total tackles and two forced fumbles. Williams was forced to retire from football in 2012 due to a neck injury. Following his career, Williams has become a motivational speaker and author, having published three books.
