OAK HILLS, Calif. -- As he walked off the practice field early Thursday morning, with the sun just starting to rise over the mountains and across the Victor Valley, Jason Rodriguez extended his enormous right hand and gave as strong a greeting as one will find.
People mention that a lot about his handshake, he says. USC coach Clay Helton even acknowledged it when he extended a scholarship offer to the 4-star offensive tackle last spring.
"We were in Coach Helton's office. I think I was there on a junior day, and one of the coaches said, 'Hey, Coach Helton wants you.' So I go and we talked for a little bit. He talked about my manners, my handshake because a lot of people say that, and then he just said, 'I usually don't offer a lot of people, but for you I will,'" Rodriguez recalled. "And then my parents started crying, it was crazy. It was just like, that was home. That was my college that I grew up liking. It was just cool."
Rodriguez committed to the Trojans soon thereafter, on April 22, and nothing has changed, he told TrojanSports.com.
