Trojans teammates recount moment kicker Denis Lynch was put on scholarship
USC coach Lincoln Riley announced that he had put walk-on kicker Denis Lynch on scholarship Monday after Lynch delivered field goals of 53 and 36 yards in the second half of the Trojans' 42-28 win at Arizona State last weekend.
"[The team] erupted. They've seen the way that that guy's worked throughout the entire time he's been here. He's never been promised anything. He's just, we've given him opportunity and he's continued to work hard and I think he has the respect of the entire team," Riley said.
Lynch, a 5-foot-8 redshirt sophomore who is in his second year as the Trojans' primary place-kicker, is popular among his teammates for his "quirky" fun-going personality.
And that was put on full display in the team meeting after Riley announced the news.
"When I told the team, they erupted, they had Denis come up and give a speech, which in typical Denis fashion was all over the play," Riley said, prompting curiosity and more questions.
"Honestly, I'm not like being, I'm not trying to hide anything, I don't know that I could accurately explain it. It was really bizarre, and then at the end it was like, 'And thank you' and walked off," Riley said, drawing laughs after practice Tuesday. "That's just Denis for you. Denis is kind of quirky, but the guys love him and guys have a lot of respect. It was a cool moment."
As no video has emerged of this speech yet, it prompted further reporting and questions to other USC players about the moment.
Their responses echoed Riley's ...
"We were pumped in the team meeting room. Everybody got up, clapped for him and he came and gave a speech," safety Calen Bullock said. "... Denis is Denis, so it was kind of weird. Yeah, I can't describe it, it was just awkward. He told a joke but then nobody laughed so ... Denis."
Said wide receiver Tahj Washington: "He's just a fun guy everybody loves, so that was cool to see. ... Very unique [speech], very unique. I've never heard anything like that, but that's who he is. ... He's predictably unpredictable, you know what I'm saying. One of those type of guys."
Said linebacker Mason Cobb: "It was alright. I'll give him like a 5, just because that's my dawg. Not the best joke teller, I guess you could say, but he's a funny kid for sure."
Lynch, who had mostly handled just kickoffs and extra point attempts at Newbury Park High School as a converted soccer player, surprised many when he beat out scholarship kicker Alex Stadthaus for the starting job last season, going 15 of 22 on field goals and making all 74 extra point attempts.
His 53-yarder Saturday night tied for the third-longest field in program history.
"That's what it's all about. Guys put in all the work, from 6 a.m. lifts leaving at 7 p.m. and going home and rushing to sleep. For him to pay off, even just watching him making that [53-yarder] in the game, I was hype man," Cobb said. "I love when guys get those opportunities, those blessings. It takes a lot of burden off of him."