Pete Carroll, Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez to attend memorial

Staff Writer

Feb. 27, 2009 1:15 PM PT

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

USC Coach Pete Carroll and former Trojans quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez are scheduled to attend a memorial service for Ryan Davidson on Saturday in Wisconsin.

Davidson, who fought a 10-year battle against brain cancer, died Feb. 19 on his 16th birthday. He inspired many.

Davidson first attended a USC game in 2004 and was adopted by the program as a good luck charm over the last five seasons.

Before the 2005 Bowl Championship Series title game, running back LenDale White said he was inspired by the presence of then-11-year-old Davidson, who had attended a team meeting and rode the bus to practice in Davie, Fla. White had been nursing an ankle sprain.

‘I see him and it took all my pain away,’ White said. ‘Nothing can be harder than that. That’s real life.’

Last October, Davidson served as an honorary captain when the Trojans played Arizona State at the Coliseum.

-- Gary Klein

Sports Now

Gary Klein

Gary Klein covers the Los Angeles Rams for the Los Angeles Times. Before that, he covered USC’s football program and athletic department. He began working for The Times in the San Fernando Valley edition and has reported on high school, college and pro sports. He grew up in Southern California and graduated from Cal State Northridge.