USC Asks McFadden to Leave

Dwight McFadden, who began the season as USC’s starting tailback but sat out virtually all of it after breaking an ankle in the first game, will not return to USC next fall, apparently at USC’s request.

McFadden, a sophomore, will probably declare himself available for the NFL draft and, if not drafted, seek a free-agent contract, a USC source said.

McFadden, junior wide receiver Ken Grace and sophomore Irwin Lincoln were involved in an incident early Monday outside a West Hollywood nightclub.

Lincoln was arrested for allegedly brandishing a stolen gun. He was charged with receiving stolen property, a felony, and carrying a concealed, loaded firearm, both misdemeanors.

On Tuesday, USC announced that Lincoln had been indefinitely suspended from the football team, pending the outcome of the charges.

“The gun thing is a very serious charge,” Coach John Robinson said. “We’ve suspended (Lincoln), and what further action we take depends on the results of the investigation.”

Lincoln was released Monday after posting a $10,000 bond. His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 3.

Neither McFadden nor Grace was arrested Monday morning, but the USC source said that McFadden’s departure had been determined before Monday’s incident and from all indications, the decision was not McFadden’s.

McFadden was not available for comment Tuesday.

In October of 1992, McFadden was arrested for allegedly brandishing a weapon--a BB gun--in a confrontation with two homeless persons at a fast-food restaurant near USC. McFadden denied brandishing the BB gun, which he said was not loaded, and was not charged with a crime.

McFadden, a 6-foot, 190-pounder from Lawton, Okla., won the starting tailback job last summer, then broke his ankle in the first quarter of the Trojans’ opening game against North Carolina at Anaheim Stadium.

He practiced the last two weeks of the season, but didn’t play. In November, Robinson said he thought McFadden might be available for a bowl game.

In 1992, as a redshirt freshman, McFadden backed up Estrus Crayton for most of the season. He finished No. 2 in rushing with 465 yards and led the Trojans in rushing in six games. McFadden’s departure would create a second vacancy in the Trojan backfield.

On Tuesday, Robinson said Scott Fields would be switched from tailback to strong safety next season, and that he might play the position in the Freedom Bowl game against Utah on Dec. 30. A sophomore this year, Fields was the team’s No. 3 rusher, gaining 231 yards.

The leader was freshman Shawn Walters, who started six games at tailback and finished with 641 yards and a 4.7-yard average per carry. The No. 2 runner was senior fullback Deon Strother, who had 315 yards and a 5.2 average.

Another returning tailback will be freshman David Dotson, who started four games this season. Redshirt freshmen LaVale Woods and Conrad Coleman also return next season.

Tailback recruit Saladin McCullough of Pasadena Muir High figured prominently in USC’s plans last spring, but his Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score was challenged last summer.

The dispute went to arbitration, which McCullough lost, and he was unable to enroll at USC. He took the American College Testing (ACT) exam this week. If he scores high enough, McCullough plans to enroll at USC.