McDonald’s USC career concludes today vs. Illini

When he takes the field with the USC football team in the 94th Rose Bowl today at 2:10 p.m., Michael McDonald will be finishing what he started.

The Newport Harbor High product might not have gotten this far, however, if not for some soul searching after two uneventful seasons as a walk-on with the Trojans in 2003 and 2004.

After redshirting the 2003 season, McDonald saw no playing time in 2004 and quit the team. The coaching staff, however, talked him into returning for spring practice in 2005, but, seeing little progress on the depth chart, he quit once again. Yet again, the coaches talked him into returning and he earned a scholarship in the fall of 2005, when he saw action in four games.

That season, he completed his only pass for a four-yard touchdown against Arkansas.

Beginning his junior season, he began holding on field goals and conversion kicks in addition to his role as backup quarterback. He played in 13 games and once again completed his only pass for a touchdown, a 20-yarder on a fake field goal against Washington.

This season, he is one for two with one interception and his career passing stats read two for four for 24 yards and two touchdowns. He has just the one career interception.

But McDonald has been a part of one of the most successful runs in college football history.

The No. 6-ranked Trojans (10-2) take on No. 13 Illinois (9-3) today, bidding to become the first school in college football history to post six consecutive seasons with at least 11 wins.

USC is also attempting to earn its sixth straight top-four finish in the final Associated Press poll.

McDonald, a 6-foot-2, 185-pounder, is listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the USC depth chart, behind John David Booty and Mark Sanchez.

Following in USC quarterbacks’ footsteps, however, has become second nature to McDonald, who considered only USC, largely because of the family history.

McDonald’s father, Paul McDonald, started three seasons at quarterback for USC, where he helped the Trojans win a national championship in 1978 and earned All-American honors in 1979.

Now the analyst on the Trojans’ radio broadcasts, Paul McDonald, who spent 1980-1987 in the NFL, has relished the opportunity to share Saturdays with his son the past few years.