Men of Troy

The University of Southern California received thousands of calls, emails and letters in 2001, after hiring former NFL coach, Pete Carroll, to resurrect its moribund program. Carroll was a “failure,” a “fraud,” and a “flake” according to USC boosters, the fans in Los Angeles and the college football cognoscenti. But by the middle of the decade, he had turned USC into a legendary juggernaut, with multiple Heisman Trophy winners and national championships.

In MEN OF TROY, New York Times bestselling author, Monte Burke, provides the definitive account of this singular dynasty. Based on original reporting and more than 150 new interviews, Burke illustrates how Carroll and his colorful cast of coaches and players—including cross-eyed quarterback turned national heartthrob, Matt Leinart, and the electric, generational running back, Reggie Bush—not only took over college football, but Los Angeles and the country, as well.

USC home games were the hottest ticket in town. Celebrities fought to be invited to stand on the sidelines and hobnob with players who were, in some cases, more famous than they were. Burke not only takes readers through the iconic games of the era, but also behind the scenes—in the locker room, on the recruiting trail and into the LA nightlife scene, where the players enjoyed their celebrity status and, at times, succumbed to illicit temptations. He also puts the dynasty in proper context, tracing the breathtaking rise of the program, the sudden and inglorious fall, and the scandal that left a program in ruins and precipitated the drastic changes that led to the current era of college football.