The news trucks were gathered en masse as the USC football team returned to campus a week after handily winning the Rose Bowl, but the mood was decidedly somber.
The team met privately for about an hour and mourned with a priest before special teams assistant coach Dan Anno -- representing the team and the Danelo family -- addressed the press on the steps of Heritage Hall, flanked by Mario Danelo's closest teammates.
"Obviously an accident," guard Drew Radovich told the small press gaggle. "I was fortunate to live with him for two years. There was never a sign of him being depressed. He was always loving life. There's no way he could have committed suicide -- no way."
The 21-year-old Danelo was found dead over the weekend 120 feet down the San Fermin cliffs on the San Pedro coast. Immediate autopsy results ruled out foul play and his teammates doubt it was suicide.
Pete Carroll was MIA, on a well-deserved vacation in Costa Rica where, rumor has it, Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga is on his tail.
Long-time Trojans radio announcer Pete Arbogast posted his thoughts on Mario Danelo here.
Jump ahead for a few more photos taken with my not-so-trusty camera.
AP photo at top by Nick Ut
Graduate Assistant Coach Dan Anno, OL Matt Spanos, holder Michael McDonald, G Drew Radovich, LB Dallas Sartz
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Great coverage Andy! Under the circumstances, I'm surprised the team held the meeting with open windows.
Is "Our Team" the new new slogan for 2007? I think last year's was "Rule #1" which stood for "Remember rule #1: protect the family."
The "our team" thing definitely struck me as a spurious add-on. Pre-planned or seeking some kind of unifying theme while undoubtedly many are still in shock? I had never noticed the "classroom" at Heritage -- and I have no idea why the windows weren't shuttered. Its probably the room where they view film and there's also curiously a mini-organ in the room. The media hung out at the front of Heritage for a couple hours with cameras trained on the front doors -- I just kept popping over there and did a couple walkarounds out of boredom... students kept pausingn and staring into the meeting room but the media never caught on. They stood holding hands for a good ten to fifteen minutes. -- allegedly praying -- I did see a rather distraught minister emerge from the building soon after the meeting adjourned.
[Hook-and-ladder lateral to Dan Greenspan at Daily Trojan.] Take it to the house!