International students learn about the complex game of football and the beloved USC Trojans.

Story by: Holden Slattery

From tackling techniques to penalties to the USC fight song, international and domestic students who attended Football 101 at Heritage Hall on October 3 learned about the complex game of football and the beloved USC Trojans. USC Athletics, Recreational Sports, the International Student Association, Graduate Student Government, and OIS teamed up to host the event, which 140 students attended.

The event began with a friendly game of bingo that prompted students to ask each other questions and make friends.  Shortly afterward, USC Football recruiting analysts Eloy Ledesma and Alex Rios delved right into the nitty-gritty, technical aspects of the sport. They introduced the idea of a snap count, a timing system that informs players on offense when a play will start. Ledesma shouted “Go!” multiple times and students were told to clap on the second or third “Go!” At first, most students clapped too early—revealing how alert and in sync offensive players must be to start a play on time. After four or five tries, all 140 students were in sync.

While football may seem lawless, more than 40 different penalties exist in college football. Anupam Singh, a graduate student at the Keck School of Medicine, volunteered to help demonstrate pass interference—when a defender makes contact with a receiver that disables him or her from catching a pass. While Singh jogged to catch a pass, Ledesma interfered by holding her arm, and he was called for the penalty.

Singh, an international student from India, said she will always remember the penalties that were explained. She attended Football 101 because she planned to start attending USC football games and wanted to understand the action. “Despite it being a tutorial, I found it so entertaining,” Singh said after the event.

Kevin Aranha, a graduate student in Petroleum Engineering, asked about proper tackling techniques. Ledesma explained that there are several different techniques, but tacklers are generally advised to get low and use both arms to grasp an offensive player’s torso, while barreling forward.

Aranha was inspired to ask his question by a scene in the 2000 film Remember the Titans, based on the true story of a football team that became racially integrated during the American Civil Rights movement. In the scene, a defensive player tackled another player by lifting him up in the air and throwing him. Aranha was curious to know whether this kind of tackle happens in real football.

Aranha has played touch football, a safer version of football that forbids tackling, with his friends at USC. He grew up playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball. “If I were born in the U.S., I’d probably be playing football. I’m 6 foot 3 and I like pushing people around,” he said with a smile. Throughout the presentation, a USC football helmet and an official game ball circulated across the room. Students had fun using their phones to take “selfies” while wearing the cardinal red and gold mask with its ominous-looking gray mask. Students also learned and sang USC’s Official Fight Song.

Following the event, students were given tickets to the next day’s football game against Arizona State University. Then, they went outside to experience the jock rally, an event held before home games to build school and team spirit. As the USC Song Girls danced, the USC Trojan Marching Band played, and theUSC Trojan football players jumped around and gave pep talks, the excitement was palpable. USC Football surely gained a new group of loyal fans from across the globe.

To see more photographs from Football 101 and the tailgate held the next day by GSG for international and domestic students, visit the OIS Facebook Photos Page.

Holden Slattery, Assistant Communications Editor, is pursuing a Master of Public Administration and is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Robert Zubiate, International Program Assistant, is pursuing a Master of Public Administration and is from El Paso, Texas.