50 Greatest USC Football Players of the Last 50 Years

49. Ryan Kalil

It’s hard to think of the offensive linemen of the Pete Carroll era without landing on Ryan Kalil, who stands among the greatest centers to play for the Trojans.

Kalil was a back up for the first championship under Carroll, but he stepped in as a starter for the second and never looked back. With Kalil under center, USC stormed through the 2004 season for the national title.

The next year USC missed out on a third consecutive championship because of the devastating Rose Bowl loss to Texas, but Kalil brought home silverware for himself as he was named an All-American and All-Pac-10 first teamer. He also won the Morris Trophy as the top lineman in the conference and was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy.

During Kalil’s four years at USC, the Trojans won two national championships and three BCS bowl games. His brother Matt, also an All-American offensive lineman and high NFL draft pick, just missed out on making the list.