Former USC quarterback inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame

On Sunday, the California Sports Hall of Fame announced Rodney Peete as a member of its 2024 class. Peete was the son of an NFL assistant coach who moved from Mesa, Arizona, to Overland Park, Kansas, after the Kansas City Chiefs hired his father. He had several college scholarship offers but chose USC because the Trojans offered him the opportunity to play quarterback.

Peete redshirted as a freshman in Southern California before replacing a struggling Sean Salisbury in USC's ninth game of the 1985 season. As a sophomore, Peete threw for 2,025 yards and 10 touchdowns while leading the Trojans to a 7-4 regular season record and Citrus Bowl berth. He also threw for over 2,000 yards and at least 18 touchdowns in his junior and senior seasons.

2,000 passing yards doesn't seem like much in contemporary college football, but offenses were very run-heavy in the 1980s.

The Detroit Lions drafted Rodney Peete in the 6th round of the 1989 NFL Draft. He started 47 games for the Lions over five seasons. The quarterback overcame criticisms of his size and arm strength but was often sidelined with significant injuries. His best pro season was with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995.

Peete was named Eagles starter after a 1-3 start and Randall Cunningham's struggles to lead the West Coast offense. He threw for 2,326 yards and eight touchdowns while leading Philadelphia to a 9-3 record and Wild Card Playoffs win over the Lions. Unfortunately, Peete lost his starting job after another season-ending injury in 1996.

Despite his injury history, Peete played an incredible 15 years in the NFL, including 84 starts in 104 games.

Former Los Angeles Rams running back Marshall Faulk, former Los Angeles Lakers champion A.C. Green, sports super agent Scott Boras, and sports photographer Andrew B. Bernstein were also named to the California Sports Hall of Fame's 2024 class.