Skip to main content
USC

Musings from Arledge Solo Edition: Mark Carrier

by:Chris Arledge•03/01/23
Mark Carrier
Mark Carrier #7 of the University of Southern California Trojans straps down his helmet during the NCAA game against the Ohio State University Buckeyes at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 23, 1989 (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

On this week’s Musings from Arledge Solo Edition, I interview USC legend Mark Carrier.

Carrier was a two-time All-American in 1988 and 1989 and USC’s first Thorpe Award winner.
He went on to become the sixth overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft and the NFL Defensive
Rookie of the Year in 1990, where he led the league and set the Chicago Bears record with ten
interceptions. Carrier played in three Pro Bowls over the course of a lengthy and distinguished
NFL career.

We start by talking about USC’s incredible legacy at the safety position, including legends like
Ronnie Lott, Troy Polamalu, Tim McDonald, Dennis Smith, Joey Browner, Sammy Knight, and
many, many others. I even get him to tell us what he thinks he did better than Ronnie Lott. I
am still awaiting Number 42’s response.

We also talk about the difficulties of playing defense in this era of football, what coaches can do
to help their defenders, and how to teach tackling in this world of major concussion concerns.
We talk about the defensive personnel on the 1988 and 1989 teams, including a discussion of
Junior Seau’s role.

We talk about transitioning from football stars to former player. And I ask Carrier to say what the
biggest takeaways are for him from his time at USC, now that he has a little more than three
decades’ worth of perspective.

You may also like

Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz