Tre Madden was smiling.
The senior tailback’s demeanor, facial expressions and general outlook were in stark contrast to the last time we spoke to him on USC’s practice field, in late September. Madden tried to practice that day, and his troublesome foot wouldn’t respond.
“I was pretty down on myself because I thought I was going to be able to go,” Madden said this week. “It’s in the past now. I’m ready to move forward.”
Madden was a limited participant in Tuesday’s first spring practice but reported no setbacks – only a little bit of soreness. What initially was diagnosed as turf toe, suffered late in last year’s training camp, turned out to be a “messed up” sesamoid bone. (It’s near the big toe. You can read up on it here.) It since has been repaired, as has Madden’s spirit.
He’s optimistic now, hopeful that he can get to the season healthy and stay that way throughout.
“That’s the plan,” Madden said.
Since moving to tailback in the spring of 2012, the Mission Viejo High grad has missed two of the past three seasons. He was on track to have a sizable role in the backfield last season, as part of a three-headed monster with Buck Allen and Justin Davis, and offered reminders of his skill set even under restrictions Tuesday.
“What I forgot about Tre is how big and physical he is,” USC coach Steve Sarkisian said. “His lower half, he’s really put together. He’s a physical runner. I think he and Justin complement each other really well. Justin has got such great speed and cutting ability. And then Tre’s got such a hammer mentality.”
Madden and Davis are the only scholarship tailbacks on the roster until three freshmen arrive in training camp. They come with sterling credentials, but you can’t plan on freshmen to be ready from the start; you only can hope for it. Sarkisian has visions of a Davis-Madden combo, and that would be the best-case scenario.
Sarkisian also mentioned Madden’s high football IQ (he was a part-time quarterback in high school) and his pass-catching ability. The only question, as always, is whether he can stay on the field.
