Ben Malcolmson - A Modern Day Rudy
July 13th, 2008 Keith GodfreySometimes when watching TV you stumble across something you’re not sure what it is; today was one of those days. I had just completed watching my Reds blow it and headed up stairs to cook dinner. After dinner was complete I headed back down the stairs to watch TV and eat - in relative silence from family.
On the tube was an FSN series named ‘Amazing Sports Stories’ and the amazing story being reference was that of Ben Malcolmson.
Ben was the beat writer for the Daily Trojan, the USC student newspaper, and had covered the Trojan football team the previous two seasons. He decided to do a story about walk-on tryouts and in a moment of true clarity (see: insanity) young Malcolmson decided for the article he would try out for the team (see: purgatory). So Malcolmson did just that and tried out for the team thinking this would simply make an amazing article for the paper … that is until the names of those who made the team was posted and Malcolmson made the team, as a wideout.
Thinking this was a hoax Malcolmson then rushed to head coach Pete Carroll’s office and was told this:
“You’ve got good hands and you’re quick.”
This was no hoax.
However, things turned for the worse; in only the fourth practice of the year Malcolmson went down with a dislocated shoulder. It would require surgery and about 8 months rehabilitation. Malcolmson’s dream had turned to nightmare.
Only Malcolmson channeled his inner Rudy and pushed through rehabilitation and joined the team within 4 months and with 3 games remaining. Some friends of Ben started a campaign; to get Ben in.
The last game of the year, Notre Dame, and with the Trojans leading by more than 20 points in the 4th quarter Ben got in. While he doesn’t share the same heroics that Rudy did it is still a remarkable story.