Dear Chase McGrath,
I hope you are doing well. You may not know me and that's fine; for a longtime I, and the rest of the country, had no idea who you were either. It's funny right, one night you are a walk on kicker for the USC Football team, which is no small feat I might add, and the next day you are the toast of every USC bar, household and fraternity house because of your heroics. I hope to someday know what that feeling is like but you, you slayed the proverbial monkey off of this university's back, you beat the team that knocked us off the throne a decade ago, you beat Texas. I can only imagine how you feel about being the one who did it. A kid from Southern California who I have to imagine has been a USC fan forever. Question: do you hate Vince Young as much as all die hard USC fans do?
I wanted to write this letter to you because for me, this game was no ordinary game. This is me in 6th grade.
I am sure you and I are thinking the exact same thing when looking at this and yes it made me queasy just looking at it also. The truth is this Chase, I was a Texas Longhorn fan growing up; wow it feels really good to get that off my chest. I am from San Antonio, Texas and when I was little, went to every single Texas home game. My mom and dad went to Texas, my grandfather played for a National Title at Texas and my cousin was a four year starter on the baseball team at Texas. It pains me to say this but I was painted burnt orange and white for that dreaded 2006 Rose Bowl Game and I even went to the Texas vs. Alabama National Title game dawning those two colors.
I know what you might be thinking, why am I a USC fan if Texas had been a part of my childhood for nearly 18 years? It's quite simple actually, USC is the greatest school on earth and it helps that Texas football was in the garbage by the time I was 16-years-old. Before you say anything, no, I am not a bandwagon fan but rather a sports opportunist that happened to fall into a situation that gave me a way out of Texas fandom. Along with that, how can I go to a school with such athletic pedigree and not become a fan of the team that I watch every Saturday?!
To me, what happened last Saturday night was more than just a football game, it was my two worlds colliding. It was my friends from home knowing my roots I try to bury deep down coming to remind all of my USC friends of my past. It was my family coming in and showing pictures of me holding up the Hook'Em Horns sign. I had been guaranteeing a blowout win since the 2017 Rose Bowl and the guarantees and the smack talking meant a lot now that the weekend had arrived. I had even made bets with friends and family on the weekend, one including soiling myself while singing the Eyes of Texas had we lost.
When the game began and the pregame festivities and tailgating had ended, the time for talk was over and the time to let the team do the talking had begun. Unlike what I expected, Texas came ready to play and made it a game. When Texas took the lead, I became physically ill. Not only did I think our chance at an undefeated season had come to an end, but nightmares flashed in my mind of what my friends and family would be saying to me as soon as the game was over.
I couldn't speak, I couldn't move but more than anything I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like a nightmare from which I could not wake up. I have to imagine I'm not the only one who felt this way either but you, were you nervous? I mean I have to guess that you were but what happened just 43 seconds later in the game gives me the sense that you weren't. Thanks to the mighty Sam Darnold, the team was able to put you in the position to send the game to overtime. Quite frankly, I had no idea what was about to happen when you came onto the field. You missed the 46-yard field-goal earlier in the game which I cannot be upset with considering I can barely kick a field goal 15 yards. However, I was shaking nervous. I barely could watch as the snap was held and the kick was up. Athletes say that these moments for them move in slow motion. Was that the case for you? Did it feel like the ball was spinning towards the goal posts for eternity? What went through your mind when it went in? Was the roar of the crowd deafening from the field?
I'll stop pestering you with the questions about the game tying field goal and move forward to a kick that might have made you a Trojan legend forever: the game winner. It was 43 yards out and again, that's not easy by any means. But when that kick went up and went in and I could finally breathe because the game was over, I could only think of what I was going to say to my family and friends as the victor of the game. One second I was dreading the end and the next I was admiring the end. I went from deep sadness to intense joy. I went from drafting I can't believe we lost texts to drafting I can't believe we won texts.
I am sure plenty of people have approached you in the last few days congratulating you and thanking you for avenging one of, if not, the worst sports moment in USC history. But I will say this Chase, thank you for showing everyone around the country the Trojan way. Thank you for saving me from years of embarrassment and harassment from my friends and family. Thank you for winning me a bet and keeping me from soiling myself in public. Thank you for keeping the goal of an undefeated season alive. And thank you for believing in yourself, a true freshman walk on kicker who no one expected to be the hero in the rematch of the century.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Dubrof