‘Under the Helmet’ with captain Anthony Sarao


Students might recognize him as USC’s leading returning tackler or the ultimate terror for opposing offenses’ run game, but those who really know him also know of his guilty pleasure for sour gummy worms and Sour Patch Kids.

When No. 56 takes off his helmet, often revealing a long ponytail or braids, Trojan fans see him as none other than redshirt senior captain Anthony Sarao.

It is immediately obvious that Sarao, the only New Jersey representative on the roster, is not from California. How so? He has a bit of an accent that he describes as “East Coast Jersey slang,” though Sarao has always had a Californian state of mind.

Even early in the recruiting process, he was already set on going out west to play for his former high school coach who, at the time, worked for the Cardinal.

Once Jim Harbaugh, now the head coach at Michigan, and his coach left Stanford, Sarao decided to explore other options.

He knew USC was the right fit after his official visit and Sarao eventually switched his commitment from Stanford to USC close to signing day.

“I was focused on getting a good degree. On the East Coast you can’t get the best of both worlds. ’SC had both [academics and athletics].”

He may love California, but Sarao made it clear in last year’s game against UCLA that he takes no prisoners when it comes to in-state rivals.

Even though USC didn’t win the game, Sarao ran back a pick six, having one of the three defensive touchdowns of last season.

His expectations for this season aren’t any different. The USC coaching staff expects a lot out of Sarao and he thinks that linebacker coach Peter Sirmon has taken his game to a new level.

“[Sirmon] is one of the best coaches in the nation,” he said. He’s been in our place once and played in the league for a while, so he has helped us a lot.”

Sarao has been a dominant inside linebacker for the past three years.

Though this year might be a little different after losing former Captain Hayes Pullard to the NFL draft and graduation, the USC linebacker corps has great depth and promise.

“We lost a real leader in Hayes, but Anthony [Sarao] is a veteran who can lead this unit,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said at media day.

In regard to USC’s linebacker unit this year, Sarao said that each player brings something different to the table with his respective talents.

“We all fill different roles now and are more developed,” Sarao said. “Everyone is so versatile and has their own style while still playing as Trojans.”

As a senior and captain, Sarao has been navigating his way through the powerhouse football program and prestigious academic institution since 2011.

It’s been a long journey for Sarao, who received his bachelor’s degree in policy, planning and development in the spring of 2015 and is working towards a master’s degree in sociology this fall.

Sarao said his most memorable moment thus far as a Trojan has to be walking out of the tunnel in the Coliseum to play in his first game.

But Sarao said he’s more than just a student-athlete.

“I’m a family man, and my ultimate goal is for my family to be financially stable,” he said.

Sarao hopes to make his last year in a USC uniform his most successful one yet.