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USC Officials Praise Danelo's Character, and Contributions

Los Angeles (CNS)  -- Mystery surrounds the death of record-setting USC placekicker Mario Danelo, whose body was found Saturday afternoon at the bottom of a cliff about 200 yards from the Point Fermin Lighthouse -- only about a mile from his family's home in San Pedro.

The death of the 21-year-old Danelo came just five days after he kicked two field goals in the Trojans' Rose Bowl victory on New Year's Day (photos above show him during that game -- on the right, kicking one of those field goals).

Danelo was a junior in sociology at USC, and had been the Trojans' starting placekicker for the past two seasons.

LAPD Lt. David Pierson told The Los Angeles Times that Danelo's body was reported by a passerby at 4:37 p.m. Saturday. And authorities say rigor-mortis had already set-in by that time.

Investigators said they had information that Danelo had been out with friends Friday night, and was last seen about midnight, Pierson told The Times.

``We have no information to indicate whether he was drinking or not drinking. I just don't know at this time,'' Pierson told the paper, adding that there was nothing yet to indicate the incident was either a suicide or a crime.

Signs are posted atop the 120-foot cliff forbidding entrance and warning of unstable, slippery surfaces and steep drops. Onlookers left a flowers and candles at the scene., after hearing of Danelo's death.

Authorities would not speculate on the cause or circumstances of death. But Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department said the body appeared to have suffered ``traumatic'' injuries, and was in street clothes.

``It's entirely possible he fell,'' Humphrey told the newspaper, adding that a handful of people had fallen from the cliff over the years.

Investigators were unable to find a surf board, scuba-diving tanks or anything else to indicate that Danelo might have been there to engage in recreational activities common to the area, Humphrey told the Daily Breeze.

``We're stunned to hear about this tragedy,'' USC head football coach Pete Carroll, who was out of town, said in a statement released by USC Sports Information Director Tim Tessalone. The statement said ``This is a great loss. Mario was a wonderful young man of high character and he was one heck of a kicker. He was a key ingredient in our success these past few years. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Trojan family go out to the Danelo family on this sad, sad day.''



The junior placekicker from San Pedro High School was a walk-on who earned a scholarship, along with USC's starting placekicker position in 2005 and 2006. He received All-Pac-10 honorable mention both seasons.

``From then on, everything seemed to go in a real positive direction,'' Danelo was quoted as saying in the school's media guide. ``I got the scholarship, then I got the starting spot. It all happened real fast. It was all good things that were going on.''

In his career, he hit 26 of 28 field goals, including a streak of 15 in a row, and 127 of 134 extra points.

This past season he hit 15 of 16 field goals and was 44 of 48 on extra points.

In 2005, he set NCAA season records for extra points made (83) and attempted (86). His 10 extra points made against Arkansas was a USC game record. He also was 11 of 12 on field goals.

Danelo's 26-yard first-quarter field goal opened the scoring in USC's 32-

18 victory over Michigan in Monday's Rose Bowl Game. He kicked another 26- yard field goal in the third quarter, but missed two of his four extra point attempts.

Danelo was mentioned on the CBS late night talk show ``Late Show with David Letterman'' Thursday. Letterman's list of ``Top Ten Signs You're Watching Too Much College Football,'' was topped by ``In bed, your wife says, `Get a Trojan' -- you come back with USC kicker Mario Danelo.''

The 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound kicker was the son of former NFL kicker Joe Danelo, who played for Washington State (1972-74) before kicking in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers (1975), New York Giants (1976-82) and Buffalo Bills (1983-84).

``When you are younger, you always want to be like your pop, and my pop was a kicker, so it was something I naturally got into from there,'' he said in the media guide.

Danelo is the second USC athlete to die in the past eight months. Basketball point guard Ryan Francis was fatally shot last May 13 in Baton Rouge, La.

Giambi_MVP_25

Jan 7 2007, 01:49 PM

Placekicker for USC

Giambi_MVP_25

Jan 7 2007, 01:49 PM

Placekicker for USC

Venom

Jan 8 2007, 07:55 PM

Giambi_MVP_25

Jan 7 2007, 01:49 PM

Placekicker for USC

Must of lost his footing.