Protector at Heart Crisman Is One of USC’s Leading Offensive Linemen, but Some Day He Wants to Guard the President

USC entrusts Joel Crisman with the assignment of protecting its quarterback, Rob Johnson, and Crisman wouldn’t mind extending his protection right up to the President of the United States.

Crisman is certainly big enough. He’s 6 feet 5 and 290 pounds . . . and he aspires to a career in the Secret Service after a hoped-for NFL career.

A senior left guard for USC, Crisman makes his comeback Saturday at Notre Dame after sitting out five games because of a foot injury.

“It’s something I’ve been interested in since the Secret Service was at SC for a career day two years ago,” Crisman said of his goal.

“It struck me as a fascinating career, and it’s been on my mind ever since. I’d like to play in the NFL, too, so this is a post-pro football idea I’ve had.”

First, though, there is the rest of the season to think about, including Crisman’s final crack at Notre Dame.

Crisman, considered one of USC’s two best offensive linemen, injured his right foot in the Trojans’ 49-7 victory over Houston seven weeks ago, and Saturday’s game at South Bend will be his first since.

But Tony Boselli, a junior offensive tackle who starts on the left side next to Crisman, the other of the “two best,” will not be playing. He suffered a dislocated kneecap against Arizona three weeks ago and will be sidelined for another three weeks.

Crisman’s foot injury was not a common one.

“It happened on the last play of the third quarter, when I was drive-blocking on a second-and-one play,” he said.

“I felt something pop. It hurt quite a bit, but I kept going on the play. When it was over, and we’d scored a touchdown, I couldn’t run off the field. When I got to the sideline, I told (trainer) Jack Ward I thought I’d broken it.

“It hurt in the center of the foot. The X-rays showed one small bone in the foot had dislocated, and that two cross ligaments that hold my big toe and second toe together had been torn.

“I could pull my right big toe 90 degrees to the left--there was nothing holding it straight.”

When USC’s medical team plugged into the football injury network, it turned out that two New York Giants recently had suffered the same injury, and assistant trainer Byron Hansen programmed a suitable therapy program for Crisman.

He can run again and will play Saturday wearing a shoe bonded to an outer boot that will hold his toes together.

Crisman’s absence was noticed.

The week after he was injured, USC fell behind early at Penn State, then lost when a fourth-quarter rally fell short at the goal line, 21-20. With Crisman out and inexperienced Jeremy Hogue filling in for him, both USC’s running and passing games suffered.

Hogue, a 6-4, 260-pound sophomore from El Toro, has improved substantially since that day, coaches say.

Of his relief man, Hogue, Crisman said: “Jeremy’s done fine. He’s gotten better every week. He just needs to get bigger.”

Of course, when you’re 6-5 and 290, nearly everyone else looks small.

“His first two games for us were really good,” Coach John Robinson said of Crisman. “Now his senior season has telescoped down to five more games.”

How does a football player from Grundy Center, Iowa, wind up at USC?

“It came down to Iowa State and SC, after I eliminated Notre Dame and Alabama,” Crisman said.

“I really liked SC when I came to visit, so I committed while I was here. I knew it would be a big lifestyle change for me, coming here from a little farm town, but I have an aunt and uncle in Whittier who really made it easy.

“I was pretty homesick my first year. My phone bills home were running about $200 a month. But I spent a lot of weekends in Whittier, and that helped.

“I really miss Iowa when I’m out here. I love the slow pace there, fishing at night for catfish on lakes and rivers, hunting deer, pheasants, geese and ducks.”

Crisman’s Whittier relatives are Connie and Andy Bandstra.

“Joel went through a year of culture shock, but he kept coming over because we have Iowa steaks flown in,” Connie Bandstra says.

“And my husband fishes in Alaska a lot, so we always have lots of salmon and halibut. It’s been great fun having him for his college career. He’s told us he wouldn’t have gone to SC if we hadn’t been here.”

And as the clock ticks down to his final Saturday at South Bend--and Notre Dame having beaten USC in the teams’ last 10 meetings--Crisman focuses on a commitment he says his senior teammates have made.

“We’ve decided we owe this game to ourselves, to the fans and to USC alumni,” he said.