Men of Troy

A deeply reported account of the rollicking 2000s USC Trojan football team, illustrating how a failed NFL coach, an unheralded cross-eyed quarterback, and a generational running back talent conquered college football and the city of Los Angeles, and captivated the sporting world.​
The University of Southern California received thousands of calls, emails and letters in 2001, after hiring former NFL coach, Pete Carroll, to resurrect its moribund program. Carroll was a “failure,” a “fraud,” and a “flake” according to USC boosters, the fans in Los Angeles and the college football cognoscenti. But by the middle of the decade, he had turned USC into a legendary juggernaut, with multiple Heisman Trophy winners and national championships.
In MEN OF TROY, New York Times bestselling author, Monte Burke, provides the definitive account of this singular dynasty. Based on original reporting and more than 150 new interviews, Burke illustrates how Carroll and his colorful cast of coaches and players—including cross-eyed quarterback turned national heartthrob, Matt Leinart, and the electric, generational running back, Reggie Bush—not only took over college football, but Los Angeles and the country, as well.
USC home games were the hottest ticket in town. Celebrities fought to be invited to stand on the sidelines and hobnob with players who were, in some cases, more famous than they were. Burke not only takes readers through the iconic games of the era, but also behind the scenes—in the locker room, on the recruiting trail and into the LA nightlife scene, where the players enjoyed their celebrity status and, at times, succumbed to illicit temptations. He also puts the dynasty in proper context, tracing the breathtaking rise of the program, the sudden and inglorious fall, and the scandal that left a program in ruins and precipitated the drastic changes that led to the current era of college football.

Monte Burke is the New York Times bestselling author of Saban, Lords of the Fly,Rivers Always Reach the Sea, 4TH And Goal and Sowbelly. His books have won an Axiom Award for biography, been named one of the best books of the year by Sports Illustrated, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream and Amazon and been chosen for Barnes & Noble’s "Discover Great New Writers" program. After a 14-year stint as a reporter, staff writer and editor at Forbes, he is now a contributing editor at the magazine. He is also a contributing editor at Garden & Gun and The Drake. Connect with him via @monteburke13, or through monteburke.com.