USC WR Drake London to Miss Rest of Season With Ankle Injury

The USC Trojans football team has already had a rough season, and now it will be without its best offensive weapon for the rest of the year.

USC interim head coach Donte Williams confirmed to reporters Sunday that wide receiver Drake London will miss the remainder of the season because of a fractured ankle.

London was forced out of Saturday's game against Arizona in the second quarter when he took a hit as he crossed the goal line for a six-yard touchdown. His right leg was put in an air cast and he was carted off the field. 

London finished with nine catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns as USC went on to win 41-34 to improve to 4-4. He returned to the sidelines in street clothes and using crutches.

"In those eight games he played, all the awards you can think of he deserves, whether it's the Biletnikoff, whether it's first-team All-American," Williams said. "The things he did for this team and this university, he was about to put up one of the best statistical seasons any receiver has ever put up in college football, and that's saying a lot.

"At the same time," he added, "yes, we're going to miss him as a player, but the things that people forget about is who he is as a person to this team. He's a team captain for a reason."

A projected first-round pick in the NFL draft, London ranks third in the nation in total receiving yards and yards per game. The 6'5" junior finishes the season with 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns. 

Williams said London was in good spirits Sunday despite the bad news.

"He was still here [Sunday] in the team meeting, he still was high spirits, he still was walking around on his crutches, but he still was smiling and he still was one of the guys," Williams said. "He didn't look at it as like he was devastated and crying and by himself."

USC will face Arizona State in a road game Saturday.