USC Football: Former Trojans QB Mitch Mustain Proves He Still Has an Arm

Mitch Mustain last pitched a baseball game his sophomore year of high school. That was long before the baseball rookie ever stepped on the field at USC or Arkansas as a member of either football program.

Yet the 24-year-old made an impressive professional baseball debut yesterday. Assigned to rookie ball by the Chicago White Sox, many would quickly assume the former quarterback would be a bust like he was on the college football field. Mustain proved that thought process wrong.

Mustain threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen yesterday. He gave up two hits and struck out two, earning a 0.00 run average.

For those that remember Mustain when he came out of high school in 2005, you will also remember that he was considered a better player than Tim Tebow. However, after an arrest, a transfer and a lackluster collegiate career that led to no NFL interest, Mustain was in a much different place.

While at USC, Mustain found himself sitting the bench behind Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley. This was hardly what Mustain had bargained for. Head coach Pete Carroll liked Sanchez, and when Lane Kiffin took over, he stuck with Barkley. For Mustain, he was stuck in the shadows.

Whether Mustain ever makes it to the majors (it's highly improbable), the former quarterback can be proud of his first trip to the mound. If anything, it has allowed Mustain to step out of the shadows and shine on his own. It's been a rough road for Mustain, who had tried to resurrect his football career a couple of times up until now, but he may have just found his calling with baseball.

Even if it is only temporarily.