Rey Maualuga's Knee May Be OK—And So Will His Life

Dan Woike of USCfootball.com reported that Trojan linebacker Rey Maualuga’s MRI results aren’t in yet, but that Maualuga did not experience any swelling and was running around on Monday without a limp.

That is really good news for those of us who are following Maualuga, especially those from his hometown of Eureka, Calif.

It’s become cliché for national TV, radio, and print journalists to focus on Maualuga’s past difficulties, but give it up, OK?

Many of us are just sick of hearing about it again and again and again. He’s moved on, and so should these journalists. They need to get a life.

Maualuga will benefit from the mentoring of Ken Norton, who knows well the pitfalls of collegiate and professional sports.

Norton excelled in his career as an All-Pro linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers.

Norton was a no-nonsense player who took apart opposing offenses through his game preparation and innate instinctual ability to read plays. He was able to quickly fill gaps and brought linebacking justice to many running backs and receivers—sadly, some of them were on my own team, the 49ers.

One thing that has been covered to an extent—but not enough—is Maualuga’s “other” side. He exemplified that side when he visited his mother over the weekend while still limping around.

For those of us who don’t know Maualuga but who live where he grew up, we are rooting for this young man to succeed not only on the field, but also off the field.

He has an excellent opportunity to become an exemplary role model for young athletes.

If you want to measure the potential of his future star appeal, when he was at a local football game over the weekend, there were all kinds of youngsters asking him for his autograph.

Not bad for a young man from the remote North Coast of California, is it?