Dwayne Jarrett
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Dwayne Jarrett (born September 11, 1986 in New Brunswick, New Jersey) is a wide receiver for the University of Southern California Trojans.
He is often referred to as "DJ".
[edit] College career
As a freshman, he helped Trojan fans get over the loss of former USC standout wide receiver, Mike Williams. He played in all 13 games and started 8 of them. He caught 55 passes for 849 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also made 5 catches for 115 yards in USC's FedEx Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma in 2004.
As a sophomore, he made a big leap, becoming Matt Leinart's favorite target. He recorded 91 receptions for 1,274 yards including 16 touchdowns while starting all 13 games in 2005. He will be remembered by many fans for his clutch grab against Notre Dame. On fourth-and-nine with less than a minute left, Matt Leinart threw a pass to him and Jarrett caught it, running for 61 yards to set up the winning touchdown, the famed and controversial "Bush Push" QB sneak. He also came up big in USC's Rose Bowl loss to the Texas Longhorns with 10 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.
He was a 2005 First-team All-American as a sophomore and one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award. He is on the 2006 Maxwell Award watch list as the best player in college football.
His height, hands, and surprising quickness make him one of the premier receivers going into the 2006 college football season. He is expected to be a big part of the Trojan's offense, considering the departure of former Trojan running backs Reggie Bush and LenDale White. He was selected to the 2006 Playboy All-American team.
After a brief period of ineligibility due to his apparently inappropriate living situation with Matt Leinart, the NCAA reinstated him on August 9th, 2006, making him eligible to play for the 2006 football season.
[edit] High school career
He attended the local public high school in New Brunswick. He was a 2003 Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, Super Prep All-Northeast Offensive MVP, and Prep Star All-East. He was also New Jersey's Offensive Pick of the Year as a senior wideout and defensive back. He scored 26 touchdowns as a senior (with three of those 26 in New Brunswick's 21-14 state title victory), including 5 on 15 punt returns (for a 48 yard return average). He also played basketball in high school.
[edit] Personal
Jarrett shared a Los Angeles apartment with quarterback Matt Leinart.
Jarrett's cousin, Desmond Belton, currently is a wide receiver at the University of Idaho. Like Jarrett, he was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
