Adjunct journalism professor Jeff Fellenzer and his class were featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story about USC Annenberg student Matt Barkley (B.A. Communication '12), who is also the starting quarterback of the USC football team. The in-depth article covered many aspects of Barkley's life off the football field, including the time Fellenzer introduced him to World War II hero and track star Louie Zamperini, who was a guest speaker in Fellenzer's class. That meeting led to a friendship between Barkley and Zamperini.
From the article:
The two seem to have little in common, other than that they both played a sport at USC, seven decades apart. They've talked about the raft, where Zamperini atrophied to 60 pounds but recited poetry to sharpen his mind, and the camps, where he was singled out for regular beatings by a sergeant his fellow prisoners nicknamed the Bird. Barkley thought about Zamperini in June 2010 when the NCAA leveled the Trojans with a two-year bowl ban and stripped the program of 30 scholarships, penalties imposed because of Bush's relationship with a wannabe sports marketer. "It's not so bad," Barkley told himself. And he thinks of Zamperini again now, with the masses predicting he will win the Heisman and bring another national title trophy to Heritage Hall. "Whatever I do," Barkley says, "I can't ever measure up to Louie."
Zamperini has been a regular visitor in Fellenzer's "Sports, Business, Media" class (story here, video here). From the Sports Illustrated article: "Whenever Zamperini comes to campus, Fellenzer introduces him the same way: 'Greatest Trojan of 'em all.' He wonders how he will introduce Barkley, assuming this season unfolds as expected. He seems to have been pondering it for a while. 'What I'd probably call him,' Fellenzer says, 'is the greatest Trojan football player of 'em all.'" Fellenzer is also a faculty associate for the USC Annenberg Institute of Sports, Media & Society. His class is known for its outstanding guest speakers, industry insight and life lessons. It has featured the likes of legendary basketball coach John Wooden, broadcaster and former NFL/USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers icon Jerry West, baseball super-agent Scott Boras and Hall of Fame sports broadcaster Al Michaels. But students have been touched by Zamperini's visits over the years because of his remarkable story of perseverance and forgiveness.
