Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Willie McGinest recently announced his retirement following the 2008 season and elaborated on the subject today after Cleveland's second day of organized team activities.

"I accomplished a lot and I just felt if it was time, this will be it,'' McGinest said. "You hear different guys like (San Diego Chargers tailback) LaDainian (Tomlinson) talk about sometimes you just gotta walk away from the game. I want to leave the game in good shape. I want to feel good. I want my body to feel good, and I want to leave productive."

McGinest, who is in the final year of his contract, added that the reason he returned this season was because the Browns have a chance to contend. The team went 10-6 last year, just missing the playoffs, and come into 2008 with high expectations.

A number of USC fan favorites, including Reggie Bush, Justin Fargas, and Keary Colbert, sat out this week with injuries.

LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) became the Trojan's second 1,000-yard rusher this season thanks to a 23 carry, 103 yard performance. He's up to 1063 on the season. The Titans beat the Jets 10-6.

Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) had another rough outing. He was 11-of-21 for 115 yards, 1 touchdown, and two more interceptions (19 on the year). The Bengals squeaked out a 19-14 win over Cleveland.

Troy Polamalu (S - Pittsburgh) forced a fumble and had six tackles as the Steelers beat St. Louis 41-24.

Brian Kelly (CB - Tampa Bay) made an interception and a tackle in a 21-19 loss to San Francisco.

Junior Seau (LB - New England) mad five tackles and was credited with half a sack in the Pat's 28-7 win over Miami.

Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) made eight tackles as the Jags downed Oakland 49-11.

Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans) made three catches for 38 yards against Philadelphia. The Saints lost 38-23.

Chris McFoy (WR - Oakland) caught the first pass of his career, a 19 yarder for Lane Kiffin's Raiders.

Keary Colbert (WR - Carolina) may be looking for a real estate agent.

Kenechi Udeze (DT - Minnesota) had 6 tackles in a 32-21 loss to Washington.

Lofa Tatupu (LB - Seattle) had 5 tackles in 27-6 win over Baltimore.

Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made 3 tackles in the loss to Cincinnati.

Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) had 2 tackles in the victory over New Orleans.

Also Played: Dominique Byrd (TE - St. Louis) and Dwayne Jarrett (WR - Carolina).

Justin Fargas (RB - Oakland) ran the rock 26 times for 89 yards and a score along with a seven yard reception. He now has 1,009 yard on the ground this season, marking a major milestone for the Encino native. Unfortunately, he left in the 4th quarter with a sprained right MCL. The Raiders fell 21-14 to Indianapolis.

Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) was 19-of-31 for 251 yards in a 20-13 loss to San Francisco. He completed his first touchdown pass in three weeks, giving him 100 on his career. He's the fifth fastest NFL quarterback to reach that plateau.

Troy Polamalu (S - Pittsburgh) made ten tackles in a his first game back from injury. The Steelers fell to Jacksonville 29-22.

LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) was playing through pain, but ran for 93 yards on 24 carries. He also had a catch for no gain in a 26-17 victory over Kansas City. With two games to go, he just needs 40 yards to break the 1,000 mark.

Junior Seau (LB - New England) had nine tackles and two sacks in a 20-10 win over the Jets.

Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) made seven tackles (one for a loss) in the Jaguar's loss.

Lofa Tatupu (LB - Seattle) made seven tackles in a 13-10 loss to Carolina.

Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans) had three receptions for 39 yards in 31-24 victory over Arizona.

Steve Smith (WR - New York Giants) was active for the first time since week two and had an 8 yard catch in a 22-10 loss to Washington.

Chris McFoy (WR - Oakland) was promoted from the practice squad but didn't have any catches in the loss to the Colts.

Shaun Cody (DT - Detroit) made a tackle behind the line of scrimmage, but his Lions were thumped 51-14 by San Diego.

Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) had one tackle in a 10-6 victory over Dallas.

Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made a tackle in an 8-0 loss to Buffalo.

Also Played: Dominique Byrd (TE - St. Louis), Brian Kelly (CB - Tampa Bay), Manuel Wright (DT - New York Giants).

Monday Night Football: Kenechi Udeze and the Vikings are taking on Chicago.

LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) carried the ball 30 times for 113 yards and a touchdown. He also added two receptions for another 24 yards. Tennessee fell to San Diego in overtime after the Chargers rallied from 14 points down. White's performance on the ground gives him 867 yards this season with three games to go.

Justin Fargas (RB - Oakland) had his toughest outing since stepping up for the Raiders six weeks ago. Green Bay pounded Oakland 38-7 and Fargas managed only 15 carries for 57 yards. He left in the fourth quarter with a bruised rib, but doesn't expect to miss any more playing time. With three games to go, he's just 80 yards away from his first 1,000 yard season.

Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) was 21-of-29 for 189 yards and was intercepted twice. The Bengals won a sloppy game 19-10 in the pouring rain in St. Louis.

Junior Seau (LB - New England) had 6 tackles in a 34-13 victory over Pittsburgh.

Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) made 5 tackles, one for a loss, as the Eagles fell 16-13 to the New York Giants.

Monday Night Football: RB Reggie Bush is out with an injured knee, but keep an eye on TE Billy Miller to continue his productive season for the Saints in tonight's game in Atlanta.

Lofa Tatupu (LB - Seattle) made 4 tackles in a 42-21 victory over Arizona.

Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made a tackle for a 3 yard loss in a 24-18 win over the New York Jets.

Keary Colbert (WR - Carolina) had an 8 yard catch in a 37-6 loss to Jacksonville.

Brian Kelly (CB - Tampa Bay) made 3 tackles in a 28-14 loss to Houston.

Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) had 2 tackled in the victory over Carolina.

Kenechi Udeze (DE - Minnesota) made a tackled against San Francisco in a 27-7 victory.

Also Played: Dominique Byrd (TE - St. Louis), Shaun Cody (DT - Detroit), Mike Williams (WR - Tennessee), Manuel Wright (DT - New York Giants).

In case you missed it, USC alumnus and current Cleveland Browns linebacker Willie McGinest is featured in an NFL commercial this season.

Other players in the campaign include Brady Quinn, Vince Young, Matt Hasselback.

Justin Fargas (RB - Oakland) ran for 81 yards and had five receptions for 23 more, but the Raiders lost to Chicago 17-6. He also lost a fumble.

Reggie Bush (RB - New Orleans) wasn't a huge factor in the Saint's 37-29 loss to St. Louis. Coming into the game with a knee injury, he had 7 rushes for 17 yards and a touchdown, along with 5 receptions for 27 yards. He left the game for a few plays after a helmet-to-helmet hit ... Bush fired his marketing agent last week. The story appears unrelated to Lloyd Lake.

Dwayne Jarrett (WR - Carolina) saw action for just the second time in his career, making catches of 22 and 6 yards in a 20-13 loss to Atlanta.

Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) made 6 tackles, including a sack, and forced a fumble in the Eagle's 33-25 victory at Washington.

Troy Polamalu (S - Pittsburgh) had 4 tackles, one for a loss, and participated in two interceptions as the Steelers took down Cleveland 31-28.

Frostee Rucker (DE - Cincinnati) had his biggest game of the season with 3 tackles and a forced fumble.

Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans) only had 1 catch for 1 yard -- and 1 touchdown.

LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) ran the rock 8 times for 12 yards and had a 5 yard reception. He hurt his knee in the Titan's 28-13 loss to Jacksonville.

Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) was 23-for-34 and 271 yards. The Bengals won 21-7 in Baltimore.

Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) had four tackled and participated in an interception in a 28-13 win over Tennessee.

Shaun Cody (DT - Detroit) picked up two tackles in a 31-21 loss to Arizona.

Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made two tackles as the Browns fell 31-28 to Pittsburgh.

LaJuan Ramsey (DT - Philadelphia) made a tackle for a loss in the win over Washington.

Kenechi Udeze (DE - Minnesota) made one tackle in a 34-0 loss to Green Bay.

Mike Williams (WR - Unemployed) still needs a team. If you own an NFL franchise and are in need of his services, please have your people call his people.

Monday Night Football: Lofa Tatupu's (LB - Seattle) Seahawks welcome San Francisco tonight.

Tailback U had a solid weekend in the NFL ...

Reggie Bush (RB - New Orleans) broke 100 all-purpose yards once again, with 72 on the ground and 43 in the air. He scored a touchdown both ways to help the Saints beat Jacksonville 41-24 ... After the game, he told the press, "Don't eat the cheese. Parmesan cheese, gouda cheese, Kraft single cheese, whatever it is, any kind of cheese, people want to feed us. It's just staying focused and not allowing your head to get too big, because if you eat too much cheese you may get sick -- especially if you're lactose intolerant." Cheese is metaphor for public hype, both good and bad ...

LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) earned his third straight 100 yard game, picking up exactly that many yards on 31 attempts. He had a touchdown and a fumble as the Titans took down Carolina 20-7.

Justin Fargas (RB - Oakland) had his second 100 yard game of the season, with 104 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. The Raiders fell to Houston, 24-17.

Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) was 26-of-39 for 271 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The Bengals fell to Buffalo 33-21 and are now 2-6 on the season.

Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans) made a 57 yard catch, longer than his total yards all season prior to the game. He finished with three catches for 75 yards.

Keary Colbert (WR - Carolina) hauled in 3 catches for 30 yards in a 20-7 loss to Tennessee.

Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) had a busy Sunday with 11 tackles (one for a loss). He also participated in two interceptions in the loss to New Orleans.

Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) made 8 tackles, including one for a loss, as the Eagles fell to Dallas 38-17.

Lofa Tatupu (LB - Seattle) made 8 tackles in the overtime loss to Cleveland.

Junior Seau (LB - New England) had two tackles in the Pat's big win over Indy.

Kenechi Udeze (DE - Minnesota) had two tackles (one for a loss) in a 35-17 win over San Diego.

Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made two tackles in a 33-30 overtime victory over Seattle.

Brian Kelly (CB - Tampa Bay) made a tackle and participated in an interception in a 17-10 victory over Arizona.

Shaun Cody (DT - Detroit) made a tackle in a 44-7 victory over Denver.

Also Played: LaJuan Ramsey (DT - Philadelphia), Frostee Rucker (DE - Cincinnati).

Monday Night Football: Troy Polamalu and the Steelers host Baltimore.

In case you missed it: Mike Williams was cut by Lane Kiffin in Oakland last week.

After this weekend, the Trojans are wishing some of these guys were still on campus ...

LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) set a career high with 133 yards on the ground and added an eight yard reception to power the Titans over Oakland 13-9.

Reggie Bush (RB - New Orleans) may not have impressive rushing totals considering he's the Saint's feature back, but he's still a good fantasy pick. Stats from Sunday's 31-10 drubbing of San Francisco: 10 rushes, 64 yards, long of 20; 7 catches, 49 yards, long of 25.

Matt Cassell (QB - New England) rarely sees much action backing up Tom Brady, but the Patriots are so good (think USC a few years ago) that he was given a chance to make some plays. He connected on 21- and 7-yard passes and ran 15 yards for a touchdown. The Pats decimated Washington 52-7.

Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) cracked a passer rating of 100 for the first time since week 2, but the Bengals dropped against rival Pittsburgh 24-13. Palmer was 23-of-31 for 205 yards and a touchdown.

Keary Colbert (WR - Carolina) had 4 grabs for 35 yards but the Panthers fell to Indianapolis 31-7.

Justin Fargas (RB - Oakland) was the second leading rusher in the game to LenDale White, with 61 yards on 12 carries. He added three catches for 36 yards.

Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) made an interception and six tackles in a 24-23 win over Tampa Bay.

Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made three tackles and also participated in three interceptions (though didn't make them himself).

Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans) had grabs of 5 and 12 yards to help the Saints beat the 49ers.

Troy Polamalu (S - Pittsburgh) made six tackles and participated in an interception against former teammate Palmer.

Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) made four tackles in a win over Minnesota.

Junior Seau (LB - New England) made four tackles in the victory over Washington.

Kenechi Udeze (DE - Minnesota) made one sack and two tackles in a 23-16 victory over Philadelphia.

Mike Williams (WR - Oakland) had two grabs for 20 yards while falling to Tennessee.

Junior Seau (LB - New England) was acting like a kid again as he celebrated two interceptions against Cleveland. The 18-year veteran also made 6 tackles (one for a loss) and had 23 yards on the returns.

Keary Colbert (WR - Carolina) led the Panthers in receiving in a victory over former teammate Reggie Bush. His four grabs for 74 yards were highlighted by a 43 yard catch. He fumbled once, but Carolina recovered.

Reggie Bush (RB - New Orleans) picked up 119 total yards as the Saints fell to the Panthers. Bush became the top running back in the Big Easy due to an injury suffered last week by Deuce McAllister, but nothing was easy about his 67 yards on 21 carries. Mr. Excitement's longest run was 13 yards.

Matt Leinart (QB - Arizona) is out indefinitely. The struggling signal caller fractured his left collarbone while being sacked (you may recall that he's a lefty). Before being injured, he was 7-of-13 for 100 yards and an interception.

Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) led the Jaguars with 8 tackles in a win over Kansas City.

Brian Kelly (CB - Tampa Bay) overcame his struggles with turf toe to make three tackles in a loss to Indianapolis.

LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) lost a fumble and had 32 yards on 12 carries as the Titans beat Atlanta.

Shaun Cody (DT - Detroit) managed a tackle in a loss to Washington.

Lofa Tatupu (LB - Seattle) participated in seven tackles in a loss to Pittsburgh.

Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made two tackles in a loss to New England.

Troy Polamalu (S - Pittsburgh) did not play due to a rib cartilage injury suffered last week. He is listed as questionable. Inactive players aren't normally mentioned in this feature, but we neglected to mention the injury last week.

Also played: Dominique Byrd (TE - St. Louis), Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans).

Justin Fargas (RB) was a surprise star for Oakland, picking up a career high 179 yards on 22 carrier with a long of 48. He replaced injured starter LaMont Jordan just before halftime.

Matt Leinart (QB) started for Arizona, was replaced by Kurt Warner, then returned in the fourth to lead a touchdown drive that put the game out of reach for Pittsburgh. He was 7-of-14 for 93 yards.

Dwayne Jarrett (WR) played in the first game of his career and had a six yard catch.

Winston Justice (LT) got the first start of his career, and boy did it look like he had never played before.

Lofa Tatupu (LB) had eight tackles and forced a fumble in Seattle's victory over San Francisco.

Troy Polamalu (S) had two tackles and forced a fumble against Matt Leinart's Cardinals.

Willie McGinest (LB) assisted on a tackle in his first game of the year as Cleveland beat Baltimore.

Keary Colbert (WR) made grabs of 10 and 6 yards in a Carolina loss to Tampa Bay.

Shaun Cody (DT) had a tackle for the Lions in a win over Chicago.

Kenechi Udeze (DE) made two tackles in Minnesota's loss to Green Bay.

Monday Night Football: New England heads to Cincinnati in a showdown of two marque NFL QBs. Carson Palmer will be at the helm for the Bengals while his former backup, Matt Cassell, plays second fiddle for the Pats. On defense, New England has a pair of Trojan linebackers named Oscar Lua and Junior Seau. Cincinnati also has DT Frostee Rucker. Lua and Rucker have yet to play this season.

Live from the Shrine Auditorium in the center of the universe -- sunny Los Angeles, California -- it's the TrojanWire 1,000th Post Spectacular Special. Featuring appearances by Reggie Bush, Salma Hayek, Matt Leinart, Paris Hilton, Pete Carroll, Carson Palmer, Stephen Colbert, Junior Seau, Snoop Dogg, Marcus Allen, Ted Knight, Bacon-wrapped Hot Dogs, Keith Rivers, Henry Winkler, Lofa Tatupu, Alyssa Milano, Charles White, Shrek, Anthony Davis, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Lua, Judith Regan, and many more.

He's already received Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week this year, but the man who wears the number of Junior Seau (#55), Willie McGinest (#55), and Chris Claiborne (#55), has yet to reach that level of recognition.

But we are hearing his name, his number, more and more...

It's certainly popping up around USC's practice field, and in a lot of different places. Coach Pete Carroll has had Rivers play all three spots plus the middle in nickel situations.

"It's really helped him to understand what's going on and he has great awareness,'' Carroll said. "It's hard to measure that because it allows guys to play faster. Not just the recognition of the plays as you look across the line of scrimmage, but understanding what's expected of you."

"He had a couple of tremendous plays today in the team period that were as good as you can do things. He plays like a real veteran.''

Let Rivers continue to flow, and he will make his mark in the echelon of great #55's to play linebacker at USC.

Rivers in flow, looking like star [Daily Breeze]