There are certain debilitating ailments that football players suffer consistently: sprained ankles, twisted knees, herpes. But an injury is usually confined to a few players. Not in the case of USC’s football squad. They’ve got a rather serious epidemic on their hands and, um, crotches.

As much as 25% of the team has been affected by the apparent run of tinea cruris, kicker David Buehler estimated. The condition seems to have spread by way of new compression shorts, or tights, worn under their football pants.

Tailback Joe McKnight and receiver Travon Patterson were sufficiently afflicted to spend Wednesday’s practice on the sideline. “It burns,” Patterson said.

Tinea Cruris is the scientific term for “jock itch”, a.k.a. ringworm of the groin, and 25% of USC’s athletes ailing from the disease leads us to one conclusion: players are sharing jock straps. Which also leads us to revise the USC acronym to signify University Of Scarred Crotches. Yeah. That works.

Trojans have a little problem [LA Times]
Image [SCFootball]