Braden Fiske ended up in LA after all, but before being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams this spring, the 6’5″ 297-pound defensive lineman turned down the chance to play football for the USC Trojans. His reason? To focus on football, not on having a great time in one of the world’s entertainment capitals.
Fiske joined the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast in the run-up to the 2024 NFL draft and was asked about the process when he decided to transfer away from Western Michigan. Fiske had narrowed his search down to a handful of schools including USC and FSU.
Los Angeles Rams Draft Pick Describes USC Recruiting Process
“…when I was on campus, they do it crazy out there. They tried to put you up in the high-rise apartment, like 36th floor, Fiske said about his official visit with the USC Trojans, “All that sounds nice, but I’m thinking of my last year of college ball, I’m like ‘I need to lock the f–k in.’ I’ve been here for six years, I got to get up out of here, try to make something happen.”
“All that sounded cool, I’m looking out seeing LA but real deep down I’m like ‘this just ain’t for me.’ I need this townhome over here on Hayden Road. I need to make it happen. A little more gritty, I’m the big blue-collar guy, right? That’s my label.”
It wasn’t just the baller life that USC offered to try to entice Fiske. He also dropped the price range they were offered. A process that Fiske described as ‘f—king sketchy.’
“Yeah, there was a little money on the table,” Fiske said. “I probably could’ve made more going to USC but it just kind of varies.
“It was upwards of like $400K, it was in that range, like, you know, between two and four,” Fiske added.
Fiske recently signed his rookie contract with the Rams worth $9.4 million over the next four seasons. Hopefully, he has warmed up to LA and now finds the Southern California lifestyle more suitable than he did in the past.
