First the basketball team’s point guard, now the football team’s kicker: Mario Danelo is dead.
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — Southern California kicker Mario Danelo was found dead Saturday about 120 feet down a rocky cliff near Point Fermin lighthouse.
The body was reported by a passer-by at about 4:30 p.m., said Martha Garcia of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Danelo, the 21-year-old son of former NFL kicker Joe Danelo, made 15 of 16 field goals this season and led the Trojans in scoring with 89 points. The junior made two field goals in the Rose Bowl on Monday to help USC beat Michigan 32-18.
Speaking on behalf of Trojans coach Pete Carroll, USC spokesman Tim Tessalone said: “We were stunned to hear about this tragedy. This is a great loss. Mario was a wonderful young man of high character.
“He was one heck of a kicker. He was a key ingredient in our success the past two years. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Trojan family go out to the Danelo family on this sad, sad day.”
Scott Wolf calls it an “apparent suicide” and says “he had been missing for a day and rigor mortis already set in when authorities discovered him.” Brian Cook writes, “Reading between the lines, the implication is he fell… or leapt. Hard to imagine what could have caused it, but on-field performance is not likely to be the culprit. Danelo missed only one field goal this year. Condolences to the USC program, fans, and the Danelo family.”
Danelo was a 21-year-old junior.
P.S. TrojanWire: “This upsets us beyond belief. … [Danelo] was a great Trojan and beyond that a great human being. He will be missed.”
Jonathan Tu: “I met him twice, both times in 2005: the first during the Salute to Troy, an annual event in which players meet fans and vice versa, and the second during a scrimmage. Both times he was kinda off by himself, doing his thing, being a kicker. We spoke only once, at the Salute to Troy, and he was humble and well spoken and entirely shocked at people recognizing who he was. Well, it was pretty easy. You could spot his smile a football field away.”
P.P.S. Lots of discussion on the Trojan message boards: here and here.
Obviously, I join with all those extending their thoughts and prayers to Danelo’s friends and family. Whatever the cause, what an awful tragedy.
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Categories: USC, College Football
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January 7th, 2007 at 1:01:51 am
A truely tragic loss to the USC family. My stomach dropped when I read this news.
Missing two extra points in the Rose Bowl… God, I hope that had nothing to do with this. You helped get us there, Mario. We love you man.
RIP Mario.
January 7th, 2007 at 1:17:20 am
Wow. That’s truly unfortunate.
January 7th, 2007 at 1:23:22 am
So horribly tragic. My prayers go out to his family and the entire Trojan extended family. This is just so sad.
January 7th, 2007 at 1:28:51 am
[…] going/http_www_brendanloy_com_2007_01_another_trojan_tragedy_mario_danelo_found_dead_html’);” href=”http://www.brendanloy.com/2007/01/another-trojan-tragedy-mario-danelo-found-dead.html” target=”_blank”>The Irish Trojan’s Blog
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January 7th, 2007 at 1:34:10 am
FYI Brendan the top pic is of Tom Malone.
This is just such a sad day.
January 7th, 2007 at 1:48:24 am
Oops. Thanks, Jonathan. I suppose I should have noticed the guy in the top picture doesn’t look much like the guy in the bottom picture. Will fix it now.
January 7th, 2007 at 9:21:14 am
Society needs to revive the moral condemnation of suicide somehow. I think the proclivity of successful young people to do this is one of the accidents of our less judgmental, relativistic society. We don’t want to sound callous during times of tragedy, but the truth is that people are saved everyday, and pulled back from the ledge, by the recognition (albeit reluctant) that suicide is a shameful, selfish (and morally condemnable) act that scandalizes the living, especially our loved ones. In some ways it is even worse than murder, because our loved ones have to deal with the double tragedy and confusion that the killer and the deeply beloved victim are the same. I know in my darkest times, it’s the recognition of the pain the illict act would inflict on those behind that has saved me. Indeed it serves no charity to condemn this act in the person after it has happened, for they are dead and we must turn to hope for them, but it seems to me, moral differences all, most people can get behind hanging on to at least one absolute truth - this is a disgusting act, you should not do it.
January 7th, 2007 at 9:59:11 am
Well said 4-7. Having a beautiful young niece who is very suicidal your words are painfully real. Indeed how do we help them find their way? Patience and love, love and lots of it.
January 7th, 2007 at 2:28:07 pm
ESPN radio news is now saying that authorities suspect foul play . . . which isn’t language used for suicides. I wonder if this turns from an awful suicide story to some sort of twisted murder story. Sad no matter how you slice it.
January 7th, 2007 at 3:31:57 pm
I read on ESPN that his brother is saying it was an accident.
January 7th, 2007 at 6:39:48 pm
latimes.com is reporting that the police have ruled out foul play
January 7th, 2007 at 10:51:19 pm
He got drunk and passed out, unfortunately he was resting near the cliffs and fell off.
A tragic accident.
RIP.