Tre Madden's grandfather scouts for the St. Louis Rams. His uncle coaches for the New York Jets. So when the USC tailback seeks counsel about preparing for the NFL, he has a knowledgeable sounding board.
Madden thinks the key to his NFL future is not complicated: "Being available to be on the field," he said.
Productivity has never been a problem for Madden. Availability has proved a challenge.
The fifth-year senior played well as a freshman reserve linebacker in 2011, and he was a dynamic tailback at the start of the 2013 season.
But he was sidelined in 2012 while recovering from knee surgery, was slowed or sidelined for the second half of the 2013 season, and he sat out in 2014 because of a foot injury.