USC QB Jayden Maiava on How "Portuguese Horseshoes" Helped Refine His Accuracy

Jaden Mayalva, quarterback, USC Mike T 12.

Jayden being back here again at USC, you know, what went into that thought process to, to come back here is it a little bit of an unfinished business kind of vibe?

Yeah, no doubt, um, I think just, you know, a lot left on the table and, you know, just another year under coaching, uh, Coach Riley and, you know, this staff's coaching.

Um, and I think it's, it's a cool opportunity for me to just continue learning and, you know, develop as a quarterback and as a player as well.

Can you describe how Coach Riley is?

Is he, is he, uh, quite a character, you know, kind of give me the persona and then the football coach.

Love Coach Riley.

He's the same guy every single day, um, you know, that's what makes him the best coach in college football.

So, you know, he doesn't really change or, you know, have like.

I don't wanna say two faced or anything.

It's just, you know , he just kind of gives you how it is and up front and, you know, I think that just what makes him a really good coach and a lot of respect to him, and I'll give you kind of like a two part question with Coach Riley.

Is there something that he holds in every year that he doesn't change to coach you up?

And there was there something different this year that you wanted to work on your game?

Uh, I think in terms of like my quarterback play, um.

Just continue to watch that film, um, you know, master.

Master the looks and you know try to get better at, you know.

Using experience as an uh a leverage a little bit and just kind of continue getting better every single day and just have that.

You know, that fire about getting better every single day and Jaden, you being the quarterback and the leader of this team and you, you're, you're seeing the roster change a little bit every, every year and you got some young guys this year, but for you, did you have to kind of be more of a leader or more of a teacher to get these guys up to speed, or was it pretty easy for you guys to get together on the same page?

Yeah, I think, uh, just, you know, the time we spent over this offseason and, you know, all the, all the work that we put in with Coach Tree and you know, those, the long hours and the meetings with coach, you know, Riley and the staff, I think.

That alone has, you know, built the chemistry, um, in itself naturally, uh, so I think, I mean, we're on a really good start, so we're ready to continue competing.

What is it about the chemistry that you already have with, uh, you know, freshman Trent Moseley?

Like you guys came out pretty, pretty, uh, on fire and clicking together, uh, yeah, I mean, like I said, it's just the, the reps and the practice that we put in spring, uh, all summer leading into camp.

And uh yeah, everybody's getting to see it right now and Jaden, I know people are always different to, to get motivated and to improve and to like, you know, have a chip on their shoulder.

Is there something that you maybe have, you know, at home to remind you about, you know, where you wanna get to in, in, in your, your, your career or in life as well?

Uh, I think for me it's just remembering who I do it for.

Everybody likes to talk about their whys, and I think that's a, a big thing for, you know, especially a sport that we play and.

Um, what we do as an athlete, um, I mean, I think every , every day showing up with the people that are here in this building and you know, because they're, they're out there, they're here sacrificing something, so I think that that alone helps, you know, helps this chosen family stay super connected.

Um, and it just, it does a lot more than people know, so yeah, I appreciate that, yeah, and Jaden, sorry if I'm going a little, you know, maybe personal, but for you, what are those whys, you know, what do you, what do you think about, uh, definitely I would say my family, um, as well as this team, this program, uh, and just the entire, you know, family base of this thing, so I think.

That continues to, you know, be a reminder in my head and you know my thoughts just to remember who I do it for and why I do it, um, you know, because I remember when I first got here there was, you know, after school programs that we were allowed to go play with the kids so I think that alone just that brought happiness and joy to, you know, me and me personally so I think.

That that it kicked it it was a good start.

So, so you would go around talking to kids around the city and just, you know, playing football or or playing sports, yeah, I mean we, I mean House of Victory or, you know, anybody um would just continue to put us with, you know, kids after school and just play sports, you know, teach, draw, color, kind of just.

You know, that's the stuff I do it for.

So that's very cool.

Now that I ask you that question, you know, do you have any hobbies away from football that, you know, that you like to, you know, just, um, I don't know if it's a hobby, but I like helping people out for sure.

Is it just being there for them and just getting to know people ?

Yeah, whatever.

I mean, as simple as being there for them, yeah, whatever, like whatever they see is helping them out.

So, OK, you think that's part of like your, your family?

Do you have a big family and, yeah, uh, definitely have a big huge family, um.

Yeah, I also was able to um throw my own football youth camp so uh that was awesome.

I mean just I kinda that's what I do it for as the younger generation those kids and you know those families that don't really have much I wouldn't say access but.

Just kind of that connection, um, so I think you know if I'm that connection why not be that connection for, you know, those, those guys and.

Yeah, the, the football camp was that, you know, here, Hawaii , Las Vegas, yeah, I was in Hawaii, uh, back in my, in my hometown, and how, what was the turnout like and how many people were out there?

It was cool.

Uh, I didn't really, I didn't really think it was gonna turn out the way it did, um, but I thought it was pretty great.

OK , what part of Hawaii?

Uh, Honolulu.

OK, so the, the, the capital there, is that where you're originally from in Hawaii?

Wow, very cool.

OK, and I wanted to ask you also going back and forth from Hawaii to Las Vegas growing up, how was that for you?

Yeah it was cool.

I mean it's a lot of um culture shock.

I mean different, you know, just kind of whole vibe uh that was, I mean you compare Las Vegas to Hawaii so.

It was just different, OK, because people say it's the 9th island in Las Vegas.

So did it also still take, take you a while to kind of get used to your culture, and I guess, I mean, I had some family already there before I moved there, so that's who we ended up staying with.

So yeah, OK, uh, if you don't mind me asking, what part in Las Vegas were you guys, uh, staying?

I wanna say Henderson.

OK, yeah, OK, very cool.

And you know, for people who go to Las Vegas that are, you know, maybe like tourist people, and there's so much to do outside the strip, you know, what were you doing, uh, to kind of, you know, be at ease.

Uh, hang with family, yeah, any, uh, food that you guys go out there or restaurants out there you guys like to eat out, uh, in Las Vegas?

It was a lot of home cooked, really, yeah, my mom cooked a lot, my aunties, my uncles, very cool .

Everybody just kind of cooked their own meal and just have a whole family buffet.

Is there a dish that you, you guys, uh, really like to cook?

Uh, my grandma used to make this really.

Um, good show you chicken.

OK, sounds very good.

I, I gotta try it.

OK, uh, Jayden shifting over from, from food, uh, did you play any other sports besides football growing up?

Growing up, yeah, I played kind of everything, um, yeah, uh, you know what volleyball is?

You heard of volleyball, yeah, yeah, I played volleyball, basketball, um.

Baseball, I don't know if you know, you know what podigy horseshoes are.

I do not actually.

I played that a little bit.

Can you give me like a brief breakdown of what that is?

It's, it's weird.

It's like a game that like, I think it's only in Hawaii, but I don't, you know what like horseshoe is?

OK, so, yeah, it's similar to that, but it's like.

It's a lot tougher, really.

OK.

OK, I got, I got YouTube it, but now that I'm thinking about it, again, I don't know how, how it goes, but does it in any way help you with football?

Oh, absolutely, really , yeah, actually, honestly, now that I think about it, I feel like it helped with accuracy a little bit, OK, because you have to, you know, get the mark there.

I, I mean, I feel like.

The or just the position I play, I gotta be accurate sometimes.

So I think it helped really pinpoint like targets I guess in the game of your horseshoe.

So, I, I gotta look this up.

So when nobody knows about that, so, OK, that's, yeah, so when you play with your friends and family, are you the best one?

Oh, I tend to be, yeah, OK.

Would you say that sport , you know, was before football or was it the other way around?

It was kind of, it no, it was definitely football before.

Like football was majority of my life.

Um, but this, this Portugue horseshoe game, it was like a.

It was just kind of like a game that we played at every family get together.

So yeah, OK, uh, and then growing up in, in Hawaii, uh, who were the football players that you, uh, idolized or, or watched?

Yeah, I mean, I mean there's a lot of them.

I mean, talk about the Marcus Mariota tools, you know, just.

How did that whole tree.

There's a lot of, I mean, going out of state, I mean, I wanna say, you know, you got the Josh Allen, you got the Aaron Rodger, you got the Matthew Stafford, those guys.

So I think you know there's so many great quarterbacks, it's like tough to, you know.

Just watch one of them, OK, uh, is there like, uh, for Josh Allen, is there something that you take away from, from his game?

You said Josh Allen.

Uh, I, I probably say, I mean, just to feel in his pocket awareness and, you know, just what he does with the ball decision wise and kind of just see why he did, why he did it, why he couldn't , and kind of just dive deep into it and stuff like that.

OK.

How about with, uh, Tua and Marcus Mariota.

Yeah, I think just, you know, the decisions that they've been making on the field, OK, because you, you've been pretty accurate this season.

So that, that, that game you're playing and watching the Phil, I'm sure it's been very, very beneficial for you this season.

Yeah, no doubt.

OK, well, last thing, Jaden, obviously I think I know what the goals are, but what do you wanna do this year in at USC, uh, continue to be there for my brothers, um, buy into, you know, this program.

And do everything we, uh, I can or that we can to just, you know, help the children's win.

Perfect, Jaden.

Thank you for the time.

Yeah, thank you.