Mason Cobb talks about death of his grandfather, digging grave

USC linebacker Mason Cobb will join his family this week to remember the life of his grandfather, who passed away last week at 91. But before the funeral can happen, he and a few others will grab some shovels and get to work.

Cobb explained Tuesday that it was his grandfather’s dying wish to have his nephews and grandchildren dig his grave, but it came with one important stipulation.

“He said, ‘no machines. My nephews and grandsons will dig the grave,'” Cobb said. “It’s not no grass. It’s like gravel and boulders. We might have to have some pitchforks in there.”

The funeral is set to take place Thursday, just two days before the Trojans are scheduled to play Utah at home. That means Cobb will travel back home, help dig the grave, then try to make it back to Los Angeles in time for the game.

It’s a lot of hard work ahead, but given the way his grandfather lived his life, that’s not surprising to Cobb. The linebacker recalled watching him work hard even after retiring, repairing mobile homes and doing other odd jobs with his uncles to stay busy.

That left a lasting impact on Cobb, instilling in him the work ethic he has today.

“He meant a lot,” Cobb said. “He raised 10 kids. Lost his mom (at) 18 months. Lost his dad I think when he was 16. To raise 10 kids and have them all have their owns families generations later, he’s a soldier. He’s making us dig his grave. I think that’s the craziest part about it. But, man. An OG. He just works. He was 91 when he passed, so he worked til his last breath.”

Cobb explained that he learned the news of his grandfather’s death after USC suffered its first loss of the season last week against Notre Dame. It was understandably hard on him, but using the example his grandfather set, he realizes the only option is to move forward.

“It happened so fast,” he said. “When that happened, everything started coming down on me with the loss. It was a lot to handle, but these are the times where you kind of take that next step to being a better player and a better person is pushing through those setbacks in life.”

Cobb realizes that his grandfather lived a long life, and one to be proud of. That’s what he hopes to do in his own life, revealing the most important lesson he imparted was to get past hard times.

Seeing the way that his grandfather reacted to the losses in his own life, it gives Cobb the strength to feel he can do the same here.

“I would say perseverance (is the biggest lesson),” he said. “Just go. There’s no excuse for you not to work hard. From a young age, I’ve seen him work circles around everybody from when he was 60 to when he was 90. It was just his mentality. That guy just taught me how to work.”

Not only has that helped Cobb in his personal life, but also on the field. The linebacker has been one of the biggest pieces of the defense this season, ranking third on the team with 31 tackles this season, including 4.5 for loss.

In many ways, his mother, who was the youngest of 10 siblings, sees how Cobb takes after his grandfather. That’s why she has given him the nickname “warrior” for his ability to overcome so much that he has gone through in life.

Even through the pain of this situation, he’ll continue to push forward.

“It carries onto the field,” he said. “She don’t call me a warrior because of how I play on the field or anything. It’s what I do and what I’m doing kind of based off my childhood. I’ve seen a lot of stuff growing up, so it’s just extra armor. I used it as fuel. I used it as motivation to be where I’m at. So I think that’s why she calls me a warrior.”