Taylor Hammond’s favorite hat still smelled like him. His father, Brian Hammond, wore the USC cap last Saturday for the first time since losing his 11-year-old son to leukemia in December. He was the guest of honor at a tailgate on campus for children waiting for kidney or bone marrow transplants, named for Taylor.
The event launched a campaign encouraging fans to join donor registries, to help kids like Taylor. Kenechi Udeze, a leukemia survivor who is the Trojans’ defensive line coach, is the voice of the campaign, leading a call to action on behalf of Taylor, his close friend.