Mario Danelo (July 3, 1985 – January 6, 2007) was an American college football placekicker for the University of Southern California. High school career Danelo was an all–Los Angeles linebacker at San Pedro High School in San Pedro, California. Danelo was also a fullback and kicker at his high school. Because, at 5'10" and 200 lbs, he was undersized to be a major college linebacker, his father, former 9-year National Football League kicker Joe Danelo, taught him the position. Danelo became the first San Pedro High Pirate to play football at the University of Southern California in 30 years. College career Danelo was a walk-on college football player at USC in 2003. He redshirted his first year and did not have any kick attempts in the 2004 season. He earned an athletic scholarship starting in 2005. During the 2005 season, he set the NCAA, Pac-10 and USC season record for hitting 83 out of 86 PATs. In 2006, Danelo led USC in scoring with 89 points. During the 2006 season, Danelo made 15 of 16 field-goal attempts and 44 of 48 PATs. In his final game, the 21-year-old kicked two field goals in helping USC achieve victory in the 2007 Rose Bowl. Death and memorial In the early morning hours of January 6, 2007, after partying with friends, Danelo left his family's San Pedro home, telling his father he was going for a walk. He was found dead later that day by a passer-by at the bottom of the White Point Cliff near Point Fermin Lighthouse, several blocks from his house. No signs of scuba gear, surfing equipment, or swimsuits were found, and his car was not in the vicinity. The police ruled out foul play as the cause of death. In front of the cliff, which he is suspected to have accidentally fallen off or jumped, there are signs forbidding entrance. Danelo's autopsy toxicological report found he had a 0.23 blood-alcohol level at the time of his death, almost three times the California legal limit to operate a vehicle on public roadways. The coroner's report listed the cause of death as the result of "multiple traumatic injuries;" however the coroner could not determine how those injuries had occurred. Danelo's blood tested free from drugs. As of March 2007, the manner of death was undetermined. Two thousand people attended Danelo's funeral at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic church as