USC wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane was still in his sweat-soaked jersey when he scooped up a smiling toddler with both hands. He gave her a quick, friendly snuggle before releasing her and turning to a little boy to dole out a one-of-a-kind handshake.

That purity and energy took on a larger form earlier in the evening when Lane was wowing a crowd of more than 67,000 people at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, making mind-bending contested catches to help lead the No. 20 Trojans to a 38-17 victory over Northwestern .

It’s almost like he’s the unofficial “cool” older brother of the team.

“Oh, I just try and make everybody happy,” Lane told reporters after the game, “whether it’s teammates or the coaches’ sons and daughters. If that’s the title, I’ll accept it.”

@haleymsawyer

USC receiver

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