Los Angeles News

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― USC kicker Mario Danelo was found dead at the bottom of a San Pedro cliff about 200 yards from the Point Fermin Lighthouse on Saturday. Though investigators have said there is no indication that Danelo's death was suicide or homicide, they are still investigating the cause.

The discovery happened five days after Danelo kicked two field goals in the Trojans' Rose Bowl victory over Michigan.

A passerby reported seeing a body at the bottom of the cliff at 4:37 p.m. yesterday, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

By the time authorities found the body, rigor mortis had already set in, the Daily News reported.

A person was flying a remote-controlled airplane in Point Fermin Park when they noticed something at the bottom of the cliff. They followed a trail down to the beach and discovered the body, Lt. David Pierson told The Los Angeles Times.

The body was identified as that of Mario Danelo, a 21-year-old junior at USC. He was majoring in sociology and has been the Trojans' starting placekicker over the past two seasons, USC Sports Information Director Tim Tessalone said.

The body was found about a mile from the Danelo family home in San Pedro.

According to investigators, Danelo was out with friends Friday night and last seen about midnight.

"We have no information to indicate whether he was drinking or not drinking. I just don't know at this time," Pierson told the paper, adding that there was nothing to indicate the incident was a suicide or other crime.

Signs at the top of the 120-foot cliff forbid entrance and warn of unstable, slippery surfaces and steep drops. Onlookers left a candles and flowers at the scene.

Investigators have not found a surf board, scuba-diving tanks or other indications that Danelo may have been engaging in recreational activities.

Authorities have not speculated on the circumstances or cause of Danelo's death, though they have said he was found in street clothes, and the body appeared to have suffered "traumatic" injuries.

"It's entirely possible he fell," Humphrey told the Los Angeles Times, adding that a handful of people had fallen from the cliff over the years.

"We're stunned to hear about this tragedy," USC head football coach Pete Carroll, who was out of town, said in a statement released by Tessalone. "This is a great loss. Mario was a wonderful young man of high character and he was one heck of a kicker. He was a key ingredient in our success these past few years. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Trojan family go out to the Danelo family on this sad, sad day."

Danelo, who graduated from San Pedro High School, was a walk-on who earned a scholarship and USC's starting placekicker position in 2005 and 2006. He received All-Pac-10 honorable mention both seasons.

"From then on, everything seemed to go in a real positive direction," Danelo was quoted as saying in the school's media guide. "I got the scholarship, then I got the starting spot. It all happened real fast. It was all good things that were going on."

Danelo hit 26 of 28 field goals, including a streak of 15 in a row, and 127 of 134 extra points.

This past season he hit 15 of 16 field goals and was 44 of 48 on extra points.

He set NCAA season records in 2005 for extra points made (83) and attempted (86). His 10 extra points made against Arkansas was a USC game record. He also was 11 of 12 on field goals.

Danelo's scored a 26-yard first-quarter field goal at the beginning of Monday's Rose Bowl Game. He kicked another 26-yard field goal in the third quarter, but missed two of his four extra point attempts.

Danelo was mentioned on the CBS late night talk show "Late Show with David Letterman" Thursday. Letterman's list of "Top Ten Signs You're Watching Too Much College Football," was topped by "In bed, your wife says, 'Get a Trojan' -- you come back with USC kicker Mario Danelo."

The 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound kicker was the son of former NFL kicker Joe Danelo, who played for Washington State (1972-74) before kicking in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers (1975), New York Giants (1976-82) and Buffalo Bills (1983-84).

"When you are younger, you always want to be like your pop, and my pop was a kicker, so it was something I naturally got into from there," he said in the media guide.

Danelo's cause of death remains under investigation.

He is the second USC athlete to die in the past eight months. Basketball point guard Ryan Francis was fatally shot last May 13 in Baton Rouge, La.

(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)