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.”

USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane was

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