19-time intramural champion Brian Tinsley reflects on Trojan career on the field and in the classroom

USC student Brian Tinsley’s résumé would be impressive on academics alone.

The Bay Area native graduated from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in May 2023 with an undergraduate degree in quantitative and computational biology, before enrolling in a graduate program in applied data science at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering that same spring. After he graduated with his Master of Science degree in May 2024, Tinsley began pursuing another master’s degree last fall, this one in integrated design, business and technology from the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy.

His cool nickname, however, has nothing to do with these accomplishments, emerging instead from the world of USC intramural sports.

“I’ve heard people referring to me as ‘the final boss,’ which I think is really funny,” Tinsley said.

Since coming to USC in fall 2019, Tinsley has earned 19 intramural championships in intramural soccer — both indoor and outdoor — as well as flag football. He has also competed for the USC men’s soccer, pickleball and lacrosse club teams. He’s been on a championship flag football team for eight semesters in a row.

“People show up to play ‘the final boss,’ and I like to egg them on,” he said. “I don’t hide our success, but I like to tell them so that they do bring their best game.”

Path to USC and athletic pursuits

Even without his intramural trophies and two — soon to be three — USC degrees, Tinsley’s path seemed predestined before he even set foot on the University Park Campus as a student.

As the middle of seven children, Tinsley already had two older brothers at USC by the time he came to the university, along with a brother attending the University of Notre Dame. Regardless of the familial ties, Tinsley said the academics and connections — and weather — were the real selling points for USC.

“I set my standards very high when I applied to colleges, not leaving myself much room for safety schools,” Tinsley said. “When it came down to it, honestly, it was USC or nothing at that point.”

But it wasn’t enough to just get into USC: Tinsley also knew he had to take advantage of the academic, extracurricular and academic opportunities on campus.

“I had to make sure that I held myself accountable for the academics, which is ultimately what you’re getting out of this place,” he said. “When you go to a school like USC, and you’re surrounded by the brightest people, and you’re doing the things you love, it’s really hard to complain.”

Tinsley also grew up around sports: One of his older brothers played lacrosse at USC and two of his younger sisters are on the soccer team at Loyola Marymount University. Tinsley himself played football, soccer and lacrosse all four years of high school.

When he got to USC, he knew he needed to fit sports into his packed schedule. He followed in his brother’s footsteps and joined the club lacrosse team, but after joining a fraternity and playing on its flag football team for the first time, Tinsley never looked back.

“We played in a couple of nail-biters, and it got me hooked because there were so many fans there and the place was going wild,” Tinsley said. “I loved it. I love winning. I love competing. I love being part of a team.”

Classes and camaraderie

Tinsley applies his competitive mindset to the classroom as well. He chose to pursue his second master’s degree from the USC Iovine and Young Academy because he wanted a “more rigorous” courseload.

“I’m trying to work in the entrepreneurial space, so Iovine and Young just seemed like the right thing to do,” he said.

Whether he’s had a tough day of studying and would prefer to just zone out and play, or if he just finished a midterm and is feeling energetic, Tinsley said sports always provide the right outlet for the moment.

“You just come as you are, give it what you’ve got, and there’s really no judgment involved,” he said. “You’re just there to support the team and get the job done and kind of let your mind be free.”

Becoming the final boss

According to Andrew Black, USC director of recreational sports, the university offers 12 different sports between the fall and spring semesters with more than 6,700 participants, organized in three divisions: advanced, intermediate and recreational. Tinsley’s intramural soccer teams have won six university championships, while his flag football teams have won 13.

“Brian’s remarkable run is an incredibly rare feat, not only at USC but at any college or university in the country,” Black said. “His sustained success is a testament to his talent, dedication and competitive spirit — as well as to the vibrant culture of our intramural sports program.”

Tinsley can’t help but laugh when referring to himself as “one of the greats in USC flag football history,” pointing out that the real joy of intramural sports is seeing his new teams come together at the start of each semester.

That eight-semester streak of flag football championships came to an end recently; for him, that’s the nature of competition, and what he loves about intramurals, especially team sports.

“I just love when people come ready to play,” Tinsley said. “While it’s great that I have all these championships in a row, it’s not a testament to my athleticism as much as it is a testament to my ability to help bring teams together.”