Steve Sarkisian: HE BETRAYED US ... SC Football Players Say

Multiple players on the USC football team tell TMZ Sports they feel "betrayed" and "let down" by Steve Sarkisian -- claiming they're extremely disappointed in his decision to sue the school.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Sark wants more than $30 MILLION from USC, claiming the school wrongfully fired him because of his alcoholism, which is recognized as a disability in California.

But the football players we spoke with are not sympathetic to Sark's plight -- telling us Sark is not practicing what he preached.

"I felt betrayed," one key player told us ... "He always talked about accountability and now he's not taking accountability for his actions."

We're told the team was relieved when Sark was cut from the program -- but many people feel like the ongoing legal war will only be a distraction that could hurt the program down the road.