Matt Leinart facts for kids

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Matt Leinart

Leinart in 2023

No. 7, 11

Position:

Quarterback

Personal information

Born:

May 11, 1983 (age 42)
Santa Ana, California, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)

Weight:

225 lb (102 kg)

Career information

High school:

Mater Dei (Santa Ana)

College:

USC (2001–2005)

NFL Draft:

2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10

Career history

Career highlights and awards

BCS national champion (2004)
2× AP national champion (2003, 2004)
Heisman Trophy (2004)
Walter Camp Award (2004)
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2005)
Manning Award (2004)
2× Archie Griffin Award (2003, 2004)
2× Quarterback of the Year (2004, 2005)
Consensus All-American (2004)
First-team All-American (2005)
2× Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year (2003, 2004)
3× First-team All-Pac-10 (2003, 2004, 2005)
USC Trojans No. 11 retired

Career NFL statistics

Passing attempts:	641
Passing completions:	366
Completion percentage:	57.1%
TD–INT:	15–21
Passing yards:	4,065
Passer rating:	70.2
Rushing yards:	89
Rushing touchdowns:	2

Player stats at PFR

College Football Hall of Fame

Matthew Stephen Leinart (born May 11, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. Before that, he was a star college football player for the USC Trojans.

While at USC, he won the famous Heisman Trophy. He also led his team to a perfect season as a junior. In 2017, Leinart was honored by being added to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Early Life and High School Football
College Football Career
Professional Football Career
NFL Career Statistics
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and High School Football

Matt Leinart was born in Santa Ana, California. When he was three, he had surgery for strabismus, also known as "crossed eyes." He wore special glasses to help correct this.

Growing up, Matt was sometimes teased by other kids. He found comfort and success in sports. He played both football and basketball at Mater Dei High School.

As a junior, he helped his football team win a championship. He was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player for his league. He was also chosen as the top high school football player in California.

Matt was one of the best high school football players in the country. He decided to play college football at USC.

College Football Career

Matt Leinart played for the USC Trojans football team from 2001 to 2005. He spent his first year, 2001, as a "redshirt" player, meaning he practiced but didn't play in games.

Starting at USC (2002–2003)

In 2002, Matt was a backup to senior quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer went on to win the Heisman Trophy that year. Matt only played a few snaps and didn't throw any passes.

For the 2003 season, Matt competed to become the starting quarterback. His coaches chose him, and he promised them they wouldn't regret it.

His very first pass in a college game was a touchdown! This happened in a 23–0 win against Auburn. USC won their first three games with Matt as quarterback.

Later that season, Matt injured his knee but returned to the game. He helped the Trojans win their last eight games. They finished the regular season with an 11–1 record.

USC played in the Rose Bowl against the University of Michigan. Matt was named the Rose Bowl MVP. He threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns. He even caught a touchdown pass himself!

In 2003, Matt threw for 3,556 yards and 38 touchdowns. He was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. In 2019, he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

Heisman Trophy Winner (2004)

The 2004 season was amazing for Matt and the Trojans. They started the season ranked #1 and stayed there all year.

Matt led his team to a thrilling 31–28 comeback win against Stanford. He completed 24 of 30 passes in that game.

After a fantastic season, Matt was invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. This award goes to the most outstanding player in college football.

Leinart with his Heisman Trophy in 2005

Matt Leinart won the Heisman Trophy in 2004. He was the sixth USC player to win this prestigious award.

USC then played in the BCS National Championship game at the Orange Bowl. They faced Oklahoma, who was also undefeated. Matt threw five touchdown passes, leading USC to a huge 55–19 victory.

Matt earned Orange Bowl MVP honors. USC won their first BCS National Championship. This win was later removed from the records due to issues with another player. However, USC still holds the AP national championship for that year.

Final College Season (2005)

In 2005, Matt led the Trojans to another perfect 12–0 regular season. One of the most exciting games was against Notre Dame. With seconds left, Matt scored a touchdown on a quarterback sneak. This gave USC a dramatic 34–31 win and extended their winning streak to 28 games.

Matt was again a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He finished third in the voting, behind his teammate Reggie Bush and Texas quarterback Vince Young.

USC played Texas in the BCS title game. Matt threw for 365 yards and a touchdown. But Texas won a close game, 41–38, in the final seconds. This was only Matt's second loss in 39 college starts.

After he graduated, USC retired Matt's #11 jersey. This means no other USC player will wear that number.

Matt finished his college career with 10,693 passing yards and 99 touchdowns. He had an impressive record of 37 wins and only 2 losses as a starter.

College Statistics

USC Trojans
Season	Team	Games Played	Games Started	Passing							Rushing
Season	Team	Games Played	Games Started	Comp	Att	Pct	Yards	TD	Int	Rating	Att	Yds	TD
2001	USC Trojans	Did not play (redshirted)
2002	USC Trojans	3	0	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
2003	USC Trojans	13	13	255	402	63.4	3,556	38	9	164.5	32	−62	0
2004	USC Trojans	13	13	269	412	65.3	3,322	33	6	156.5	49	−44	3
2005	USC Trojans	13	13	283	431	65.7	3,815	28	8	157.7	51	36	6
Total		42	39	807	1,245	64.8	10,693	99	23	159.5	132	−70	9

College Honors and Awards

Matt Leinart received many awards during his college career:

2004 Awards

Heisman Trophy Winner
Rose Bowl MVP
Walter Camp Award
AP Player of the Year
Manning Award
Touchdown Club QB of the Year
AP All-American first-team
Pac-10 Co-offensive player of the year

2005 Awards

Orange Bowl MVP
Unitas Award
Finalist for Heisman Trophy
All-American Offensive Player

Professional Football Career

Matt Leinart was expected to be one of the top players chosen in the 2006 NFL draft. He was selected tenth overall by the Arizona Cardinals. He was the second quarterback picked in that draft.

Leinart at a Cardinals practice

Arizona Cardinals (2006–2009)

Matt spent four seasons with the Cardinals. For most of this time, he was a backup to veteran quarterback Kurt Warner.

In his first season (2006), Matt signed a big contract. He became the starting quarterback in the fourth game of the season. He threw two touchdown passes in his debut.

In a game against the Minnesota Vikings, Matt set an NFL rookie record with 405 passing yards. However, the team still lost. He later injured his left shoulder, ending his season. He finished with 2,547 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 11 starts.

In 2007, Matt started the season as quarterback. But he suffered a fractured collarbone in October and was placed on injured reserve. This ended his season early again.

For the 2008 season, Matt was expected to be the starter. But Kurt Warner had a strong training camp. After Matt threw three interceptions in a preseason game, Warner was named the starter. Warner led the Cardinals to their first ever Super Bowl, and Matt remained a backup. He continued as a backup in 2009.

In 2010, after Warner retired, Matt was expected to be the starter. But he struggled, and the job went to Derek Anderson. The Cardinals released Matt on September 4, 2010.

Houston Texans (2010–2011)

Matt signed with the Houston Texans on September 6, 2010, to back up Matt Schaub. Schaub played all 16 games that season, so Matt didn't play.

In 2011, Matt returned to the Texans. In Week 10, Schaub got injured. Matt started his first game in Week 12. But he fractured his collarbone in the first half and was replaced. This was his third season-ending injury in his NFL career.

The Texans released Matt on March 12, 2012.

Oakland Raiders (2012)

Matt signed with the Oakland Raiders on May 1, 2012. He was a backup to his former college teammate, Carson Palmer. After Palmer got injured late in the season, Matt shared practice time with another quarterback. He was not re-signed by the Raiders.

Buffalo Bills (2013)

On August 25, 2013, the Buffalo Bills signed Matt after their other quarterbacks were injured. He competed for a backup spot but was released on August 30, 2013.

NFL Career Statistics

Year	Team	Games			Passing								Rushing
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Comp	Att	Pct	Yards	Avg	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
2006	ARI	12	11	4–7	214	377	56.8	2,547	6.8	11	12	74.0	22	49	2.2	2
2007	ARI	5	5	3–2	60	112	53.6	647	5.8	2	4	61.9	11	42	3.8	0
2008	ARI	4	0	–	15	29	51.7	264	9.1	1	1	80.2	4	5	1.3	0
2009	ARI	8	1	0–1	51	77	66.2	435	5.6	0	3	64.6	9	−6	−0.7	0
2010	HOU	0	0	–	DNP
2011	HOU	2	1	1–0	10	13	76.9	57	4.4	1	0	110.1	1	−1	−1.0	0
2012	OAK	2	0	–	16	33	48.5	115	3.5	0	1	44.4	0	0	0.0	0
Total		33	18	8–10	366	641	57.1	4,065	6.3	15	21	70.2	47	89	1.9	2

Personal Life

Matt Leinart has three sons. His first son is with Brynn Cameron.

In May 2018, Matt married actress Josie Loren. They have two sons together.

As of 2023, Matt Leinart works as a football analyst for Fox Sports 1. He appears on the show Big Noon Kickoff.