Matt Leinart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matt Leinart

Leinart in 2023
No. 7, 11
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1983-05-11) 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
Arizona Cardinals (2006) Houston Texans (2010) Oakland Raiders (2012) Buffalo Bills (2013)*
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.

Leinart played college football for the USC Trojans. There, he won the famous Heisman Trophy. He also led his team to a perfect season without any losses.

After college, the Arizona Cardinals picked him tenth overall in the 2006 NFL draft. He mostly played as a backup quarterback for four seasons. He then played his last three seasons as a backup for the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders. In 2017, Leinart was honored by being added to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Early Life and High School Football

Matt Leinart was born in Santa Ana, California. When he was young, he had a condition that affected his left eye. He had surgery at age three to help correct it. He also wore special glasses.

Matt found a love for sports, which helped him feel more confident. He played both football and basketball in high school. He went to Mater Dei High School.

As a junior, he helped his football team win a championship. He was also named the best offensive player in his league. He wore jersey number 7 and was recognized as the top high school football player in California.

Matt was one of the most wanted high school football players in the country. He decided to play for USC.

College Football Career

Starting at USC: 2001–2003 Seasons

Matt Leinart played for the University of Southern California (USC) from 2001 to 2005. He spent his first year, 2001, as a "redshirt" player, meaning he practiced but did not play in games.

In 2002, he was a freshman and learned from the senior quarterback, Carson Palmer. Palmer later won the Heisman Trophy. Matt played in a few games but did not throw any passes that year.

In 2003, Matt competed to become the starting quarterback. His coach, Pete Carroll, chose him to lead the team. Matt promised his coaches they would not regret their choice.

Matt's very first pass in a college game was a touchdown! This happened against Auburn, and USC won 23–0. His team won their first three games. Later, they lost a close game to California in triple-overtime.

Matt injured his knee in a game against Arizona State. But he bravely returned to the game and helped his team win. USC finished the regular season with an impressive 11 wins and only 1 loss. They were ranked number one in the country.

Even though they were ranked first, USC did not get to play in the main championship game. Instead, they played in the Rose Bowl against the University of Michigan. Matt was named the Rose Bowl MVP. He threw three touchdowns and even caught one himself! He had a great season, throwing for over 3,500 yards and 38 touchdowns. He was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year.

In 2019, Matt was honored for his great performance in the Rose Bowl. He was added to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

Winning the Heisman Trophy: 2004 Season

Matt's junior season in 2004 started with three straight wins. In a tough game against Stanford, Matt helped his team come back from behind to win 31–28. He completed 24 out of 30 passes in that game.

Later that year, Matt was invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. This award goes to the most outstanding player in college football. Many people thought it was a very close race. Matt Leinart became the sixth USC player to win the Heisman Trophy.

Leinart with his Heisman Trophy in 2005

In 2004, USC was ranked number one all season long. They earned a spot in the BCS championship game at the Orange Bowl. They played against Oklahoma, who also had a perfect record. The game was expected to be very exciting.

However, the Orange Bowl turned into a big win for USC. Matt threw five touchdown passes, leading the Trojans to a 55–19 victory. Matt was named the Orange Bowl MVP. USC won their first BCS National Championship and finished as the number one team for the second year in a row. Their winning streak reached 22 games.

Final College Season: 2005

In 2005, USC had another perfect regular season with 12 wins and no losses. In a memorable game against Notre Dame, Matt threw for a career-high 400 yards. With only seconds left, Matt scored a touchdown on a short run. This gave USC a 34–31 lead and their 28th straight victory. It was one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the Notre Dame–USC rivalry.

Matt was again invited to the Heisman ceremony. He finished third in the voting, behind his teammate Reggie Bush and Texas quarterback Vince Young.

USC went to the Rose Bowl again to play against Vince Young and Texas in the BCS title game. This game was also called a "dream matchup." Matt played well, throwing for 365 yards and a touchdown. But Vince Young had an amazing game, leading Texas to a 41–38 victory. USC lost for the first time in 35 games. It was only Matt's second loss in 39 starts.

After Matt graduated, his jersey number 11 was retired by USC. This means no other player at USC will wear that number.

Matt finished his college career with impressive stats. He completed 807 passes for 10,693 yards and 99 touchdowns. He won 37 games and only lost 2 as a starter.

College Statistics

College Honors and Awards

Matt Leinart received many awards during his college career:

• In 2004, he won the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Award, and the Manning Award. He was named AP Player of the Year and Touchdown Club QB of the Year. He was also a first-team All-American.
• In 2005, he was the Orange Bowl MVP and won the Unitas Award. He was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy again.

Professional NFL Career

Arizona Cardinals: 2006–2009

The Arizona Cardinals picked Matt Leinart tenth overall in the 2006 NFL draft. He was the second quarterback chosen that year.

Matt spent four seasons with the Cardinals. He mostly played as a backup to the experienced quarterback Kurt Warner.

In his first season (2006), Matt signed a big contract. He became the starting quarterback after Week 3. In his first start, he threw two touchdown passes. In a game against the Chicago Bears, he threw two more touchdowns in the first half. He set a rookie record with 405 passing yards in a game against the Minnesota Vikings. He finished his first season with 2,547 passing yards and 11 touchdowns.

In 2007, Matt started the season as the main quarterback. However, he broke his left collarbone in October and missed the rest of the season. This was his second season-ending injury.

In 2008, Matt competed for the starting job again. But Kurt Warner played very well and became the main starter. Warner led the Cardinals to their first-ever Super Bowl. Matt continued as a backup. He also backed up Warner in 2009.

In 2010, Matt was expected to be the starter after Warner retired. But he did not play well in training camp. The Cardinals decided to release him before the season started.

Houston Texans: 2010–2011

Matt signed with the Houston Texans in September 2010 to be a backup for Matt Schaub. He did not play in 2010 because Schaub played all 16 games.

In 2011, Matt returned to the Texans. In Week 10, Schaub got injured. Matt started his first game for the Texans in Week 12. However, he fractured his collarbone during the game and missed the rest of the season. This was his third season-ending injury.

The Texans released Matt in March 2012.

Oakland Raiders: 2012

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

Buffalo Bills: 2013

In August 2013, the Buffalo Bills signed Matt Leinart because their other quarterbacks were injured. He competed for a backup quarterback spot. However, he was released by the team before the regular season began.

NFL Career Statistics

Personal Life

Matt Leinart has a son with Brynn Cameron.

In May 2018, Matt married actress Josie Loren in North Carolina. They have three sons, born in January 2020, May 2021, and February 2025.

As of January 2023, Matt Leinart works as a football analyst for Fox Sports 1.

See also

In Spanish: Matt Leinart para niños

• List of Division I FBS passing yardage leaders