Matt Leinart, In His Own Words
Sure, he can throw a ball, but did you know he’s a sociologist too?
He has led the Trojans to a 25-1 record since starting as USC’s
quarterback his sophomore year in 2003. In those 26 games at USC, the
6’5”, 225-pound, left-hander has had 6,878 career passing yards and 71
touchdown passes. In the 2004 season, he won the Davey O’Brien National
Quarterback Award, the Heisman Trophy and his second consecutive
National Championship, and in January, made the widely publicized
decision to return to USC for his senior year. Although Matt Leinart
passed up the NFL draft and a potential multimillion-dollar paycheck,
he says he has no regrets to finish his degree in sociology at USC
College. The College’s own answers a few questions for us while
recovering from a recent elbow operation.
What do you enjoy about your Sociology major?
ML: I especially like my social psychology class with Dr. Julie
Albright. Among the things I enjoy about the class is its focus on
relationships and interactions between people and how it's possible to
read people. It's something you can see in action every day.
You talked about pursuing “multiple
careers.” How will your education here help you accomplish that? Can
you elaborate on some of your plans?
ML: Well, I plan on getting my degree and I'll go from there.
Obviously, I'd like to play in the NFL. But I've made a lot of
connections at USC and have met a lot of people here with a great deal
of influence. If football doesn't work out, I've got the knowledge from
my degree and the Trojan Family network to start again.
You’ve said: “College football and
this whole atmosphere here is ultimately more satisfying and will make
me happier than any amount of money could make someone happy.” What is
it about USC that you enjoy so much?
ML: I enjoy the atmosphere, my friends, the people on campus and being
in Southern California -- just being around campus is a good
feeling. And with the way the sports program and academic program
are going, there's no better feeling than to be a Trojan.
People just can’t seem to believe you’re giving up millions. How do you feel about the heat?
ML: I was trying not to care what other people were saying. I knew a
lot of people were saying I'd be crazy to give up the money. But it was
my decision and I was going to do what made me happy. But now, a lot of
people have congratulated me on my decision to finish my degree in
sociology.
What is the significance of the Number 11?
ML: It was the number I wore playing baseball. I wore No. 7 in
football, but when I came here, Sandy Fletcher had that number. So I
chose 11.
Who do you most liken yourself to as a quarterback and why?
ML: Tom Brady. He's just a great QB who plays with a lot of poise.
Comments on the 2004 Season?
ML: Last season was fantastic. A lot of people questioned our ranking
at the start of the season and didn't think we deserved to be No. 1, so
it felt great to be able to go wire-to-wire and prove them wrong. There
were definitely a lot of challenges along the way and we faced some
adversity, which made us better. Coming back against Stanford and
holding off Cal are the kind of games that make you stronger and
prepare you for tests down the line. We finished the year off beating
our rivals in back-to-back weeks and blowing out Oklahoma. You couldn't
have asked for anything better.
—Interview conducted by Katherine
Yungmee Kim
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