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No USC Trojans football player will be wearing number 11 on the field anytime soon.
Of course, that seemed obvious when Matt Leinart retired almost immediately after graduating.
However, the USC legend revealed he was approached “multiple times” by USC officials about whether he would retire the number “for a five-star prospect.”
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Matt Leinhart of the USC Trojans throws a pass during a college football game against the Virginia Tech Hokies on August 24, 2004, at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
“And you want to know what I said directly to these guys? I said, ‘Absolutely not,'” Leinart said on his “Throwbacks” podcast. “I would never take my jersey away from some random guy who, by the way, could now wear number 11 and transfer after a year.”
There are of course rare exceptions.
“The only person who would wear my USC No. 11 would be [my son] Cole, who isn’t here right now. He’s at SMU. Or two of my boys if they end up going to USC and playing football. That’s it,” he said.
Southern California Trojans head coach Pete Carroll hoists the trophy with quarterback Matt Leinart (left) after a victory against the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2005 Orange Bowl held at Pro Player Stadium. The Trojans won the BCS National Championship with this victory. (Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)
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Leinart won a national championship with the Trojans, losing only two games in his career. The second was during his quest for a third straight title, but Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns took the championship victory in what has been considered one of the greatest college football games of all time.
Leinart led the then-Pac-10 in passing touchdowns in his first two seasons of play and led in passing yards in his third and final. He was named the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
USC Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart in action during the 2005 Orange Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners. (Preston Mack-USA TODAY Sports)
He was the 10th overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. However, he did not find similar success and was dropped from the league in 2013.
