I heard recently on WDFN radio (Detroit sports talk station) that quarterback/Heisman trophy winner Matt Leinart of the two time defending national champion University of Southern California Trojans has returned for his senior season EVEN THOUGH HE HAS ALREADY GRADUATED. To this I say, WTF is he thinking?
Understand, he’s been in college for 4 years already. He was “red-shirted” his freshman year, which means he was in school but didn’t play. By not playing he is not only depriving himself of a whole lot of money now, he is risking serious injury which may impair his earning potential later. It doesn’t sound like a very bright move to me.
Disclaimer. I am a Notre Dame fan and have seen enough of Mr. Leinart the past several seasons. Even so I still think he’s an idiot.
Get this: the only class he’s taking right now is ballroom dancing.
However, there are other reasons for him to come back . . . scratch that. Let’s just say that the reasons for leaving weren’t really all that strong.
If he left after last year, he would have been drafted #1, by the San Francisco 49ers, a franchise in chaos.
Also, the risk for career-ending injury frankly isn’t that great for a quarterback. If he were a 300-pound lineman or a speedy running back or receiver–players hugely dependant on their legs–a knee injury would be extremely hazardous to their future livelihood. But a QB is dependant on his arm and his brain; neither is really at risk of getting hurt so bad that he would be knocked out of football.
My own disclaimer: UCLA alumnus and fan, and I want another shot at him.
Well, I can see two possible reasons for him staying.
He’s still getting better. He was a lot better last season than the one before, but there is still room for improvement. From what I’ve heard, he’s in better shape this year and throws a stronger ball.
Assuming he’s single, he doubtlessly gets more ass than a toilet seat. I’m just saying…
According to some talking heads on ESPN, Leinart most likely would have been a first round draft pick but many in the NFL did not think he was ready to play at that level yet. He would have sat on the bench for a year or two before he may have been given a chance to play regularly. By staying in college for another year, he was guaranteed a starting job on a team that is a favorite to win the national championship. And by waiting a year, he most likely improved his chances of being a top 5 pick and he probably won’t be drafted by a couple of the most disfunctional teams in the NFL at this time, the 49ers and the Browns. And being the quarterback of a 2 time national championship team and Heisman trophy winner is no guarantee of pro success, just ask Jason White.
I don’t buy that and I want the names of those who don’t think he’s ready yet. In fact, by wanting to stay at the lower level for another year I bet he’s hurting himself with those NFLers who’ll say that he lacks “the eye of the tiger” (or whatever the currently in vogue term is). The great ones want to test themselves against other great ones, against the best competition they can find.
I’m as far as you can get from a knowledgeable fan, and still know one end of a football from the other, but isn’t it true that college football is definitely less rough than pro? So I don’t think he’ll incur a career threatening injury, but I suppose he does run the risk of having a terrible season, and losing the interest of the scouts.
It boils down to: loyalty, pussy, and a shot at not only a record third National Championship in a row, but a second Heisman. F*ck the money…go for immortality.
Well, Peyton Manning was in a very similar situation once. He graduated from Tennessee, but stayed another year, hoping to win either a national championship or a Heisman.
As it turned out, of course, he accomplished neither of those goals… but it cost him nothing. He STILL ended up being the #1 overall draft pick. None of the NFL scouts thought “Gee, I dunno, he must lack passion or fire in the belly if he didn’t want to go pro last year.” And those who did were the same (now unemployed) idiots who were sure Cryin’ Ryan Leaf had more upside than Manning.
Now, MOST of the scouting reports I read (and of course, they all have to be taken with a quart of salt) suggested that Matt Leinart was NOT at the top of the list of QB’s coveted by the NFL. That surprised me, but it didn’t shock me. I’m USED to hearing that college players I thought were spectacular didn’t impress scouts the same way, just as I’m used to hearing that some unimpressive nobody has scouts drooling.
It’s possible that Leinart put out some feelers, and got the same vibe- that he WASN’T going to go in the top few picks last year, or that rumors were floating around the NFL of some flaws he needed to work on.
It’s also possible the past 2 years at USC have been Heaven on Earth, and he’s not in a hurry to give it up. Right now, USC is the only major sports program in Southern California that’s doing extremely well, so he’s more than Big Man on Campus. He’s big man of the entire region!
He’s got a shot to go down as one of the greatest college QBs ever, on one of the greatest college teams ever. He won’t make a cent for it, even though the payday is inevitable, but I don’t think it’s hard to see why that tempted him to stay.
Let us be totally honest here. As soon as he took over from Palmer, it became clear that Leinart wasn’t at USC for an education, he was at USC as an apprenticeship for the NFL.
He is already on course for being mentioned among the all time 'SC greats. Now he is trying to be the top of the list. Another win over UCLA and Notre Dame, another national championship and another Heisman - he’d be set even if his playing career ended early.
Hell, I’ll come out and say it: I don’t think he’s ready yet.
He has developed a masterful grasp of SC’s offense (at least the Norm Chow version), but though he’s generally a very accurate passer, his passes don’t have any particular velocity, he hasn’t really proven that he’s comfortable playing from behind or during high-pressure situations (not really his fault, obviously, but a couple years back–or as recently as the Cal game–he had an unfortunate tendency to start missing receivers when the pressure was on), and he still has room to grow.
Will any of this improve with another year at 'SC? Maybe, maybe not. But everyone is out gunning for 'SC, and Leinart in particular, so he should see a lot of innovative defenses, and have to (though hopefully not) play from behind and in nail-biter games.
Personally, as much as it may sound like I’m down on the guy, I’m just glad 'SC has him back. He has a great head for the game, and this and his level of comfort with his teammates and the offense should help make the transition to a new offensive coordinator a smooth(er) one.
