Matt Leinart Biography
Matt Leinart is an American retired football quarterback who participated in the National Football League (NFL) for a span of seven seasons. He joined the FOX Sports news team in August 2014 as a college football studio analyst.
Matt Leinart Career
Leinart attended Mater Dei High School, excelling as a letterman in both football and basketball. During his junior year, he led his team to a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I co-championship and earned the title of the Serra League’s Offensive Most Valuable Player. Wearing jersey number 7, he received recognition as the Gatorade California high school football player of the year. Regarded as one of the nation’s top college football recruits, he initially committed to USC under coach Paul Hackett, with a notable factor being offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. However, following the dismissal of Hackett and most of his staff in 2000, he explored other program options, including Georgia Tech and Arizona State. He even visited Oklahoma and Michigan before ultimately deciding on USC when Pete Carroll was hired as the head coach.
He played for the University of Southern California’s Trojans football team from 2001 to 2005, redshirting in 2001. In his freshman year, he served as an understudy to senior quarterback Carson Palmer, who won the Heisman Trophy and was the first overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. Although he only made a few appearances in 2002 without attempting any passes, he emerged as a contender for the starting quarterback position in 2003. Competing against redshirt junior Matt Cassel and Purdue transfer Brandon Hance, he was selected as the starting quarterback by coach Pete Carroll and his staff. This was despite not significantly standing out in practice compared to the other candidates. He achieved a historic feat by becoming the first junior and the sixth player overall in school history to clinch the Heisman Trophy. His remarkable 2004 season led USC to its second consecutive Associated Press national championship.
Finishing with an impressive 37-2 record as a starter, he ranked third in the program’s passing records and became the second player in school history to earn All-American honors three times. Throughout his college career, he earned numerous accolades, including Most Valuable Player honors at the 2004 Rose Bowl and 2005 Orange Bowl. He was named the Pac-10’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 and Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2004. Additionally, he received three first-team All-Conference selections (2003-05) and won the Archie Griffin Award twice (2003 and 2004). In addition to that, he also secured several prestigious awards in 2004, including the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, AP Player of the Year, Manning Award, and Victor Award College Football Player of the Year. Selected as the No. 10 overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL Draft, he had a six-season career in the NFL, playing for the Cardinals, Houston Texans, and Oakland Raiders.
Post his playing career, he transitioned into sports broadcasting, joining FOX Sports in August 2014. Starting as a regular on FOX SPORTS LIVE: COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF, he later moved to the FOX Sports college football studio desk in 2015, providing analysis during pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage of college football games on FOX and FS1. Beyond football, Leinart is actively involved in charitable work and operates the Matt Leinart Foundation. The foundation aims to create athletic opportunities for underprivileged youth.
Matt Leinart Salary
Leinart earns an annual salary of about $1,000,000-$2,000,000.
Matt Leinart Net Worth
Leinart has an estimated net worth of about $12 Million – $16 Million which he has earned through his career as a football player.
Matt Leinart Age
Leinart was born on May 11, 1983, in Santa Ana, California, United States. He is 41 years old as of 2024, and he celebrates his birthday on the 11th of May every year.
Matt Leinart Height and Weight
Leinart stands at a height of 6 feet 5 inches tall, and he weighs 225 lbs (102kgs).
Matt Leinart Family
Leinart is the son of Bob Leinart and Linda Primak. He has a brother called Ryan Leinart who is a nurse at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital.
Matt Leinart Wife and Children
Leinart is married to Josie Loren who is an actress best known for her roles in Make It or Break It and The Mentalist. They tied the knot in May 2018 at the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville, North Carolina. Together they have been blessed with two children, whom they named; Cayson and Cannon. He resides in Los Angeles together with his family.
Matt Leinart And Brynn Cameron Son
Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Leinart and University of Southern California basketball player Brynn Cameron welcomed their son, Cole Cameron Leinart, on Tuesday October 24, 2006. Born at 9:33 p.m. in California, Cole weighed 6 lbs., 7 oz. It’s noteworthy that the couple had separated before the birth of their son.
FOX Sports
While working for FOX Sports Leinart co-works alongside:
Social Media Platform
Leinart is very active on his Twitter and Instagram pages. He has 91.4k followers on Twitter and 176.9k followers on Instagram.