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No USC Trojans football player will be wearing No. 11 on the gridiron anytime soon.
Of course, it seemed obvious when it was retired for Matt Leinart almost immediately after he finished.
However, the USC legend revealed that he has been approached by USC officials “several times” about whether he would retire the number “for some five-star prospects.”
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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 told those guys right up? I said, ‘Absolutely f—ing not,'” Leinart said on his “Throwbacks” podcast. “I’m never going to relinquish my shirt to some random guy who, by the way, could now wear No. 11 and change after a year.”
There are, of course, rare exceptions.
“The only person who will ever wear my USC No. 11 would be [my son] Cole, who is not there right now. He is 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 the win. (Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)
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Leinart won a national championship with the Trojans and lost just two games in his entire career. The second was during his quest for a third straight title, but Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns pulled out 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 playing seasons and led in passing yards in his third and final. He was named the winner of the Heisman Trophy in 2004 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 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. However, he did not find similar success and was out of the league in 2013.
