Most football fans know the story of Matt Leinart. A prolific college QB at USC, many thought he was destined to become an all-time great. Instead, he became known as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.
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At USC, Leinart won the Heisman Trophy and led the Trojans to consecutive National Championships. His college success had teams hyping him up ahead of the 2006 NFL Draft, where the Arizona Cardinals selected him 10th overall. But he never replicated his dominance in the NFL.
He had a decent start, but turnovers quickly defined his game. In his rookie season, he threw 12 interceptions and fumbled 8 times. The following year, he opened as Arizona’s starter, but the mistakes continued. A fractured collarbone in Week 5 ended his season and effectively his career as a starter. Before long, he was forgotten, and many younger fans today don’t even know his story.
One of those younger fans happens to be Leinart’s own son. In a recent video on Leinart’s Instagram, the little kiddo can be heard asking an Amazon Alexa device, “Alexa, who’s Matt Leinart?” with his dad sitting right behind him.
Immediately, one could notice Leinart’s dismay. He looked caught off guard, clearly aware that a possible critique of his career was coming.
“Matt Leinart was a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at USC and a Top 10 NFL draft pick. But his pro career didn’t amount to much,” the Alexa responded.
Honestly, it was probably the nicest thing Alexa could’ve said about Leinart’s career. She didn’t delve into details about why he never amounted to much in the NFL, and highlighted his glorious college career.
Leinart didn’t seem to appreciate the comments, but he laughed them off.
“Really? … Wow, Alexa is rough. Damn,” he responded.
“Yikes, oh well,” his wife said.
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All in all, it was a funny clip where the former quarterback was caught off guard. Although he’s probably been hearing the critiques about his career for years. So, it’s likely that they don’t phase him anymore. After all, it’s been almost 20 years since he was drafted.
Additionally, Leinart really did have a stellar college career. He threw for over 10,000 career yards, 99 touchdowns, and compiled a career record of 37-2. He may never have lived up to his expectations in the NFL. But he can still go to bed at the end of every day knowing he is perhaps the greatest quarterback in USC’s history.
