Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
2004 and 2006 Rose Bowl Games
2019 Inductee
Matt Leinart was one of the most celebrated quarterbacks of the last 20 years of college football. The USC signal caller led the Trojans to a pair of Rose Bowl Games, including a 28–14 victory over Michigan in the 2004 Granddaddy of Them All. In the win, Leinart earned game MVP honors by passing for three touchdowns and running for another. In his second Rose Bowl Game, Leinart completed 73 percent of his passes and threw a touchdown pass, but the Trojans lost to Texas 41–38 in the 2006 BCS National Championship Game.
Leinart finished his college career with a 37–2 record in games he started, and he won the Heisman Trophy for 2004. The two-time All-American was selected 10th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft and played six seasons in the NFL. Leinart had his USC jersey number (11) retired and was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
