Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart was born on May 11, 1983.
Leinart had one of the most impressive college careers in recent memory, starring at USC and leading the program to a BCS national championship in 2004. The school also won the AP title in 2003, and in both seasons, Leinart won the Archie Griffin Award.
In 2004 and 2005, Leinart was named a first-team All-American and voted as Quarterback of the Year. He won the Heisman in 2004 and returned for his senior year, in which the Trojans lost to Texas in the national championship game.
Leinart appeared headed for a solid professional career, but he never panned out as an NFL quarterback. His most successful season was arguably his rookie year with the Arizona Cardinals, where he started 12 games and threw for more than 2,500 yards. After that, though, Leinart spent most of his career on the bench. Although he stayed in the NFL through the 2013 season, he only appeared in 29 games, amassing 3,893 yards and just 14 touchdowns against 20 interceptions.
Even so, his college career stands as one of the best ever. His jersey has been retired by USC.
