Trojans Quarterback Leinart Wins Heisman Trophy

[Walter Cronkite]

Matt Leinart replaced a Heisman Trophy winner and became one himself.

The Southern California quarterback won college football's most prestigious individual award Saturday night, beating out Oklahoma teammates Adrian Peterson and Jason White, last year's winner.

In 2002, Carson Palmer won the Heisman as a senior with the Trojans. Leinart succeeded the first overall pick in the NFL draft with a splendid sophomore season that set him up as the preseason favorite this year.

Leinart has delivered, throwing for 2,990 yards and 28 TDs and leading the top-ranked Trojans to a 12-0 regular season.

"I remember when Carson was sitting up here," Leinart said. "He said his heart was beating out of his chest, I think mine's about to do the same thing."

The junior is USC's sixth Heisman winner, tying the Trojans with Ohio State for second-most behind Notre Dame's seven.

Peterson, the freshman tailback, was second, White was third, Utah quarterback Alex Smith was fourth and Leinart's teammate Reggie Bush was fifth in the voting.

Leinart and Bush will compete against Peterson and White again on Jan. 4 in the Orange Bowl. The winner of that contest takes home the national title. It'll be the first time two players with Heisman trophies have played each other in college.

"I know they're going to be coming after me," Leinart said of the Sooners.

Leinart received 1,325 points and won all but one of the six voting regions. He came in third in the Southwest, where White led with 263 points and Peterson was second with 197.

Peterson received 997 overall points, edging out White (957) for second. Peterson's second-place finish is the best by a freshman. Georgia's Herschel Walker had the previous freshman best when he was third to winner George Rogers of South Carolina in 1980. Michael Vick was a redshirt freshman at Virginia Tech when he was third in 1999.

White had a chance to become just the second two-time Heisman winner, joining Ohio State tailback Archie Griffin (1974 and '75).

Smith, who has led Utah to a berth in the Bowl Championship Series, received 635 points, and Bush, the Trojans' explosive and versatile tailback had 597.

Leinart had never thrown a pass at USC when he won a four-way battle to replace Palmer in 2003.

The left-hander practically matched Palmer's Heisman numbers in his first season as a starter, throwing for 3,556 yards and 38 TDs while leading the Trojans to a share of the national title. He finished sixth in last year's Heisman balloting.

While Bush has provided a slew of dazzling plays for USC, the laid-back Leinart is the Trojans' leader.

Breaking in a new set of receivers and playing behind a rebuilt offensive line, Leinart has completed 66 percent of his passes with just six interceptions this season.

The Trojans are 24-1 with Leinart as a starter and have won 21 straight games.

USC's first four Heisman winners were running backs, starting with Mike Garrett in 1965 and ending with Marcus Allen in 1981.

But Tailback U. has turned into Quarterback College since offensive coordinator Norm Chow arrived with coach Pete Carroll in 2001.

Chow turned Palmer from a talented enigma into a potential NFL franchise quarterback. Leinart is Chow's third protege to win the Heisman, along with BYU's Ty Detmer.

Leinart could also join Palmer as an NFL first-round pick, maybe as soon as April if he decides to skip his final college season.

That's quite a rise for the geeky kid from Santa Ana., Calif.

"No, I was a fat kid and cross-eyed and had glasses about an inch thick," Leinart said. "I use to get made fun of. It's been a long time since those days."

Source: AP

[AndySMC]

Matt Leinart is not the best player in college football, Not even close!! USC's schedule is so week. There is no way that Auburn (who has the toughest schedule by far and is undefeated in the SEC) should not be playing in the National Championship in stead of USC. I am so tired of these people who think USC is something, all there games are close, even with teams that suck.

The Heisman is supposed to go to the best college football player, not the best quarterback or running back. Year after year they select these guys that perform well in a system that has a great supporting cast. The athlete never amounts to anything past his college days. It a shame we are a society that is so simple minded.

[Kellie-Girl]

Some body please give me one shred of proof that says Leinart is better than White or Peterson. White had better #s. Peterson had the best freshman season ever recorded. If Peterson has 164 yards against USC, he'll be only the 7th person to exceed 2000 yards in NCAA history.

Peterson is the best player in the nation, and Bush is the most electrifying, too bad "electrifying" won't win you the Heisman. Peterson and White should have been 1 and 2, Leinart shouldn't have won a single award. And where's Omar Jacobs fit into this? He had more yards, more TDs, less INTs, more rushing yards and TDs, better completion %, and the best QB rating in the nation. So how is Leinart the best choice now?

[Modern Arts]

Adrian Peterson should have been rewarded for his exceptional performance as the most outstanding player of the entire college football scene. As a freshman he was up against tremendous odds playing against seasoned veterans and beat them all. He deserved the Heisman because no freshman in the history of college football accomplished the record he did. But as usual that doesn't seem to matter. This shames the Heisman Trophy award system.

[johnny trance]

i think leinhart should have won. he did what he had to do and led usc to an undefeated season.

plus he looks like jim morrison which is cool.