Matt Leinart, the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, has made it clear that he will not unretire his iconic No. 11 jersey from the University of Southern California (USC). On a recent episode of his podcast, “Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara,” he discussed the repeated requests he has received regarding this matter.
Leinart, who has had his jersey retired for over twenty years, shared that individuals from USC have approached him multiple times, asking if he would consider allowing a player to wear the number. He firmly responded, “absolutely not,” emphasizing that he will not permit his jersey to be worn by a “random dude” who may transfer after just a year.
He mentioned an instance where his son reached out about unretiring the jersey for another player. In this case, his son referenced a linebacker who was considering joining USC and requested permission for the player to wear No. 11. Leinart”s response remained consistent, as he reiterated his decision not to unretire the jersey.
In his social media post, Leinart clarified that head coach Lincoln Riley never asked him if a recruit could wear the iconic number. During the podcast, his co-host posed a hypothetical scenario in which a five-star recruit would offer him $1 million for the number. Despite the tempting offer, Leinart remained steadfast, stating that his jersey is “not for sale.” He mentioned that the likelihood of such a recruit staying at USC for more than two years is slim, reinforcing his commitment to keeping the jersey retired.
Interestingly, in recent years, the retired numbers of USC greats have been worn again. For example, Carson Palmer, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2002, had his No. 3 jersey retired shortly after. Jordan Addison, who transferred to USC in 2022 after winning the Biletnikoff Award, temporarily wore No. 3. Addison sought Palmer”s blessing to wear the number, which he received, and went on to have an impressive season with 59 receptions, 875 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns.
Leinart”s career at USC from 2003 to 2005 is seen as one of the most successful eras in the program”s history, as he stands second all-time in passing touchdowns, trailing only Palmer, and ranks fourth in career completions and passing yardage.
