Matt Leinart Quotes (97 Quotes)

I made some really dumb throws, ... I take a lot of the blame for how the offense worked.

I don't consider myself a celebrity, by no means. But I know a lot of people do, a lot of people kind of look at me like that. So when I do go out, it's like, OK, there's the USC guy.

I wasn't ready to give up being a kid, ... It was the hardest decision I ever made, but I wanted to stay in school.

My main strengths are leadership, game management - what I've done in games the last three years.

I really didn't know what happened. I just knew the whistle blew.

It's nice to see the one versus two all year finish the season one and two. Two undefeated teams, no controversy this year, and it's going to be a great atmosphere.

I saw what Alex signed for that's a pretty cool number. But what are you going to do I have no complaints about coming back. I'm happy. One of the reasons I came back was to try and win (a third championship), but it's not something we can control now. We have the potential to do it. Obviously, it's going to be hard. It's a much harder challenge this year than last and that was very tough. We had three or four games that could have gone either way. But I don't see why we can't do it.

It's always a concern when you lose two starters.

Leinart has opened other doors for his teammates, using his accurate passes to find Jarett (13 of his 55 catches went for TDs), Smith (three touchdowns in the Orange Bowl) and Byrd, or set up the running attack. Jarrett succeeded his body double, Mike Williams, using speed (4.4 seconds over 40 yards) and a 40-inch vertical jump to create nightmarish mismatches for cornerbacks. The top reserve receiver is 6-5, 220-pound freshman Patrick Turner, who also has 4.4 speed. He's the real deal, ... He's going to be in the mix right away.

Teams have been questioning my arm strength for three years. I'm more mobile than people think. I think I'm deceptively fast. I have deceptive speed. I know I can throw and run better than people think.

Being with my friends and teammates ... is ultimately more satisfying and will make me happier than any amount of money could make someone happy,

We really don't care about the BCS. We'll care about it when there's one game left. It's important for us to start the game really fast, and they didn't stop us all game.

That was a pretty cool number. I have no complaints about how I'm living right now, so I'm happy. I have no regrets on coming back.

Obviously, after playing at USC where we won almost every game we played in, then going to a team that may struggle, it (will be tough). But it's all (about) preparation and work. I work hard no matter what, and I will bring my accountability and my work ethic to an organization and help that team win.

The last time we were up there, we all know what happened, ... This is the fourth quarter of the season. We want to keep this thing going, keep pushing. By no means is it going to be easy, these next three games.

A college student who's more famous than you are doesn't return your phone calls, and from that you doubt his intentions to stay in college

Absolutely. I feel it's an honor to get drafted wherever I go to whatever city takes me.

I was going to do it, anyway. I wanted to get in there. You don't think in those times.

That's not my goal this year, ... I have team goals. I'm focused on leading this team to whatever it can accomplish. If I don't win it, I can't be upset.

Losing coach Chow is one thing, but Sarkisian is like a big brother to me. You guys are going to find out. They're both Sarkisian and Kiffin probably two of the smartest young coaches in college football.

I think college football and this whole atmosphere here, and being with my friends and my teammates that I've been with for four years, that it's ultimately more satisfying than going pro next year. It will make me happier than any amount of money can make me happy.

Everyone made a big deal about it all offseason. I think we've proved in the first two weeks that it doesn't matter. He was a great coach, but coach Kiffin and Sark are two of the finest young coaches in the country.

You just go with how the cards are played. I can't control that.

I've seen it get even bigger, especially being in L.A., being as successful as we have when a lot of other sports teams aren't. The Lakers were, but there's no other big-time team right now.

If I'm going to be at an event signing autographs for two hours, people have to understand, ... I'm not a mean person if I say no.

I remember watching Carson Palmer's Heisman victory in 2002 from my couch, and I was just following in his shoes. I just wanted to play. I could never have imagined this.

He came in like a little baby, just a 17-year-old kid. He had all the athleticism and potential in the world. He just couldn't quite find it.

I feel good about (the workout). I feel like I answered any questions they might have. I showed them my arm strength and that I'm more athletic than they've seen on film.

The season, it seems like it lasts forever. At the same time, it goes by very fast. I'm trying to relish these moments. Every day, I'm going to try and soak something in, have fun with my boys, my coaches. Hopefully we can go out a winner.

I feel like I'd be lying if I sat here and told you I was extremely confident and not nervous. It's excitement, but I'm also just anxious to get this over with. You're anxious to figure out where you're going to be living for the next 10-15 years, or whatever, of my life.

That's what it's all about. It's coming to South Bend, Indiana. One of the best rivalries in college football coming down to the last second.

I've been here for five years.

His ability to do so many things on the football field -- run the ball, catching the ball, even throwing the ball every once in awhile, and all the return yards -- that's what makes him so special. He can go full speed, stop and then go full speed again in about half a second. It's amazing.

Whether we're leading at halftime, leading at the fourth quarter or, like Notre Dame, waiting all the way until there are three seconds left, we never have any doubt.

I think at times I've lost track of just having fun and not thinking too much,

It's tough being in L.A., being in the limelight and being the only team there that really had success the last couple of years. I think it's the closest thing to the NFL. I've done tons of interviews, I've seen lots of things happen, so I think I'm very prepared.

I don't want to watch television. I don't want to look at mock drafts. I just want it to happen.

LenDale is so big and so fast, and he just wears on the defense. He's a great complement to a guy like Reggie. He can catch the ball, he can run after the catch, he can run after his carries. He just does everything well. He's a terrific back and a big part of why we've been so successful.

I've never even gone on that site. It's a cool idea, but I don't want to put myself out there.

It was a very good game for us. It was good to be behind at halftime. It was good to play in front of a hostile crowd. As we said at halftime, you can't win a game in the first half.

I think the quarterback position is mostly mental. Physically, you've got to be able to throw the football and run around and make plays. But the biggest part is preparation. Preparing yourself in the film room, or on the chalkboard with your coach.

We went for the win right there and didn't convert. We felt like we could run it and were inches short.

That's a great win for us against a team that we've struggled with for the last couple of years, ... I don't think we really thought about (2003). We just wanted to make a statement today that things are changing, and that they're going to have to bring their best shot.

I just took the choice and we went for the win. .You can play for the tie and hope to go to overtime. Or, you're on the 1-yard line, you know It's really man-on-man. It's get in the end zone, or go home.

I had one class left and I thought it would be fun,

Two undefeated teams, no controversy. That's all that's left.

He never puts his head down anymore. He dresses a little different, walks around a little different, and it's good to see that, ... It's fun.

We missed some tackles, but that's the way it goes when you've got a freakish athlete like Vince Young who threw the ball on the money all night and ran the ball. He's so big and strong, and yet he's as fast as a running back. It's tough to prepare for that and tough to stop that.

definitely a candidate that would be eligible for a 10 million-plus policy.

My teammates would want to do it, but since they're not doing it they make fun of me.