USC Trojans Legend Matt Leinart Shares Crazy Memory With Michael Jordan

The USC Trojans have one of the strongest histories in college football. In 2006, the Trojans faced the Texas Longhorns in the Rose Bowl for the national championship. The Trojans suffered a loss, but it remains one of the most notable matchups in college football.

USC was led by quarterback Matt Leinart at the time, and it was his final game with the program. While it was a devastating loss for the program, it led to Leinart having an interaction with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

USC Trojans Matt Leinart Michael Jordan Magic Johnson Texas Longhorns Rose Bowl Vince Young Riggie Bush College Football NBA — Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans former quarterback Matt Leinart attends the Pac-12 Champonship game at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Leinart Discusses Meeting Jordan

Leinart appeared on an episode of The Triple Option and reminisced about the 2006 Rose Bowl. While the result of the game may not be what Leinart wants to remember, he shared a memory of meeting Jordan while hanging out with teammates.

“A couple nights later, you know, my career's over, you know. All the boys went out in LA, and it was the night I met Michael Jordan,” Leinart said. “Michael Jordan called me, it's the craziest story, called me to, and this is the magnitude of the game, called me to his table, and I took a shot with Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley, and me and my brother and a bunch of my teammates were there.”

“And he goes, ‘man, you know, I was there at that game the other night. It was such a great game.’ And it turns out he was in the box with Magic [Johnson], Charles Barkley, Jordan, and you know they had hundreds of thousands of dollars on the game. I think they put money on us, and then we lost the money," said Leinart.

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With the Rose Bowl hosting the national championship, it was already in Southern California and full of celebrities. It was the play on the field that drew in the attention, causing it to be called the game of the century.

“It just spoke to the magnitude of that was the game of the century. It was the lead-up. It was the buildup. Both teams wanted to play each other. Both teams wanted to play each other.”

Look Back On 2006 Rose Bowl

The Texas Longhorns won the game in a thrilling 41-36 final score. While USC lost, Leinart passed for 365 yards and one touchdown. Former USC wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett had a big game with 124 receiving yards and caught the lone passing touchdown.

Both teams saw the most success when running the ball. Texas quarterback Vince Young had 267 passing yards, but he also had 200 yards while running and three rushing touchdowns.

USC running back LenDale White finished the game with 124 yards and three touchdowns, and USC Trojans legend, Reggie Bush, finished the game with 82 rushing yards and one touchdown and 95 receiving yards.

Texas entered halftime with a six-point lead, which led to a thrilling second half. USC had the lead with just over six minutes to go in the game, but the Texas offense took control, leading to a Longhorns win.

While Leinart and USC did not get the win, he did help lead the Trojans to two national championship wins in a row through his collegiate career. Leinart went on to be the No. 10 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, selected by the Arizona Cardinals.

Leinart Discusses Meeting Jordan

Look Back On 2006 Rose Bowl

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