Ex-USC legend Matt Leinart had most epic Rihanna first-date fail

The former NFL quarterback revealed he 'couldn't make eye contact' with the singer, due to a rather embarrassing blemish.

Dec 3, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; FOX Sports analyst Matt Leinart before the Big Ten Championship between the Michigan Wolverines and the Purdue Boilermakers at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Former NFL quarterback Matt Leinart almost found love with Rihanna, but for Leinart, it was in a hopeless place. 

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Recordist artist Rihanna performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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In an episode of Leinart’s “Throwbacks” podcast that dropped on Friday, July 17, the ex-USC legend revealed that he once went on a date with the “Umbrella” hitmaker. However, the date was doomed from the beginning. 

Leinart had taken the Fenty Beauty founder to Teddy’s nightclub inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, however, he wasn’t feeling the most confident that night.

“The problem was I had this f***ing ginormous blister on my lip,” Leinart said, recounting the story to podcast cohost, actor Jerry Ferrara, and Josh Richman. “Dude, I can’t even.”

Evidently, these blisters used to be a big problem for Leinart.

“I would get these sun blisters,” he said. “I felt like when I used to be super fat when I was little and I was afraid to take my shirt off at P.E. You know, when you’re so embarrassed you’re like, ‘Please don’t look at me.’”

Granted, Leinart was aware of the blister at the time, but his friends encouraged him to go on the date anyway. 

“I don’t know who in my world was like, ‘Dude, you’re okay, bro. You’re going to be f***ing fine. You’re going to be fine,’” Leinart said  “I was like, ‘No, I’m f***ing not!’”

He noted that he felt awkward the whole time he was on the date. Leinart revealed that he “couldn’t make eye contact” as they were sitting across from each other. As one could guess, the two did not have a second date.

But thankfully, things worked out for Leinart, as he’s been married to his wife Josie Loren since 2018. The couple shares sons Cayson, 5, and Cannon, 4 and daughter Camila, 5 months.

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Heisman-winning quarterback Matt Leinart, a member of the Fox Big Noon Kickoff crew, walks the CU sideline before the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Sept. 16, 2023 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. | Cris Tiller / USA TODAY NETWORK

And yes, Leinart noted that he did, in fact, get permission from Loren to tell this story.

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