The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, Matt Leinart, has received a bizarre request from his alma mater, the USC Trojans, regarding his retired No. 11 jersey.
Leinart is considered among the best players to play at USC. He helped the team secure two AP National Championships and one BCS National Championship and was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
The Trojans have now made a rare request to unretire Leinart’s number, which means they want to let another player take the No. 11 as their jersey number. However, Leinart has shot down the request.
Leinart recently shared that the Trojans have asked him multiple times if they could unretire his jersey, to which he has responded by saying, “absolutely f*cking not.”
Fans online have shared their reactions on the matter.
”The Lincoln Riley experience,” one fan reacted.
“Getting you jersey is the ultimate honor besides HOF in my eyes and they shouldn’t be unretired unless asked by the player, nothing is sacred anymore, it feels like the new generation of no care for the ones that came before them, I sound like an old guy lol,” another fan highlighted.
“Leinart then just needs to ask for $50 to $100 million dollars for the number. Should equal 20 yrs worth of NIL $$ they’re going to pay whoever wears that number in future NIL earnings,” another fan advised.
“I’ll smack Lincoln Riley myself and everyone on staff who thinks that this is ok to begin with,” another fan wrote.
“As disloyal as players are today. It all money and may be there for a very very short time! The retired number is earned by winning the Heisman. The new players can pound sand and pick another number! Oh and by the way! USC during Lincoln Riley time hasn’t asked for the number,” another fan added.
”The only proper response if a school retires your jersey number, only to ask if a kid can wear it, simply bc they’re too chicken 💩 to tell these recruits ‘NO,'” another fan pointed out.
Dan Patrick Sides With Matt Leinart Amid the Jersey Unretiring Conversation
Sportscaster Dan Patrick reacted to USC asking Leinart if they could unretire his jersey number and has taken the ex-USC QB’s side in the matter.
The college football analyst shared his thoughts on Leinart’s reasoning for not letting a recruit take his jersey number, who could transfer after playing there, and said he understands what the ex-Heisman trophy winner is saying.
“Wait, you’re retiring my jersey, now you want to un-retire it because some high school senior is coming in..?” Patrick wrote on X.
Patrick further expressed his hesitation about the jersey-retirement tradition in college football, saying that just honoring it in some way would be a better idea.
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