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More mental than physical for Leinart

WP: USC QB had to overcome psychological strains in road to Rose Bowl
USC NOTRE DAME
USC quarterback Matt Leinart is hugged by assistant coach Pat Ruel after scoring on a surprise sneak run to lift the Trojans over Notre Dame 34-31 on Oct. 15.Michael Conroy / AP
/ Source: a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/front.htm" linktype="External" resizable="true" status="true" scrollbars="true">The Washington Post</a

One of the pivotal moments in Southern California's unblemished regular season did not occur on the field but rather in a team meeting in mid-October.

The pressures of being Matt Leinart had become too great for the decorated USC quarterback, so the senior aired frustrations to teammates and coaches and vowed to return to his more relaxed self. As a result, Leinart turned in a season superior to his junior year, when he won the Heisman Trophy, and kept the top-ranked Trojans on pace for an unprecedented third consecutive national title.

"We kind of faced the monster a little bit, and he has not been the same since," said USC Coach Pete Carroll, whose team faces Texas in Wednesday's Rose Bowl. "He stopped projecting about what should happen and what he should be and just got back to being a kid playing football and having fun with it."

The problem seemingly began with too much success. When Leinart turned down the chance to likely be the top pick in the 2005 NFL draft to return to school, expectations for this season soared. And when USC met those expectations by scoring a combined 133 points in victories against Hawaii and Arkansas, Leinart said, "the bar was raised the highest you could go."

Then came a wave of adversity against schools that teammate Reggie Bush believes had been preparing for the Trojans since summer. There was the 10-point rally at Oregon on Sept. 24, followed by the 18-point comeback at Arizona State the next week.

The burden of responsibility mounted for Leinart, who was attempting to become only the second player to win two Heismans. He remembers encountering more than 50 people a day around campus who either wanted to chat or get something autographed. Meanwhile, Leinart recalled, newspaper articles continued to put USC's offense on a historical pedestal.

"You could see something tearing at him," running back LenDale White said.

The stress on Leinart reached an apex in mid-October. Leinart was the only Trojan asked about his celebrity status during a teleconference with reporters before the Notre Dame game. He reacted to a question about whether his new roommate was celebrity Nick Lachey by saying it was the weirdest question he had ever been asked.

The game, an epic 34-31 USC victory, was a defining moment for Leinart, who made two critical plays in the final two minutes. First came his perfect pass to Dwayne Jarrett on fourth and nine when Leinart audibled at the line of scrimmage. Then came Leinart's twisting, lunging sneak into the end zone from one yard out for the win.

But it was then, even with USC at 6-0 and perhaps its biggest hurdle of the season cleared, when Leinart sat down with Steve Sarkisian, USC's assistant head coach-quarterbacks. Sarkisian told him he had seen a change in Leinart's demeanor and Leinart agreed, remembering that he often wore his hat low to cover his eyes or wore his hood during those weeks.

"It was mentally draining," said Leinart. "I still had to prepare for games against tough teams. I openly told the team I was not playing well and not to worry about me. I was mad at myself."

The victory at Notre Dame and Leinart's talk with the team galvanized the Trojans. "Everybody realized at that point that we had something special," Bush said. "It brought us closer together and when we have that backbone behind us we're not going to lose to anybody."

Leinart's performance the second half of the season was a testament to his sharpened focus. Once again he was having fun on the field with teammates, which was a prime reason he returned to school despite the advice of many who told him to grab the NFL money while he could.

He completed more than 70 percent of his passes in each of his next three games following the Notre Dame game Oct. 15. And his 15 touchdown passes over the final six games of the regular season were offset by only two interceptions.

"He is a perfectionist," said Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts, an analyst on ABC's broadcast team. "He may never say that, but he is a perfectionist."

USC players and coaches believe Leinart improved in every aspect since last season, when he completed 65 percent of his passes and threw for 3,322 yards, 33 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. This season, he again completed 65 percent of his passes and threw for 3,450 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

One of the few blemishes in the second half of the year was Leinart's start against UCLA on Dec. 3. Playing his final game at the Los Angeles Coliseum, he said, a flurry of emotions repeatedly caused him to overthrow receivers in the first quarter.

Afterward, he paused in the tunnel leading to the locker room, raised his hands to salute the crowd and glanced again at the scoreboard: 66-19. It was the culmination of a trying season laden with extraordinary expectations for Leinart.

"This year more than any other year was more mental," said Leinart, who is 37-1 as a starter. "Mentally I think I have grown a lot more this year than I ever have my last two years."