Why NFL Vet Matt Leinart Isn’t Afraid of His Kids Playing the ‘Violent’ Sport of Football
Matt Leinart has no problem with his kids following in his football footsteps.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Heisman Trophy winner Leinart — who is currently expecting his third child with wife Josie Loren, joining Leinart’s son Cole, 17, from a previous relationship — explained why he’s more than happy to support his children playing the increasingly volatile and physical game.
“Injuries are a part of sports,” Leinart, 41, said. “That’s just going to happen. It’s part of it. It’s adversity. You deal with it. I was injured a bunch in my career. It just happens. Obviously football is a violent sport. It is what it is.”
In addition to Cole, a two-sport athlete in football and basketball at Newport Harbor High School in California, Leinart is also father to sons Cayson, 4 and Cannon, 3. Leinart and his wife announced they were expecting another child in August, whose sex Leinart told Us they are waiting until birth to find out.
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“You can do all of the testing and you can do all of the things that are preventative now — which the NFL is trying — and I respect that,” Leinart continued. “But at the end of the day, it’s a collision sport. It’s a contact sport.”
Leinart —who launched his new podcast “Throwbacks” with cohost Jerry Ferrara on Thursday, September 5 — marveled at what the sport of football has done for him over the years, first as a standout quarterback at California’s Mater Dei High School, then at the University of Southern California and, finally, during 33 appearances for three different NFL teams between 2006 and 2012.
“I played in high school, I played in college, I played at the highest level,” Leinart explained. “I saw what football did for me and what it teaches you. Football is very specific. There’s something about it. There’s something about that locker room. There’s something about 60 guys working together. There’s something about all of the things you learn that really apply to life.”
While Leinart said he “would love” for his kids to play football, he insisted he won’t make any decisions for them.
“I’m not going to force them,” he said. “I never have. But the combination of it being just an awesome sport and fun to play with what it can teach you, I don’t really worry about the other stuff.”
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In addition to his gig as a college football analyst for Fox Sports, Leinart is celebrating the release of his podcast “Throwbacks,” cohosted by Entourage star Jerry Ferrara.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun doing it,” Leinart said of the show. “We’re going to have big time guests on. We want to be the relatable podcast that guys can be like, ‘Did you hear what Matt and Jerry said about their kids this week?’ That kind of stuff. I’m fired up, man. Jerry is the best dude.”
Leinart continued, “We want to be the podcast for everybody’s group chat.”
The first episode of “Throwbacks,” featuring guest Ashton Kutcher, dropped Thursday, September 5, with new episodes released every Thursday.
