One year later, in the spring of 2001, lightly recruited quarterback, Matt Leinart--also recruited by Hackett, and then retained by new coach Pete Carroll--joined the Trojan football squad. In his freshman year, he was able to see a minimum amount of action as Carson Palmer's primary back-up. Palmer led the 2001 campaign with an unimpressive 6-6 season--the first under Carroll.
As little Matty Leinart looked on, he saw Cassel eventually elevated as Palmer's primary back-up, and Leinart took a Redshirt for the '02 season. His hopes of starting were quickly vanishing, and whispers of transferring had begun. After both Leinart and Cassel languished on the bench for another year during Palmer's 2002 Heisman campaign, it was assumed it would be Cassel's team come 2003--after Palmer had departed.
In a three-way battle for QB, under the watchful tutelage of offensive mastermind, Norm Chow, and to the shock of many--it was Matt Leinart's job outright. The rest is history...
Highly-recruited, highly-regarded, Matt Cassel sat behind two Heisman winning quarterbacks the entirety of his collegiate career. Meanwhile, the once humble Leinart allowed his ego to grow and his nightlife to become a distraction. Granted, being surrounded by at least 9 All Americans and playing against lesser competition, you can allow yourself to become distracted off of the field while still enjoying on-the-field success. Seen on tabloids with Paris Hilton and Britney
Spears, Leinart became a Hollywood hit overnight. Drafted highly in the first round of 2006--and two national championships later, Leinart now had an NFL career to look to. He was quickly given the keys to the team and displaced former NFL MVP and veteran Kurt Warner almost as soon as he arrived. The once maligned Arizona Cardinals finally had hope.Meanwhile.... in the shadows, Matt Cassel had quietly been drafted (inexplicably, after being a lifetime back-up) by the New England Patriots in the 7th round, in 2005. Maintaining his workmanlike attitude, he made the NFL roster.
Fast forward three years later to 2008. Kurt Warner, now with a graybeard and recovering from perhaps as many as 16 past concussions, was chosen over Leinart as the starting Quarterback of
the Arizona Cardinals who had still been filling the tabloids.And yes, after three more years of working hard as a back-up, and all the while keeping a very low profile--as a result of Tom Brady's season ending knee injury this past Sunday, Matt Cassel was given the keys to the Mercedes; meanwhile, Matt Leinart is stuck in the back seat of the Pinto.
It pays to work hard and stay focused. This weekend, Matt Cassel will make his first start since High School. Regardless how this story turns out, the irony is overwhelming.
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