Matt Leinart to return for senior season
 

As just announced Fox Sports West press conference. YAY!

Lofa Tatupu will enter the draft
Tom Malone is staying for his senior year.

Re: Matt Leinart to return for senior season
 

Wow! Best of luck to all of them!

Lofa's dad broke all kinds of records in HS football here and almost 30 years later, they're still standing. It was inevitable that Mosi's son would also do wonders on the field!

:::scratching head:::
 

I really don't get it. He's got a Heisman & a National Championship & is expected to be the #1 draft pick.

The only thing I can figure is that he really doesn't want to play for the 49ers.

Kind of a curious decision since he has two national championships and a heisman already. Anyone can finish their schooling at a later time.

I have to agree nutbrnhair, maybe he just doesn't want to be chosen by San Fran.

Well, Leinart said he's having the time of his life in college and wants to use the next year to mature mentally and physically. He wants the chance to lead USC to its third straight Nat'l Championship--which no other school has ever done.

And he spoke with Carson Palmer, Troy Polamalu and other Trojans in the nFL and they all advised he stay, reportedly. Also he took into consideration that both Peyton and Eli Manning chose to stay for their senior seasons and it was the best choice for them. Also he said he didn't want to make the leap now and regret leaving USC too soon when he loves being there so much

And he's due to complete his undergrad coursework this semester.

Though I DO NOT like USC, you gotta give Matt props for that decision. To stay and finish, to attempt to make history when his stock has a better chance of going down than up next year (All he REALLY has to do is avoid injury and he's set), that takes a lot of resolve to turn down millions.

But, I hate to admit it, something tells me he's not just about money...and you gotta respect that.

There still are some "student/scholar" athletes left. I applaud him and his decision -- and SC for being the kind of place where people want to stay, and also recruit people who aren't only looking for a quick ticket into the NFL.

I wish there was more of this.

Interesting decision - as was said, he has the two national titles and a Heisman. Not much left to do on the college front, although I couldn't blame him for avoiding the Niners. That new regime coming in has a lot of work to do.

I can't think of another time when someone in his position stayed in college. Peyton didn't have the Heisman or the national title, and same for Carson. I hope Matt has a good year and stays healthy.

So you suppose it's even remotely possible that he went to college to get an education as well as play football?

Nah...to radical a thought.

I'm not going to sit here and say he didn't - from hearing and reading interviews with him, he seems like an intelligent guy. I like to think the best of people, and it's great if he is staying for the education.

I'm just saying that, regardless of what he's doing, this is one of the only times I can think of that someone with his college resume is staying for his senior year.

Is he a good student? Maybe he wants to follow in Bill Bradley's footsteps. It's nice to see a young man who values education.

BUT...neither of them won the Heisman and/or a national championship!

Geez -- no one values an education more than I do, but for Matt Lienhart, I think this is a crazy move.

Hmm, Heisman/Nat'l Championship doesn't really matter in the NFL. Many great players don't have either.(as was brought up in another thread not too long ago)

Crazy idea sure, but a smart one...what if he had blown out his ACL or some other crummy injury his first season in the NFL and it was unrepairable and he was screwed, he'd still have no education to fall back on in the end.

I applaud his staying at SC to finish up..too bad we can't get basketball players to do the same thing.:rolleyes:

The second he signs an NFL contract he'll be set for life, financially. Listen, I hope he doesn't get hurt, but it's obvious that he'll be worse off if he gets hurt as a college player rather than an NFL player. Out of curiosity, what's his major that he has to "fall back on?"

(And I notice you're from Southern California -- of course you're glad he's staying.)

I'd be shocked if he doesn't have some sort of insurance policy taken out, in case something happens.

He seems like an intelligent, well-spoken guy, so who knows what he'd do if he wasn't playing football.