Matt Leinart is Prepared to Play

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Matt Leinart’s journey to the role of backup quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals is almost as interesting as Kurt Warner’s ascension to the starting spot. At Super Bowl XLIII Media Day this morning, Matt didn’t have a podium (like Kurt) or a lot of interested ears. But he certainly had a story. Here’s a guy who was on top of the world as the quarterback for the USC Trojans and then drafted to be the franchise QB and face and future of the Arizona Cardinals. Yet three seasons later, he’s holding a clipboard. Granted, he’s in a very unique situation playing alongside a former Super Bowl MVP and future Hall of Famer. But the fact remains, he has not met expectations. And that’s got to be a tough pill to swallow for someone who had such tremendous college creds. Still, he knows his time could be as soon as the next snap:

“I’ve learned a lot, about the quarterback position, sitting back and realizing this is what I need to do to become a better football player, whether I’m playing or not. I feel like I’ve been ready every single play, every game this year. You have to prepare, study, put in the same amount of time. If your number’s called you don’t want be the guy who’s not prepared. That’s something that I think about. I’m going to be prepared if my number’s called.”

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom