There is always a new way to think about the greatness of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush

USA Today

5 days ago

Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, together at USC, both had their fair share of awards and national championships. In a recent tweet listing the best college football players to wear numbers 1-25, both Reggie Bush and Leinart made the list.
One of the most exciting college football players of all time, Reggie Bush was named the best player to wear number 5. Reggie Bush won multiple awards in his stellar 2005 season, winning the Heisman Trophy, the Doak Walker Award, and the Walter Camp Award, along with being named AP College Football Player of the Year and Sporting News Player of the Year.
Reggie Bush was also the driving force for the 2004 BCS national championship run for the Trojans. He ended his collegiate career as a two-time AP national champion with standout performances in countless big games.
In his USC tenure, Bush set a freshman record with 1,331 all-purpose yards in 2003. When he hung up his Trojan jersey Bush had 433 rushes for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns plus 95 receptions for 1,301 added yards and 13 touchdowns on his resume. His impact did not just stop on the offensive side of the ball; he was also a dynamic return man chipping in 67 kickoffs for 1,523 yards and one touchdown, and fielding 44 punts for 559 yards and three touchdowns.
Reggie Bush had a huge impact too on college football players getting paid and the NIL world we live in today. His Heisman Trophy was taken from him due to breaking NCAA violations. Bush rightly got his trophy back and in 2023 was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Bush's teammate Matt Leinart was named the best college player to wear number 11. Matt Leinart was the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, giving the USC Trojans back-to-back Heisman winners. Leinart also was named 2004 Rose Bowl MVP, helping the Trojans win consecutive AP national championships.
This three-time All-American set 16 school records, including 11 Pac-10 and 2 NCAA records. Breaking multiple records and going 37-2 in his career at USC helped him create a fantastic college resume. He was inducted into the USC Hall Of Fame in 2007. His jersey was retired, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall Of Fame in 2017.
Leinart, in 39 games, had 10,693 yards passing, 99 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions at USC. Leinart and Reggie Bush will go down as one of the best quarterback and running back duos in college football history. It only makes sense that these two legendary Trojans get recognized as the best to wear their jersey numbers.