Matt Leinart was pretty good at avoiding fumbles on the football field. Apparently, a date with Rihanna was a completely different sport.
The former USC star recently opened up about a date he had with Rihanna during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. Leinart explained that his lack of confidence played a major role in what became a very memorable romantic fumble.
Yes, even Heisman Trophy winners can get nervous.
Leinart had plenty of confidence when he was throwing touchdowns at USC. He was one of the biggest stars in college football. Pressure did not seem to bother him. Then Rihanna entered the picture.
Suddenly, all that confidence apparently packed a suitcase and left town.
When the topic of his date with Rihanna was mentioned to him, Leinart could only put his head down and say, “Oh God, are we really going there?”
Patrick went on to ask him how he could screw up a date with Rihanna. To which Leinart admitted he just wasn’t at his best.
“It was a young Matt, just not super confident,” Leinart told Patrick. “You would’ve thought I would’ve had a lot of confidence, but I didn’t.”
You can spend your entire career being told you are talented, play in front of thousands of screaming fans and can handle enormous pressure, but you across the table from Rihanna? And Suddenly, ordering dinner becomes a championship-level decision.
In July, 2025, Leinart shocked the world when he revealed on his podcast, “Throwbacks,” that he took Rihanna on a date and blew it.
Leinart, 43, admitted that the reason he wasn’t feeling confident in himself was because of a blister that emerged on his lip the day of their date.
The former two-time national champion and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback told Patrick that prior to their brief time dating each other, the two were actually friends and met each other through a mutual friend.
“Her assistant, and sort of still right-hand girl, still to this day, I was friends with; she grew up with one of my best friends,” Leinart said.
Leinart’s football career included plenty of big moments. But apparently, none prepared him for this particular assignment.
And Rihanna probably did not need to do much. She simply had to show up.
Somewhere out there, Matt Leinart has probably replayed that date more times than any bad interception.
