The Matt Leinart Foundation wants to thank its title sponsor Verizon Wireless.

Now is the time to establish a NFL presence in Los Angeles, and give back to our youth, in a market void of professional football since the Raiders and Rams left the area in 1994.

The Matt Leinart Foundation (www.mattleinartfoundation.org) would like to invite you to join us in the creation of the LA Urban Youth Football League (UYFL). UYFL will be a full contact football league targeting 7th and 8th grade students who were either too large to participate in the traditional youth leagues such as Pop Warner, and/or lacked the financial means/resources to participate.

The projected start date for the UFYL is this April (2008). The league will be comprised of 6 teams, aka franchises, from various attendance areas within the LAUSD. Each franchise will have an ownership group of 1-4 current and former NFL players, or other prominent figures such as commentators or coaches – ideally with roots within the community where each franchise will be established.

The UYFL’s goal is to create an unquestionable bond between the franchise owners and the community by not only offering an athletic/academic outlet for the children, but also by introducing the kids to positive role models from all avenues of life. The UYFL will also present an opportunity to bridge the cultural, economic and social divides that exist within many communities through football.

As our motto states, the UYFL is focused on building character through athletics and, most importantly, in life. In addition to gaining gridiron knowledge, tutoring and mentoring programs, community service work, and regular grade checks will be key and essential elements of the UYFL.

To successfully achieve the mission, it must begin with strong ownership. Each ownership group will cover a franchise fee that will pay for: equipment; facilities; insurance; officials; coaches; transportation; and league administration. The franchise fee, which the UYFL likes to refer to as a contribution to the community, is renewable on a yearly basis. Each owner has the prerogative to treat his team and staff to any additional such as USC or UCLA game tickets, team trips to a museum, and weekly team meals to name a few options. The owners and the franchise mentors are responsible for creating an environment that promotes positive citizenship, academics, and community service.

UYFL League Management will look for people within the community to donate their time and services in many areas: doctors to perform team physicals; educators to provide tutoring; community leaders to serve as mentors or coaches; and police officers/firefighters to relate their experiences just to mention a few. Most significantly, these local leaders will be able to relate to kids the trials and travails they faced to reach their prestigious state in life.

The aim for each franchise is to have 30 students on each team. In addition to meeting the size and/or financial requirements, each participant must have a letter from a current school administrator acknowledging that the player “shows the desire to learn and participate cooperatively in the classroom”.

The season consists of five league games. Once the season is complete, the franchise will continue to promote and participate in all the non-football programs of the UYFL, making this a year-round endeavor.

We are excited to present this opportunity to the civic leaders of Los Angeles. We hope that you share our enthusiasm and decide to be a part of the UYFL. We believe everyone can benefit from a program of this magnitude with the biggest winner being the children of Los Angeles. We look forward to hearing from you.

For more information on the UYFL, please contact Chuck Price at 310-963-2594 or via email at cpfastact@aol.com.

Program Management
Chuck Price, President, 4th and 9 Sports, (Project Director for Matt Leinart Foundation) MattLeinartFoundation.org

Chuck created the NFL Air-It-Out Flag Football Tour in 1992 with David Newman and NFL Properties. Originally referred to as “Draw Play”, the grassroots flag football initiative reached every NFL Market in 1994-1996 with flag football tournaments ranging in size from 100-1,200 teams per city. Fast Action Sports managed the events in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County from 1993-1998.

From 2000-2006, Chuck was the Director of Operations for the Cali-Florida Bowl HS Football All Star Game. The contest, benefiting the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House, featured the best high school football players from California and Florida. Some of the participants in the series were: D.J. Williams; the late Sean Taylor; Matt Leinart; Devin Hester; Santonio Holmes; Maurice Jones-Drew; Ernie Sims; Marshawn Lynch; Pat Watkins and Antonio Cromartie.

TUSTIN — The first barb flew before all the salad plates hit the banquet tables at the Make-A-Wish luncheon Wednesday at Marconi Automotive Museum.

“Matt Leinart’s going be here? Why? I don’t see any co-eds,” joked one attendee, the remark drawing a few chuckles.

People hear things about Matt Leinart, the former Mater Dei star and USC Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback whose off-the-field partying has gotten him more attention than his early NFL career as the Arizona Cardinals’ signal-caller.

Girls hanging on him. Hot tubs bubbling. Beer bongs billowing. These aren’t the kind of scoring situations where his fans — or the team that used a 2006 first-round draft pick on him — want to find him on the Internet.

But Leinart, 25, is still young and still inexperienced when it comes to managing his public image. He called that recent exposure, which led to stern counseling from his advisors, “mistakes” and said “I have to realize I’m a role model and act like one.”

So he has mellowed, maybe even to the point of keeping the cover on the Jacuzzi. He is focusing on his career, his family, his young son and the kind of community service the public likes to see and the IRS considers deductible.

“This is something that is really important to me,” said Leinart, who was the guest speaker at Wednesday’s luncheon for the Inland Empire and Orange County chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “I enjoy helping people, especially the children from where I grew up.”

No cameras were around when he said this. He didn’t need to say it. He doesn’t even need to mean it, but he does, which you can tell through his actions.

Leinart arrived early for the event, pulling up to the valet in black Chevrolet Tahoe in need of a wash. The windows were tinted, the tires Toyo Proxes S/T and the rims chrome. In the back was a carseat.

That belongs to Cole, the 20-month-old son he had with his former girlfriend when he was at USC, Brynn Cameron. Ask Leinart what Cole looks like and he opens his wallet to pull out two black and white photos of the boy, one of Leinart holding Cole.

“I try to take pictures with him every chance I get because he’s growing so quickly,” he said of the photographs with edges worn from handling them so much. “He’s my life. I play football for him.”

Fatherhood, Leinart said, has made him more thoughtful about his responsibilities and more committed to helping children. Through Make-A-Wish, Leinart has pledged to grant one wish every month for a year, a donation that runs around $60,000.

Cynics might consider Leinart’s philanthropy two packets of saccharin shy of a publicity stunt. But watching him Wednesday might have made even a UCLA fan want to give this Trojan the benefit of the doubt.

During lunch, a giant screen at the front of the room displayed the stories, videos and photo montages of children stricken by illness, parents strapped for hope, and families tight on money and time. Many attendees sliced through their chicken breast during the showcase, but Leinart had set down his silverware.

He watched. His eyes were fixed upon the screen. You could see the stories were pulling on his heart.

A few minutes later, Leinart was introduced and invited to the podium. He quickly recited his biography like a count from beneath center: born and raised in Santa Ana, played football at Mater Dei and won the Heisman Trophy and two national titles at USC.

Then he tried to explain what brought him to this charity. And then he … just … stopped … talking.

He bowed his head. He cupped his hand over his lips. He lifted his reddening eyes to the audience briefly, spoke a few syllables — “I’m sorry,” he said — in a cracking voice, and dropped is head again. The room grew so quiet you could hear the ice melt in water glasses.

His emotion was so powerful that others — grown men, even — in the audience began to tear up when he recalled the afternoon during his junior season at USC, when Coach Pete Carroll bounced into the locker room with 9-year-old Ryan Davidson sitting atop his shoulders.

Ryan, a Make-a-Wish child with brain cancer, wanted to see a USC game and meet his favorite player.

“I was his favorite player,” said a shaking Leinart. “This was a kid who was frail, had been fighting a disease over and over and showed so much strength and courage. That’s a lot more than anything I had to do in a rough game like football.”

Today, the two are “friends,” Leinart said. Leinart flew the Davidsons from Wisconsin to Phoenix for a Cardinals game and regularly talks to Ryan, whom Leinart called, “one of the strongest boys I’ve ever met.”

Another is 4-year-old Daniel, an Angels fan who wanted to attend a game. Leinart not only sponsored the wish but accompanied Daniel and his cousin to Angel Stadium earlier this season. Leinart hung in the background while they boys met Angels players during batting practice and sat beside them in the dugout.

“They wanted to see the Angels. They didn’t care who I was,” Leinart said. “I just was there to see their smiles and that meant everything to me.”

For Leinart, this was no joke.

Read the original article.

The Patriots’ perfect season gives them every reason in the world to come to the Valley with confidence. But if Matt Leinart and the Cardinals have anything to say about it, the streak ends in Arizona.

The Patriots – the one’s hailing from Los Angeles, not New England – are coached by rapper Snoop Dogg. They’re also only in elementary school.

The team will face off against Leinart and the Chandler Cardinals in Snoop Bowl VI at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hamilton High School in Chandler.

The Chandler Cardinals were assembled from the Chandler Youth Football and Cheer Association. Snoop’s All-Star Patriots were pulled from the Snoop Youth Football League in California. Snoop organized the football league to make the game an affordable option for inner-city youths.

“They stay ready, they don’t have to get ready,” Snoop said of his Patriots. “We’ve prepared ourselves for this the whole season.”

Along with the name, Snoop’s miniature Pats have brought all the hype of the life-size dynasty when they traveled from California on Friday.

“I’m Bill Belichick. I’ve won three Super Bowls,” the rapper said, “We go into it with the mentality of the Patriots. We’re undefeated. We’re 14-0.”

Despite being friends with Leinart since the quarterback’s days at the University of Southern California, Snoop said he’ll show no mercy on the field.

“Matt’s a great guy, but we’re going to have to do our thing out there in the heat of the battle,” he said.

Snoop’s team may have a flawless record, but the Chandler Cardinals have hometown advantage and a whole lot of heart, Chandler Youth Football coach Derrick Stinson said.

“The kids are real excited and they’re ready to go,” he said of his team, which includes an offense stacked four running backs deep. “I think we’re really going to put up some points.”

Leinart donated replica jerseys to the Cardinals and their quarterback, Dylan Cowas, will even don Leinart’s No. 7.

“They’re really taking a lot of pride in it,” he said, “The really want to do a good show for (Leinart).”

In addition to the array of celebrities expected on the sidelines at Hamilton Saturday, Snoop said fans will get a glimpse at some future stars, as well.

“Anything I do is a celebrity event,” Snoop said, laughing. “It’s a football weekend; why not watch a bunch of future NFL stars come out and play?”

All the money from ticket sales at Saturday’s game will go to benefit the Matt Leinart Foundation for disadvantaged youths.

Though he plans on taking home a victory, Snoop, a father of three, said he knows the memories the players will create from being a part the Super Bowl experience is the true prize.

“It’s beautiful and I’m glad they’re willing to have us,” he said. “We just wanted to do something to help the kids.”

Read the original article.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart hosted The Hills star Brody Jenner, pop star Nick Lachey and baseball player Reggie Sanders among hundreds of others at his Welcome to Arizona party Wednesday night at Olive & Ivy at the Scottsdale Waterfront.

Leinart, wearing a dark suit but no tie, mingled during the live and silent auctions where current and past pro footballers and Valley socialites bid on a $25,000 Haimov watch, tickets to the Super Bowl and a trip to Idaho’s Fairmont Tamarack, among other items to benefit the Matt Leinart Foundation’s work with children.

“This is such a great cause,” said Johnjay, of 104.7 KISS FM’s Johnjay and Rich Show. “What the Matt Leinart Foundation does for children is unbelievable. He’s got the biggest heart when it comes to kids.”

Read the original article.

The Cardinals have a new scout. It wouldn’t be quite right to call him a grizzled old football hand, though he often has a five o’clock shadow. He is Matt Leinart.

In the two months since he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at St. Louis, Leinart has morphed into a studious behind-the-scenes worker. He helps the Cardinals coaches and the team’s offense by studying videotape while working to be ready to play next season.

“I come in every morning. I’m here every day. I go to the team meeting and all that stuff.

“I spend a couple hours every morning breaking down film. I try to help Kurt (Warner) out and the coaches.

“But I really help myself out by learning defenses. I’m learning a lot, trying to use this situation as a positive and get a head start on next year.”

Questions were raised at the season’s start regarding Leinart’s commitment level.

But that’s not the case now. Coach Ken Whisenhunt praised Leinart at length for staying involved with the team and helping where he can.

“Matt has been in here busting his rear end,” Whisenhunt said.

In general, the Cardinals’ biggest goal was to try to keep him involved with the team. Warner, who knows all about injuries, pointed to this in the aftermath of Leinart’s injury.

So far that’s what’s happened.

Whisenhunt said, “He’s at all the team meetings. He’s around the team, which is important.

“He’s also getting better as a quarterback, because he’s studying opponents, especially the guys we’re playing..

“He’s giving us reports on what he sees, which has been very helpful.”

And it helps himself.

“The biggest thing, especially as a young player, is learning how to study your opponents,” Whisenhunt said.

Not only does he watch videotape, but he focuses on reading defenses, including various coverages and blitzes, and how to counter them.

“This has been invaluable for him. And he’s really done a good job.”

This work should help Leinart in the future “because now he understands what he has to do in-season as he’s playing,” Whisenhunt said.

Leinart said the only thing he’s not doing is practicing and playing.

He works mostly on his legs and his footwork because the injury has limited his upper-body work.

Leinart maintains his close working relationship with Warner, just “not for eight hours a day every day,” Warner said.

“The relationship doesn’t change. We continue to be good friends.”

Leinart is traveling with the team, “and we still room together,” Leinart said. “I still kick his butt in Scrabble … well, just kidding.”

Joked Leinart, “He’s still a grouch sometimes, but he’s playing well and giving us a chance to win.

“I’m rooting for him. He’s doing a great job.”

Read the original article.

The Pat Tillman Foundation launched an initiative Friday that will recognize pro athletes not so much for performance, but for their character, integrity and spirit.

Diamondbacks outfielder Eric Byrnes, Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky and Mercury guard Diana Taurasi joined “Team Tillman,” which will honor athletes and coaches for who they are away from sports.

“We believe that Pat was truly a great person on and off the field,” Laura Burgis, a foundation executive, said at a kickoff event in Paradise Valley.

“Today there are a lot of athletes who don’t see themselves as role models or as heroes for the kids. So we are developing (this as) a chance to honor professional athletes across sports, to really raise the bar in professional athleticism.”

Gretzky and Taurasi could not attend Friday’s event, but Byrnes and Leinart were there. Both were thrilled with the invitation, mostly because of what Tillman — a former Cardinals defensive back and U.S. Army Ranger — accomplished before his death.

“I’m no way near perfect on the field or off, but I strive to be,” Byrnes said. “As a professional athlete, you get so many charities that come up. … But never before have I put my heart into something until the Tillman family came to me.”

Leinart said: “I have my own charity and my own foundation, but if you get approached to be a part of Team Tillman, knowing what Pat Tillman stood for and lived for … it was very easy and an honor for me to be a part of this.”

Burgis said Team Tillman would start with local athletes, but the goal is for the program to stretch across the country.

Quarterback reaffirms $500,000 pledge for hospital’s expansion

PHOENIX, Ariz. (October 19, 2007) — Matt Leinart visited pediatric patients at Banner Children’s Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center yesterday, bringing cheer to the community’s smallest and most vulnerable patients. The injured quarterback easily related to the hospitalized children, sharing his own story and providing encouragement for the kids to keep a positive attitude.

Leinart’s visit to the hospital reinforced his already-significant commitment to Banner Health and to children in the East Valley . this year, the NFL star pledged a half-million dollar gift to Banner Children’s Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center through the Matt Leinart Foundation. The $500,000 donation will benefit the Through the Eyes of a Child Capital Campaign, to support the expansion of Banner Children’s Hospital at Banner Desert in Mesa including building a new 7-story pediatric patient tower.

“This community has welcomed me with open arms, and I’m honored to say thank you by investing both time and money in health care for kids,” said Matt Leinart. “Making sure kids have access to great care should be our top priority, and my partnership with Banner Children’s Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center will bring more pediatric services to the Valley.”

The nonprofit Banner Children’s Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center currently provides comprehensive pediatric care to residents throughout Maricopa County. Highly-skilled and compassionate pediatric staff and a full array of pediatric specialty physicians meet the diverse childhood health care needs of our community. As the population of Maricopa County continues to grow at unprecedented levels, so does the need for additional pediatric hospital services. The new tower dedicated to Banner Children’s is part of a major expansion at, to substantially increase the pediatric services available to this growing region.

The Through the Eyes of a Child Capital Campaign is a $15 million effort launched earlier this year by the Banner Health Foundation to enlist philanthropic support for the $300 million children’s hospital project at.

“Though Matt’s only been in the Valley for little over a year, he’s already shown a strong desire to give back where the need is greatest — helping kids,” said Andy Kramer, president and CEO, Banner Health Foundation. “We are so grateful for his commitment to the children’s hospital, as it reflects his confidence in Banner’s ability to address the needs of children in our community.”

About Banner Children’s Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center
Banner Children’s Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center provides comprehensive pediatric care for children of all ages. The hospital provides a full range of services, including emergency care, general pediatrics, intensive care and community education on child health topics. The hospital is a member of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI).

About Banner Health Foundation
Banner Health Foundation fosters a spirit of giving by making health care solutions a reality for our community. Contributions made to the Foundation are invested locally in the nonprofit Banner Health’s facilities and programs to advance health and wellness. Caring for the future of Arizona since 1978, Banner Health Foundation is supported by the generosity of individual donors, the public and private sectors, and thousands of active volunteers.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vpINFPTLuE