The pretty boy is growing older, and the party-boy pictures aren't popping up on the Internet anymore. Matt Leinart has rarely looked better. He is somewhat chiseled now, hardened by a new commitment to the weight room and life in the NFL. He takes pride in being the second-team quarterback. He is 26 years old and beginning to make very smart choices.
"A lot of this goes to the maturity of Matt," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "A lot of times (backup quarterbacks) are guys who have had tremendous success in the past, and they don't handle the role very well. And then when it comes time for them to play, they're not prepared. They don't play well.
"I have to give credit to Matt, because it appears to me, from what I've seen on the practice field, that he's grown up."
For many reasons, from celebrity dalliances to infamous hot-tub photos, Leinart became the ultimate Southern California cliche, mocked for his misguided priorities. But after the Cardinals' run to the Super Bowl in February, Leinart proved he was the ultimate team player.
He chose not to make it about himself. He didn't demand a trade or show up to training camp with a mysterious injury. He decided to live the Steve Young parallel, a lefty who bided his time under Joe Montana in San Francisco until his talent simply burst from the well.
I respect that. And so do the Cardinals coaches, who still are getting reports of Anquan Boldin and his sore hamstring dunking over people during pick-up games at a local fitness center.
"Obviously, the big question is, 'I want to play, and when is that going to happen?' " Leinart said. "But my mind-set is to remain focused and remain confident in my ability. It was never in my mind to take another path.
"I always wanted to be here, and I want to be here until I'm done playing. There's a business side to it, and everything doesn't always happen the way you want it. But my opportunity is coming, and it's on me to continue getting better and to be ready when it happens."
Unofficially, Leinart lost his job after suffering an injury in 2007. Kurt Warner filled in and has been shredding NFL defenses ever since. Officially, Leinart lost the gig after a terrible preseason showing against the Raiders last year.
It has been a long time since he has commanded a football team. That can be hard on a quarterback's ego. It also took awhile for Leinart to accept that he was not burglarized, rather beaten out by a Hall of Fame quarterback seizing his last stand.
"He said to me after last season, 'I learned a lot watching Kurt play at the level he did, and I realized I better learn because he was playing at a level I had never seen before,' " Whisenhunt said. "When a guy is making a mature comment like that, saying that he was going to watch Kurt and learn from Kurt and be ready when it's his turn, that to me is a sign of progress."
On the field, Leinart is growing up, too. His coaches say he's much stronger, with improved footwork and better command of the offense. But it's his attitude they like the most.
No doubt, Leinart will get his shot. Warner's streak of 31 consecutive starts, playoffs included, is a modern miracle. If he should break down in 2009, the backup promises to be ready, eager to start his career all over again.
"I haven't had a lot of chances out there to show what I can do, and part of that is my fault," Leinart said. "But I have gotten better. I've grown up a lot. And I think I have a lot to show."
Times have changed. A pretty boy quarterback from USC is now gracing the pages of GQ, frolicking on the beach with a female. The girl has become an Internet sensation, while the quarterback (Mark Sanchez) is getting nods of approval from Jets legend Joe Namath.
Meanwhile, Leinart has become a grinder, and you can almost see a new determination in his eyes. Welcome to adulthood, Matt. It suits you well.
