Matt Leinart's Dream Date With Rihanna Ended in 'Fumble' Over Blister

Former USC star and NFL quarterback Matt Leinart just revealed what he calls one of the biggest "fumbles" of his life — and it had nothing to do with football.
On a new episode of his "Throwbacks" podcast with actor Jerry Ferrara, Leinart shared the awkward story of how a dream date with global superstar Rihanna went downhill — all thanks to a huge lip blister.
The Heisman Trophy winner admitted he had been trying to connect with the singer for a while, and finally got his chance at Teddy's nightclub in Los Angeles years ago, with help from friend Josh Richman.
According to TMZ, but just before the big night, Leinart developed a large blister from too much sun. "It was a f***ing ginormous blister," he recalled, laughing at himself.
Though friends told him it wasn't noticeable, Leinart confessed it totally shook his confidence. "I couldn't even make eye contact with her," he said.
We did NOT fall in love in a hopeless place...
— Matt Leinart (@MattLeinartQB) July 21, 2025
Full episode on @ThrowbacksShow now.
👉https://t.co/k5qWwpiPbq#rihanna #datestory #2000s #throwbackspod @jerryferrara pic.twitter.com/uSZfERnkUz
Leinart Jokes About Fumbled Rihanna Date, But Finds Love at Home
After the date, he said it became clear he had blown his shot. But there are no hard feelings. Leinart is now happily married to Josie Leinart, who gave him the green light to share the story — even calling him an "idiot" for how it played out.
As for Rihanna, she's now in a relationship with rapper A$AP Rocky, and they're raising a family together.
While the Rihanna story brought laughs, the episode also offered a serious moment when Leinart reflected on his football career.
Despite early success — including a national championship at USC and being a top NFL draft pick — Leinart admitted he didn't have the deep love for the game that many other pros did, Fox26News said .
"I just don't think I was in love with [football] when I was playing," he shared. "I was good at it, and I had great teams, but I didn't eat, sleep, and breathe football like others did."
Leinart said he started out dreaming of playing baseball and only got into tackle football in high school.
He believes that late start may have impacted his overall passion for the game. Still, he rose quickly to become one of the top quarterbacks in the country, proving his natural talent.
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