Matt's happy, and that's all that matters
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Matt Leinart was a proud father, showing off baby pictures to teammates, as he returned to Arizona Cardinals practice Thursday after a day off to attend the birth of his son in Southern
California.
The rookie quarterback out of USC was with former girlfriend Brynn Cameron, who gave birth to the couple’s son Cole on Tuesday night, then was given Wednesday off by Cardinals coach Dennis Green to remain with them a bit longer.
"It was a great experience,� said Leinart, who provided a rare glimpse into the private life that he normally guards closely. “The best thing is we brought a healthy boy into this world. Now my next job is to be a great dad.�
Leinart and Cameron, out of Newbury Park High, were together for much of the quarterback’s time at USC. She plays basketball for the Trojans and plans to return for her junior season next year. Leinart thanked Green for allowing him to miss a practice.
"Everything went well. Everything’s great,� he said. “Now I look forward to every chance I get to get back there.�
Green said he felt it was important for Leinart to have the time to attend the birth.
“He’s a great guy, he’s a great person,� Green said. “He’s a very mature adult. I think he’s going to be a great father.�
Leinart said it was an interesting few days because of his awful experience on Sunday, when he drew several fierce hits in the Cardinals’ 22-9 loss at Oakland. It was his first bad outing in his three NFL starts.
The emotions shifted in a hurry for the birth, which conveniently enough for him occurred in the middle of the week between games at Oakland and Green Bay.
Asked if Cole was left-handed like his father, Leinart laughed and said, “We don’t know that yet.�