| John David Booty Savior in a USC Jersey |
John David Booty Savior in a USC Jersey
Although entering USC as a highly touted quarterback prospect, John David Booty spent his first three years at USC as the back-up to eventual Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, who had replaced former Heisman winner Carson Palmer. Booty had back surgery to repair a bulging disk in his spine at the end of March 2006, but fully recovered and earned the starting spot for the 2006 season.
Booty is believed to be the first player to ever leave high school a whole year early to wear a USC football jersey.
Booty was 18.5 years old when he left high school "early", having repeated 5th grade.
For the 2006 season, he will be a redshirt junior, and is the same age as juniors although his college credits are closer to senior status. Booty is on the official watch list for the Maxwell Award for the best player in college football. He started the first two games for the USC Trojans at quarterback in 2006. He is considered the savior of USC football now that Bush and Leinart are in the NFL.
On September 18, 2006, University of Southern California Sports Information Director Tim Tessalone sent a formal letter to ESPN and a copy to the Pacific Ten Conference complaining that Brent Musburger revealed privileged information in his broadcast of the September 16, 2006 NCAA football game in which the USC Trojans hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Musburger disclosed that he learned from a pre-game conversation with Booty a signal Booty uses to pass to receivers. USC claims this information was for private background purposes only.
| " | Pete Carroll thought that John David Booty was going to be beat out Matt Leinart for the starting job. |
