This Source Is Relatively Sure of Leinart’s Return

Bob Leinart and I stood along the sideline Saturday at the Trojans’ football practice, talking about kids, the college experience and tough decisions.

“What would you do?” Leinart asked.

Well, knowing what I know now about medical science, I would have drunk less coffee, eliminated all stress from my life, taken fewer hot showers and worn looser shorts, improving my chances of having a son who might one day grow up to earn millions playing football.

Eleven days after Bob’s son pitches footballs for USC against Oklahoma, 21-year-old Matt Leinart will have to decide whether he wants to declare himself eligible for the NFL draft and eventually take home a signing bonus somewhere in the neighborhood of $11 million, or return to school.

My daughters, meanwhile, probably have already decided to let me take them out to dinner again next week.

“Happiness is the most important thing,” Bob said, and he has two sons.

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FATHER KNOWS best, and Bob said, “I think he’s going to stay in school.”

Pete Carroll said the same thing, but it’s going to be the kid’s decision.

A few months ago, Matt told the Sporting News, “ ... Mark it down -- I’m staying all five years [at USC]. I’m not going to change my mind. Why would I want to leave what we have here? The NFL will always be there; my life as a college student won’t.”

A few days ago, Matt said, “I’m not saying there isn’t a chance I won’t leave; I’m aware of the opportunity and it would be hard to pass up. I’m going to have to explore the different possibilities.”

Right now, though, Matt’s preparing for Oklahoma, while Bob is preparing for the Jan. 15 mega-decision. Bob has talked to such agents as Leigh Steinberg, David Dunn and IMG, who specialize in representing quarterbacks. He has chatted with several NFL general managers. He knows it’s a going to be “a weak senior class when it comes to available quarterbacks in this year’s draft,” he said.

He knows San Francisco will have the No. 1 pick, and “most likely trade it,” he said, “because they need so much help.” He likes Arizona because it has two good receivers, but also a cheap owner. He started to tick off some other possibilities, and it’s apparent he has done his homework.

He said, “Matt loves school. He has 18 more units to graduate, but if he comes back next year, he’ll probably take a summer school class, work out and get an internship while playing football.”

He said the entire Leinart family will discuss the situation, and they’ll also hear from Carroll and Norm Chow. It did not escape his attention, he said with a grin, that Chow will remain at USC.

He said he thinks he knows Carroll’s assessment: “Pete will say, ‘Matt is going to be one of the top 15 players in the draft,’ and while we might think he’s top five, Pete has a vested interest in Matt coming back.”

He said the prevailing opinion is that California’s Aaron Rodgers and his own son will be the top two quarterbacks in this year’s draft if they declare. Rodgers hasn’t made a decision, and while Bob said he thinks Rodgers will move on to the NFL, he said Matt told him last week that he had heard Rodgers was going to stay in school.

If Rodgers stays at Cal, that would make Leinart the top quarterback prospect, but where he’d go in the first round would be determined by how well he does in private NFL workouts after Jan. 15. And there’s the gamble.

Leinart, in describing himself, has said, “I’m not the most physically gifted quarterback,” and while he packs a Heisman Trophy and a winning resume that would be hard to match, NFL scouts say he lacks the big-time NFL arm.

“He’s a very smart football player,” Carroll said, which is like describing a young woman by starting with her personality.

“He’ll test out great,” Bob said, proud to say, “He’s a solid kid.

“He was a good basketball player and so he has more athletic ability than people think. We know his arm strength isn’t going to be like Carson Palmer’s. He’s not going to throw the ball 900 mph, but what pass doesn’t he make? And what about leadership? Winning? Character? And all the things you [media] want in a quarterback? He’s got all the intangibles.”

That pretty much describes Tom Brady, who hasn’t done badly in the NFL.

There’s no question there will be a place in the NFL for Leinart, but now it’s simply a matter of economics and how high he might be picked. This year, or next. If Rodgers returns to Cal, Leinart’s NFL value increases this year. If Rodgers and Florida sophomore Chris Leak come out together in next year’s draft, will it cost Leinart if he waits too?

“It’s all good no matter what happens,” Bob said, and the way the kid has conducted himself on and off the field, it speaks to the solid job of parenting done by Bob and Linda Leinart ... until the subject of Jessica Simpson comes up.

Matt has hung around with Nick Lachey and his wife, Jessica, but when I asked Bob what he thought of Simpson, he said his kid has never introduced him to her. What kind of son is that?

“I’ve got to say, he surprises me,” Bob said with a laugh. “Take that speech he gave at the Heisman banquet. I was sitting next to Glena Carroll, and when Matt said, ‘I’m the 70th guy to win this award and I promise you people, I’ll never let you down,’ I told Glena I needed a handkerchief. That was a parent’s moment.”

Give one of my daughters a chance to collect an $11-million signing bonus, and now that would be a parent’s moment. And I’d need a handkerchief too.

T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.