Mater Dei High School Heisman Trophy winners cover Bryce Young, Matt Leinart, and John Huarte. Young is a 2023 first-round draft pick.
The high school is the only one of its kind that has produced three such title trophy winners in the history of American HS football. It is a catholic, co-educational institution based in Santa Clara, California.
It contributes to sports through its 25 teams where 71% of the athletes are on the honorary roll. The football program of Dei is regarded as one of the strongest fields among others.
Having produced multiple players with such honorary achievements, the educational institution stands at the top of the list. It already has 23 Gatorade Players of the Year.
The Heisman on the other hand is the most prestigious award given to the only exceptional player in college football annually in early December, before the bowl games.
The 13.5-inch tall, 14-inch long, and 16-inch wide trophy weighs 40 pounds, and made out of caste bronze, and features an iconic player in 1934, Ed Smith.
Bryce Young – 2021
Bryce Young Mater Dei journey began in 2018 when he transferred from Cathedral High School in Los Angeles. The QB was born on July 25, 2001.
In his senior year, the player threw for 4,528 yards and got 58 touchdowns. His achievements named him the Los Angeles Times Player of the Year, Gatorade Football POY, and USA Today High School Offensive POY.
During overall HS football years, the QB recorded 13,520 passing yards and 58 touchdowns in total. Young was rated a 5-star recruit and No. 1 quarterback prospect in the nation.
Collegiate Career
Although Young initially committed to USC, he later decided to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide Football Team as a backup player to junior quarterback Mac Jones.
His collegiate debut dates back to 26 September 2020, when he entered the field to play against Missouri in the late third quarter and went for 54 passing yards and got 2 rushing yards attempting for four. In the game played against Kentucky on November 21, he threw his first touchdown pass.
In that game, the team got a 63-3 victory over Kentucky. He played for nine games that season and successfully acquired 156 passing yards and one TD.
The Heisman Year
Bryce led the Crimson Tide as a starting quarterback on 4 September 2021 in a game against Miami Hurricanes and got a 44-13 victory. That match gave him 344 passing yards and four TDs.
In the match played against Arkansas, the outstanding player threw to break the school’s record for most passes throwing for 559-yard which was previously held by Scott Hunter.
He played in 15 games that season and passed for 4,872 yards, getting 47 passing TDs. The footballer also had seven interceptions to go with three rushing touchdowns. By the end of 2021, he won the prestigious Heisman Trophy.
Young played a total of 12 games in his junior year and passed for 3,328 yards, got 32 passing TDs, and 5 interceptions. He also had 49 carries for 185 rushing yards with four rushing touchdowns.
College Stats and Achievements
- Total Passing Yards: 8,356
- Total Passing TDs: 80
- Total Interceptions: 12
- Rushing Yards: 162
- Rushing Touchdowns: 7
- Heisman Trophy: 2021
- AP Player of the Year: 2021
- Davey O’Brien Award
- Manning Award
- Maxwell Award
- SEC Offensive Player of the Year
The Consensus All-American player was selected as the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers and has already signed a four-year rookie contract with $37.9 million fully guaranteed.
Matt Leinart – 2004
Matt Leinart is a former Mater Dei High School QB who has worked as an analyst on Fox Sports Big Noon Kickoff since January 2023.
Leinart was born on 11th May 1983 and played for seven seasons in the National Football League. The player went to attend high school with an inborn defect in his eyes called Strabismus popularly named ‘crossed eyes’ which was fixed later after surgery.
In his junior year, the QB led his team to become co-champions in CIF Division I games. At that time, he was named Offensive Most Valuable Player of the Year in Serra’s League.
The Gatorade California HS POY played his football wearing a #7 jersey and remained dominant on the field most of the time.
College Football Career
Leinart committed to the University of South Carolina and played with the USC Trojans from 2001 to 2005. He had to stay redshirted his first season.
During his freshman year, he was placed next to Senior QB Carlson Palmer and appeared in only a few matches without throwing a single pass in the 2002 season.
As the starting quarterback post was vacant after Palmer went to take part in the 2003 NFL Draft, the coaches had to pick someone and they decided to go with Matt. Upon his selection as the starter, Leinart passed a remark to the coaches, “You’re never going to regret this.”
In their season opener against Auburn, the player passed his first career touchdown and the team got a 23-0 victory. Eventually, Leinart injured his knee while playing against Arizona State.
Though injured, he returned back to the game the same day passed for 289 yards, and led the team to a 37-17 victory. The team won the other final eight games of the season and maintained a record of 11-1. They also ranked number 1 in the AP poll.
2004 made Leinart the sixth USC Player to get the Heisman Trophy as he performed abundantly on the field. The quarterback passed for a total of 3,322 yards and had 33 touchdowns and six interceptions.
The Trojans claimed the BCS National Championship while Leinart received Rose Bowl MVP honors and the college extended their winning streak to 22 games.
He passed for 3,815 yards in 2005 and had 28 TDs with 8 interceptions. The player had put on Jersey #11 throughout his college career and ultimately retired after the year.
Major College Statistics and Achievements
- Total Passing Yards: 10,693
- Touchdowns: 99
- Attempts: 1,245
- Heisman Trophy: 2004
- Rose Bowl MVP
- Manning Award
- Victor Award
Matt was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL Draft and has played for Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders, and Buffalo Bills over the years until he finally retired in 2013.
John Huarte – 1964
Huarte attended high school in 1961 and was born in Orange County, California on 20 May 1944. The excellent footballer has appeared in AFL, NFL, and WFL.
After graduating from school, John started his college sports journey by playing football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The QB faced injury during his sophomore and junior seasons and couldn’t play much.
Huarte was assigned the role of starting quarterback in his senior year in 1964 and the Fighting Irish got victory in all games of that season.
His stats that season counted for 2,062 passing yards in only 205 passes which averages to over ten yards pass/attempt. Most of those passes were for Jack Snow, the excellent receiver of the team.
The same year, he was awarded the most decorated Heisman award in college football. The College All-Star team member was drafted in both football leagues, the 12th in the AFL and 76th in the NFL draft.
The sportsman decided to continue his pro football professional career with the New York Jets, which was an AFL team back then.
His collegiate statistics and honors include:
- Total Passing Yards: 2,343
- Passing Attempts: 255
- Passing Touchdowns: 17
- Interceptions: 11
- Pass Completions: 114 out of 205
- Pass Completion Percentage: 55.6%
- Consensus All America: 1964
- The Heisman Trophy: 1964
- College Football Hall of Fame induction: 2005
John established himself as the founder and CEO of Arizona Tiles, a tile/granite store retirement. Now, it has 30 franchises and comprises over 1000 staff across the United States still owned by the Huarte family.