Legendary former USC Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart has accomplished feats on a football field that nearly all humans could only dream of.
But he’s just like the rest of us with his childhood crush.
Leinart had “Saved By The Bell” star Tiffani Thiessen (who played Kelly Kapowski on the show that ran from 1989-’93) as a guest on an episode of his “Throwbacks” podcast.
“Matt has publicly… made pleas to you [to join the show!],” Leinart’s co-host, Jerry Ferrara, told Thiessen.
Then a clip of the show from late June played, where the 43-year-old Leinart said, “I messaged [Thiessen] last year to come on Throwbacks… I shot my shot, and I got denied… So, I would love to say this again: We would love to have Tiffani Thiessen on this podcast.
“That is my plea to get Kelly on Throwbacks. She was my all-time crush. And by the way, if she ever comes on Throwbacks, I’m not so sure that I’ll even make that episode because I probably would be too nervous,” Leinart added in the clip.
“Well, you’re here!” Thiessen, 52, said after watching the clip.
“Tiffani, he has played in front of hundreds of thousands of people, he has won a Heisman award, and I truly think that this has made him more nervous than playing in front of Notre Dame,” Ferrara added.
Leinart then reflected on the thought process behind inviting Thiessen on the show, saying, “I’m like, ‘God, man, if we could get her on, that’d be amazing.’ So, I was like, ‘I’m just going to DM her. F it. I don’t care. Why not shoot your shot?’
“Nothing ever came back, I didn’t expect anything. And then as this kind of came about, I was like, ‘There’s no way that she’s going to come on our show, is there?’ And then we got it. And you are here and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Thiessen eventually accepting Leinart’s request as she is currently promoting her new show, “Coven Academy”
Leinart did find a Hollywood love story, marrying actress Josie Loren in 2018.
