Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
With 10 days to go, today we look at former USC quarterback John David Booty.
Position: Quarterback
Years played at USC: 2003-2007
Career highlights: Despite arriving at USC as a highly-touted recruit in 2003, Booty backed up Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart for his first three seasons on campus. Following Leinart’s departure for the NFL in 2006, Booty finally took over as the Trojans’ starter. That year, he threw for 3,347 yards, 29 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, leading the Trojans to a Pac-10
title and a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan.
The following season, Booty dealt with injuries that caused him to miss three games and his statistics to suffer a moderate decline. Most infamously, he injured his finger against Stanford that led to him throwing four interceptions in a stunning 24-23 loss—one of the biggest upsets in college football history. However, Booty returned from the injury in November to lead the Trojans to four consecutive victories to end the regular season, another conference title, and a 49-17 domination of Illinois in the Rose Bowl.
After USC: In a bizarre twist leading up to the 2008 NFL Draft, Booty publicly asked to be selected by the Minnesota Vikings. He got his wish, as Minnesota selected him in the fifth round of the draft. However, he never appeared on a regular season game with the team, and was released midway through the 2009 season. He had stints with the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans in 2009 and 2010, but also never appeared in a regular season game for either team.
Booty’s nephew, General Booty, played quarterback for Oklahoma in 2022 and 2023 and Louisiana Monroe in 2024.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans QB John David Booty
