Leinart played on Team White as part of the four-team mini-tournament, memorably whiffing on a one-timer to give actor Noah LaLonde a breakaway the other way in the first semifinal. LaLonde, who played Tier 1 youth hockey growing up, scored.
A two-time national champion with the Trojans, it wasn’t Leinart’s finest moment in a competitive setting. But it probably gave those in the arena or watching elsewhere a momentary break from the unimaginable scope and scale of the fires, which killed at least 29 people and destroyed more than 10,000 homes.
Andrew Whitworth, an offensive lineman who played 16 seasons in the NFL and won Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams in February 2022, said athletes relish the chance to offer that break from the real world for even a few minutes.
“Hurricane Katrina was my senior (year at LSU) in Baton Rouge, and obviously the devastation in New Orleans and that surrounding area impacted that area still today,” said Whitworth, who was one of the celebrity coaches for Team White. “People would come up to you and say, ‘Hey, I lost everything, but I still have my LSU season tickets. So, please, you guys go win on Saturdays.’ Just that reprieve, to get away for a minute and think about something else and be inspired. And so, as athletes, I think it’s one of the greatest obligations we have.”
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