Matt Leinart, the former USC Trojans quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, has hosted Tiffani Thiessen, his childhood crush and star of "Saved by the Bell," on his podcast "Throwbacks." The appearance came after Leinart’s previous attempt to get Thiessen on the show resulted in an unsuccessful direct message.
During a segment on the podcast, co-host Jerry Ferrara highlighted Leinart's persistent admiration for Thiessen, who played Kelly Kapowski on the popular 1990s sitcom. Ferrara recounted Leinart’s past public invitations and noted that the quarterback had "shot his shot" via direct message the previous year but received no response.
Leinart himself addressed the situation, sharing a clip from a prior episode where he admitted, “I messaged [Thiessen] last year to come on Throwbacks… I shot my shot, and I got denied.” He reiterated his desire for her to appear on the podcast, adding that he would likely be too nervous to host if she accepted.
Upon hearing this, Thiessen, who was present on the podcast, remarked, “Well, you’re here!” Ferrara lightheartedly commented that Leinart, who has played in front of massive crowds and won a Heisman, was more nervous about this podcast appearance than his past football games.
Leinart explained his initial thought process for reaching out, stating, “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?’” He admitted he didn't expect a response, but was thrilled when the appearance was confirmed.
Thiessen's participation in the podcast is part of her current promotional activities for her new show, "Coven Academy."
Leinart, 43, married actress Josie Loren in 2018.