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Cardinals Pick Matt Leinart

Arizona Cardinal chose Matt Leinart as their No.10 NFL Draft pick this week, making the young player a very happy person. Leinart will be the eventual successor to their starting quarterback Kurt Warner. Although being picked by the Cardinals is a good thing for Leinart, NBC Sports` Andrea Kremer says Matt Leinart, who fell to No. 10 in the NFL draft, might have lost $13 million in guaranteed money.

For Leinart, the hardest part of the draft came Saturday, as he sat in New York?s Radio City Music Hall and watched nine other players stride to the podium before NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue called his name as the 10th overall pick. ?It has been up and down,? Leinart said Sunday morning. ?I was nervous and stressed all week, and then you are sitting in that green room waiting. My one thing was that I just didn?t want to be there last. Everything happens for a reason, and I am so excited to be here,? said Leinart, who will wear No. 7. ?The whole process is very hard and I just want to get back to playing football.?

As Leinart squirmed on draft day, Cardinal officials celebrated. They privately hoped that Leinart would still be on the board when their turn came, and that hope became reality when the Tennessee Titans selected Texas quarterback Vince Young with the third overall pick and the next six teams filled needs at other positions.