Leinart, Bush and Cody Earn Highest Honors From Pac-10

USC quarterback Matt Leinart and running back Reggie Bush were chosen Pacific 10 Conference offensive co-players of the year, and lineman Shaun Cody was selected as co-defensive player of the year, the league announced Monday.

Four other USC players and two UCLA players were first-team selections.

Cody shared his award -- named for the late Pat Tillman -- with Oregon State lineman Bill Swancutt, the only unanimous selection by coaches.

California’s Jeff Tedford was selected coach of the year, and Arizona tight end Zach Miller was freshman of the year.

USC defensive lineman Mike Patterson, linebackers Matt Grootegoed and Lofa Tatupu and punter Tom Malone joined Leinart, Bush and Cody on the first team.

“Good stuff like that comes from being successful as a team,” said USC Coach Pete Carroll, whose unbeaten and top-ranked team meets UCLA on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

UCLA defensive back Matt Clark and kicker Justin Medlock were first-team selections.

“The honor is real rewarding to me, because I put in a lot of hard work and time this year,” Clark said.

Leinart also was the offensive player of the year in 2003. He is the fourth player -- and the only quarterback other than Stanford’s John Elway -- to be a two-time conference offensive player of the year.

“It’s a great honor,” said Leinart, who has completed 66% of his passes for 2,748 yards and 28 touchdowns with five interceptions. “It’s also really cool that Reggie and I can share it. It’s a tribute to our team and to the offense.”

Bush, a sophomore, was chosen as a running back and punt return specialist.