A Little Bit About Brian Leonard
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by Tmizzle
As most people know by now, the St. Louis Rams will be starting rookie running back Brian Leonard on Sunday. Steven Jackson has suffered a partial tear of his left groin and will be out at least one week, possibly more.
Here's a little information on the former Rutgers standout:
- He's from a small town in Upstate New York, about an hour from the Canadian border.
- Set dozens of high school records in New York state, including touchdowns, yards, and total points during his time at Gouverneur High School. Many of these records were broken by current Michigan running back Mike Hart. However, Leonard still holds the record for most touchdowns in a game, with 8.
- Developed a move known as the "Leonard Leap," in which he jumps over the defender (usually a cornerback attempting a low tackle). This can be seen here.
- Has an older brother, Nate Leonard, who was given a full scholarship to Rutgers, even after tearing his ACL during his senior year. At least partly because of Rutgers' commitment to his older brother, Brian spurned an offer from Syracuse, at the time a much more attractive option than Rutgers.
- He's a selfless player, happily moving from feature back to a blocking and receiving back with the arrival of Ray Rice in 2005. I personally believe that a large portion of the revival of Rutgers football can be attributed to Leonard.
- He was drafted in the second round of this year's draft (taken 52nd overall).
The fantasy impact of Leonard will also be significant. My guess is that most people did not draft him in their fantasy league, and if you did, you're either really clueless about fantasy or you're from his hometown. I'm both of these, but I didn't draft him. The kid in front of me did, in the 12th round.
Now, I would hope I don't come across as a guy who plays up their relationship with a famous person to seem more important, but we were extremely close. He was a senior at my high school when I was a freshman.
We talked once during the year, and you could tell there was a bond there. I'll never forget what he said to me in the hallway between class. I said, "Good game on Saturday, man." His response: "Thanks." IT...WAS...AWESOME. And he also ran my ass over when we scrimmaged the varsity one day. He is a strong strong man.
In all seriousness, though, he was never one of those O.J. Mayo-type high school players. Maybe it was because he grew up in a rural area, and there wasn't that much buzz about him. I don't know what it is, but Leonard's a very humble guy, and a good person. I hope he does well with this opportunity, because he really does deserve it.
