A.C. Leonard
AC Leonard (born January 15, 1992) is a Canadian football defensive lineman for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played wide receiver for the BC Lions in 2015 before converting to a defensive lineman in 2016. He attended Tennessee State University, where he played college football for the Tigers and studied criminal justice.[1] Leonard has been member of NFL, AFL, FXFL and CFL.
No. 99 – Saskatchewan Roughriders | |||||||
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Position: | Defensive Lineman Tight End | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Palatka, Florida | January 15, 1992||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 252 lb (114 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Jacksonville (FL) University Christian | ||||||
College: | Tennessee State | ||||||
Undrafted: | 2014 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
Roster status: | Active | ||||||
CFL status: | International | ||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career CFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at CFL.ca |
Early career
Leonard played high school football at Jean Ribault before transferring to Interlachen and then to University Christian School in 2010. At University Christian, he played primarily as a tight end, but also as a linebacker and defensive end.[2] He played college football for the Florida Gators in 2011, and recorded eight receptions for 99 yards over nine games. A knee injury caused him to miss three games in his rookie year.[3] Leonard transferred to Tennessee State to play for the Tigers the following season, where he played for two years. He recorded 1,174 yards for 11 touchdowns on 85 receptions with the Tigers.[4]
Professional career
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 2 3⁄8 in (1.89 m) |
252 lb (114 kg) |
33 in (0.84 m) |
9 1⁄4 in (0.23 m) |
4.50 s | 4.45 s | 7.10 s | 34.0 in (0.86 m) |
10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) |
20 reps | |||
All values from NFL Combine[5] |
Minnesota Vikings
Leonard was eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft, and ran the fastest 40-yard dash among tight ends at the NFL scouting combine that year.[6] He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings.[7] He participated in training camp, where he missed multiple practices due to an injury or illness initially described as a headache. He was later released on August 6, 2014.[7]
Fall Experimental League & Arena Football
Later that year, Leonard played for the Brooklyn Bolts of the Fall Experimental Football League in its inaugural season.[8] He was assigned to the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League on December 5, 2014.[9] He was placed on the Other League Exempt list on February 23, 2015.[10]
BC Lions
In April 2015, Leonard signed with the BC Lions.[1] Leonard made his CFL debut on July 17, 2015 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he recorded four receptions for 26 yards and two touchdowns.[11][12]
Fall Experimental League & Arena Football (II)
He spent some time with the Hudson Valley Fort (FXFL) in 2015. On October 16, 2015, Leonard was assigned to the Jacksonville Sharks.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Leonard signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL in May 2016.[13] In two seasons with the Riders Leonard played in 33 games and played a significant role in the team's defense, totaling 66 tackles and 10 quarterback sacks. Following the 2017 season he was not re-signed and became a free agent on February 13, 2018.[14]
Ottawa Redblacks
On February 13, 2018, Leonard was signed to a one-year contract with the Ottawa Redblacks.[15] In one season with the Redblacks Leonard played in 17 games contributing 49 tackles and six quarterback sacks. He was not re-signed by the Redblacks following the season and became a free agent.
Saskatchewan Roughriders (II)
On February 14, 2019 Leonard signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Leonard was placed on the six-game injured list on August 8, 2019 with an unspecified injury during practice.[16]
Domestic battery arrest
On February 15, 2012, Leonard was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after an alleged altercation with a woman he had been dating for 17 months. The woman told police that she had been shoved and dragged from an apartment by her hair.[3] As a result of the arrest, Leonard was suspended from the Florida Gators.[17] He pleaded no contest to the charge in April, and received a six-month probation. Although Leonard's suspension was lifted in late March, Gators head coach Will Muschamp stated that he would serve a suspension during the 2012 season. Leonard and Muschamp later decided it would be best if the player transferred.[18] Leonard transferred to Tennessee State prior to the start of the football season that year.
References
- "A.C. Leonard". BC Lions. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- Carlyon, Hays (April 25, 2010). "High School Notebook: Florida commitment A.C. Leonard transfers to University Christian". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- George, Rachel (February 16, 2012). "Florida TE A.C. Leonard suspended following arrest for battery". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- Jones, Ross (May 2, 2014). "Tennessee State TE A.C. Leonard already has Hall of Fame hopes". Fox Sports. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- "A.C. Leonard Combine Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- Carlyon, Hays (March 1, 2014). "4.5-second burst may mean teams take longer look at A.C. Leonard". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- Goessling, Ben (August 6, 2014). "Vikings waive AC Leonard". ESPN. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- Olson, Eric (October 16, 2014). "FXFL offers fringe players a chance to get to NFL". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- "VooDoo Add Rookie Receiver". arenafootball.com. December 5, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- "Team Transactions". arenafan.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- Tucker, Cam (July 20, 2015). "Yoga has helped make a difference for B.C. Lions rookie receiver A.C. Leonard". Metro Vancouver. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- "BC Lions vs Saskatchewan Roughriders (17 July 2015)". CFL.ca. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- "A.C. LEONARD". riderville.com. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- "Riders free agency: Dennis released, Evans signs, Moore re-signs". Regina Leader-Post. February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
- "Redblacks sign A.C. Leonard". ottawaredblacks.com. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
- Staff, TSN ca (August 8, 2019). "Saskatchewan Roughriders DL A.C. Leonard place on six-game injured list - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- Carlyon, Hays (February 17, 2012). "Florida tight end A.C. Leonard suspended from team after battery charge". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- DiRocco, Mike (July 18, 2012). "A.C. Leonard leaving Florida program". ESPN. Retrieved July 25, 2015.