A.C. Leonard

A.C. Leonard
No. 99 Saskatchewan Roughriders
Position: Defensive Lineman/Wide receiver
Personal information
Date of birth: (1992-01-15) January 15, 1992
Place of birth: Palatka, Florida
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
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status: Active
CFL status: International
Career CFL statistics
Receptions: 17
Receiving yards: 187
Receiving TDs: 2

AC Leonard (born January 15, 1992) is a gridiron football defensive lineman currently playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. 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]

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

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.[5] He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings.[6] 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.[6] Later that year, Leonard played for the Brooklyn Bolts of the Fall Experimental Football League in its inaugural season.[7] He was assigned to the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League on December 5, 2014.[8] He was placed on the Other League Exempt list on February 23, 2015.[9]

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.[10][11]

On October 16, 2015, Leonard was assigned to the Jacksonville Sharks.

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.[12] 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.[13] Leonard transferred to Tennessee State prior to the start of the football season that year.

References

  1. 1 2 "A.C. Leonard". BC Lions. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. 1 2 George, Rachel (February 16, 2012). "Florida TE A.C. Leonard suspended following arrest for battery". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  4. ↑ Jones, Ross (May 2, 2014). "Tennessee State TE A.C. Leonard already has Hall of Fame hopes". Fox Sports. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. 1 2 Goessling, Ben (August 6, 2014). "Vikings waive AC Leonard". ESPN. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  7. ↑ Olson, Eric (October 16, 2014). "FXFL offers fringe players a chance to get to NFL". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ "VooDoo Add Rookie Receiver". arenafootball.com. December 5, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Team Transactions". arenafan.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ Tucker, Cam (July 20, 2015). "Yoga has helped make a difference for B.C. Lions rookie receiver A.C. Leonard". Metro Vancouver. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  11. ↑ "BC Lions vs Saskatchewan Roughriders (17 July 2015)". CFL.ca. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ DiRocco, Mike (July 18, 2012). "A.C. Leonard leaving Florida program". ESPN. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
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