SOUTH BEND — Former Notre Dame football quarterback Riley Leonard enjoyed a successful homecoming during Senior Bowl week in Mobile, Ala.
Playing about a 50-minute drive around Mobile Bay from his hometown of Fairhope, Leonard started and played the first two series for the winning American team in the annual college all-star game on Saturday afternoon.
“I felt great,” Leonard said during an interview on NFL Network. “I just love playing ball and I’m so happy to be out here. A lot of people said I wasn’t going to play because I played a few days ago. How could I not?
“I love getting out there and competing with the guys. So grateful to be back here in my hometown. It’s pretty nostalgic for me.”
Leonard’s week included a pep rally in his honor at Fairhope High School, where the former Pirate starred in both football and basketball.
“Incredible,” Leonard said. “They had a whole pep rally for me. I’m kind of an introvert by heart, so I didn’t want to get up there and speak in front of all of them. It was great. They inspire me every day to wake up and be a better person.”
Just 12 days removed from a 34-23 loss to Ohio State in the CFP national championship game, Leonard completed his first six passes for 54 yards before overthrowing TCU’s Jack Bech, the game’s MVP, down the right sideline.
Bech, who had six catches for 68 yards and the game-winning score as time expired in the 22-19 contest, dedicated the game to his late brother Tiger Bech, a former Princeton football player who died in the Jan. 1 attack in New Orleans.
Leonard, who also scrambled for a 2-yard gain on the opening series, finished his day with an 8-yard loss on a third-and-20 sack. He also showed the ability to run the offense under center, something he rarely did in four college seasons.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/happy-homecoming-riley-leonard-former-212751812.html
Author : South Bend Tribune
Publish date : 2025-02-01 21:27:00
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