Richard Leonard

PRO DAY RESULTS – MARCH 30, 2016
Recently, Richard delivered stellar pro day numbers and proved that he should have been invited to the NFL Combine. In the 40 he did a 4.38 which ranks him 5thcompared to the players in his position at the Combine; Vertical of 37″ has him tied for 8th; L-Cone of 6.95 has him tied for 11th; 18x reps on bench has him tied for 3rd and 60 Yard Shuttle of 11.21 which has him ranked 7th.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS – 53 Games Played (32 starts); 204 tackles (149 solo, 55 assisted); 6.5 TFL for 18 yards, 9 INTS for 276 yards and 2 TD, 28 pass breakups, 37 passes deflected, 3 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries for 115 yards and 1 TD, 37 punt returns for 577 yards and 2 TD, 86 kick returns for 2145 yards and 1 TD, 1 rush for 5 yards

Richard Leonard has had an illustrious career as a shutdown Cornerback and dynamic Punt Returner for Florida International University. Richard has racked up honors in 2015 as he was named 1st Team All-C-USA at Cornerback and Punt Returner, as well as Honorable Mention at Kick Returner. Richard recently played in the NFLPA All-Star Bowl (Jan 18-23, 2016).

Richard exhibits versatility as he excels at both the CB position and in Special Teams as an exhilarating Punt Returner. Richard has intuitive football instincts and a willingness to learn and develop as a player. Richard has always been a team leader while being a quick learner and highly coachable. Richard has the intelligence, work ethic, talent, heart, and determination to succeed as a professional football player, and will reward the team that signs him. Richard is the type of player that would be an asset to your team both on and off the field.

2015 (Senior): Appeared and started in all 12 games for the Panthers…Named game captain nine times (at UCF – 9/3; at Indiana – 9/12; at UMass – 10/3; UTEP – 10/10; at Middle Tennessee – 10/17; Old Dominion – 10/24; at Florida Atlantic – 10/31; Charlotte – 11/7; at Marshall – 11/14)…A First-Team All-Conference USA selection at cornerback and punt returner as well as an All-C-USA Honorable Mention honoree as a kick returner…Recorded a single-season best 62 total tackles (42 solo) this season good for second on the team…Tallied eight pass breakups (tied for the team lead) and one interception for nine passes defended…Registered 627 kick return yards on 29 attempts and 160 punt return yards on just 15 attempts…Average of 21.6 yards-per-return on kickoffs ranks No. 9 in the conference, while his 10.7 yards-per-punt return leads the league and ranks No. 24 nationally. His 627 yards on kick return yards and 160 yards on punt returns this season both rank No. 7 all-time at FIU…Finished career ranking No. 2 all-time in punt returns (37), punt return yardage (577), kick returns (86) and kick return yardage (2,158)…Notched five tackles (three solo) at Marshall (11/14)…Collected four tackles and two pass breakups versus WKU (11/21)…Had six tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss versus Charlotte (11/7)…Notched 98 yards on two returns (one kickoff, one punt) versus Old Dominion (10/24)…Recorded first interception of the season (40-yard return) and two pass breakups with five tackles at Middle Tennessee (10/17)…Also returned two kicks for 95 yards (47.5 yards-per-return) versus the Blue Raiders…Had seven tackles versus UTEP (10/10)…Totaled five tackles and one pass breakup at LA Tech (9/26)…Recorded nine tackles, including 1.0 tackle-for-loss at Indiana (9/12)…Tied a career-high in tackles (10) in season versus the Knights… Preseason C-USA Defensive Player of the Year…Named to the Preseason Jim Thorpe Award Watch List…Preseason First-Team, All-C-USA (Athlon and Phil Steele)…Earned first-team selection at cornerback and punt returner as well as a third-team honoree as a kick returner (Phil Steele) for the 2015 season.

RICHARD LEONARD 2014 HIGHLIGHTS

RICHARD LEONARD 2015 HIGHLIGHTS

Appeared as true freshman at FIU after reclining other offers from D1 schools that included Tennessee and Georgia. Has natural cover skills, very quick feet, fluid hips and good ball skills. Can shadow, mirror and blanket receivers in tight man coverage. Very feisty competitor who displays a good top end burst and ability to break on the ball. Plays fast and explosive. Leonard is very physical and tough. Supports the run with passion and is a solid tackler. He plays the ball well in front of him and downfield. Slightly undersized for desired NFL measurables but pound for pound one of the toughest you’re going to find.