Richard Leonard (Canadian football)
Richard Leonard (born September 2, 1991) is a professional gridiron football defensive back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at FIU. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans in 2016.
 Leonard with the Tiger-Cats in 2022 | |
| No. 23 – Hamilton Tiger-Cats | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | September 2, 1991 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight: | 173 lb (78 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Miami Killian |
| College: | FIU |
| Undrafted: | 2016 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
| CFL status: | American |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Player stats at CFL.ca | |
High school career
Leonard attended Miami Killian High School, where he holds records in football and track and field.
College career
Leonard committed to FIU on September 30, 2009. With the Panthers, he starred as both a cornerback and kick returner. He was named a first-team All-Conference USA selection at cornerback and punt returner.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
175 lb (79 kg) |
4.39 s | 4.33 s | 6.92 s | 35 in (0.89 m) | 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) | 18 reps | |||||
| All values from Pro Day[1] | ||||||||||||
Houston Texans
Leonard was not selected in the 2016 NFL Draft and signed a contract as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans on May 5, 2016. Leonard would suffer an injured hamstring and was waived on July 20, 2016. The Texans would release Leonard with an injury settlement on August 11, 2016.
Hamilton Tiger Cats
On May 25, 2017, Leonard signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. Leonard would go on to have an impressive rookie season with the Tiger Cats, recording 72 tackles, 7 interceptions and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in his first game against the Toronto Argonauts. Leonard was named an East Division All-Star for 2017. He started 18 games at cornerback for the Tiger-Cats. He was named the team's Most Outstanding Rookie. Overall, he played in three seasons for the Tiger-Cats and appeared in 49 regular season games, recording 178 defensive tackles, 31 pass knockdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Calgary Stampeders
Upon becoming a free agent on February 11, 2020, Leonard signed with the Calgary Stampeders.[2] He re-signed with the team on December 14, 2020.[3] He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 8, 2022.[4]
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (II)
On February 8, 2022, it was announced that Leonard had signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[5]
Personal
Leonard has a cousin, Jeremiah McKinnon, who currently plays cornerback for the New York Giants.
References
- "Richard Leonard - Florida International, CB: 2016 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile". draftscout.com.
- "Stamps add trio including All-Star DB Richard Leonard". Canadian Football League. February 11, 2020.
- "Stamps re-sign DB Richard Leonard". CFL.ca. December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- "Transactions – Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- "Ticats sign DB Richard Leonard". Canadian Football League. February 8, 2022.