Leonard Fournette

At 29 years old, Leonard Fournette has this physical status:

Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American football running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. (NFL)

He played college football at LSU and was drafted by the Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Following his sophomore season in 2015, Fournette was a consensus All-America pick, leading the nation with 162.8 rushing yards per game.

Various analysts rated him as the best player in college football, comparing him to all-time great Herschel Walker, who spent his time at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, winning the 2013 USA Today High School Football Offensive Player of the Year and being named the No. ONE. According to ESPN, 247Sports.com, and CBS Sports, there was no one overall recruit in the 2014 senior class.

Lanard, Fournette's brother, is a former running back for LSU.

Early years

Leonard Jr. and Lory, Fournette's parents, grew up in a troubled area that was often affected by violence and gang activity, particularly after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. After he moved to Houston and back within a year due to the hurricane evacuation, Fournette credited Katrina with kick-starting his football career. He also cites his mother's Catholic faith with the family's return to the hospital.

When he returned to New Orleans, he played football at St. Augustine High School and competed in track and field. His 200 meters regional record of 21.57 seconds is the fastest in 4A, and his 10.68 in the 100 meters is just.02 off the best time. He also competed in the 4 100 meters relay and 4 200 meters relay.

He was a starter on the varsity football team since his freshman year and had 7,619 passing yards and 88 rushing touchdowns for his career. He rushed for more than 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns during his freshman season and became Louisiana's first freshman to receive a scholarship offer. He had 1,900 yards passing and 27 touchdowns in his sophomore season. As a youth, he had 2,135 passing yards and 31 touchdowns and was named a first-team All-State honoree by the Federation. Fournette had 1,792 yards and 16 touchdowns in his senior year, as well as 45 receptions for 745 yards and six touchdowns. He had a heralded showing against Malachi Dupre's John Curtis Christian, which was nationally broadcasted by ESPN2. St. Augustine's season came to an end with a 9-2 record and a appearance in the LHSAA Division I semifinal game, where they were defeated 31–28 by Archbishop Rummel High School. Fournette was named Louisiana's 2013 Mr. Football by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, and by Parade and USA Today as an All-American, as well as USA Today Offensive Player of the Year, the first from Louisiana since Ryan Perrilloux in 2004. Fournette played in the Under Armour All-America Game, where he made a 36-yard touchdown pass and ran for 43 yards on nine carries after the season.

Fournette, who was regarded as one of the most highly recruited players to ever come out of Louisiana, was regarded as the best running back prospect of his class. He was ranked as the No. 1 in ESPN's rankings. Scout.com and 1 recruit in the class of 2014, as did Scout.com. Fournette revealed that he would enroll Louisiana State University (LSU) at the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game.

Personal life

Lanard, Fournette's younger brother, also played at LSU.

Fournette led a peaceful march of about 700 people, including police officers, in downtown Jacksonville on June 8, 2020, to condemn George Floyd's assassination.

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College career

Fournette played college football for LSU from 2014 to 2016, under new head coaches Les Miles and Ed Orgeron.

Fournette's college career was accompanied by a lot of hope and apprehension, and he was often dubbed "the next Adrian Peterson." Fournette carried for 18 yards on eight attempts against the Wisconsin Badgers on August 30, 2014. Les Miles, LSU's head coach, downplayed the Fournette hype after the game. Miles said, "First games are not to be like to his 30th game." "Expectations are impractical." Fournette rushed for 92 yards on 13 attempts in his second game against the Sam Houston State Bearcats, scoring his first collegiate rush touchdown. The New Mexico State Aggies traveled to Death Valley to face the #17 LSU Tigers in the fifth week of the season, and Fournette went for 122 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns. Fournette is now ranked at the top of the Tigers' rushing list for the season after this success. Fournette rushed the ball 27 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns against LSU's SEC neighbor Florida on October 11 to help the LSU win by 30-27 in The Swamp. Fournette shook off a quick goal line fumble and rushed 23 times for 113 yards, followed by two receptions for 41 yards against undefeated and #3 Ole Miss, who led the country in stopping the game. LSU defeated the Rebels by a score of 10-7 in Death Valley after having the ball 12 times for 92 yards on a 13-play, 95-yard touchdown drive. Fournette finished the 2014 Music City Bowl with 11 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame. In addition,, he had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the loss to the Fighting Irish.

Fournette's sophomore season began with a strong effort against Mississippi State, who had 159 passing yards and three touchdowns. He finished with 228 passing yards and three touchdowns in the next game, a victory over Auburn. In the Carrier Dome, he rushed for a career-high 244 yards and two touchdowns against Syracuse, six yards shy of tying Alley Broussard's school record of 250 yards against Ole Miss in 2004. Fournette's 87-yard touchdown call was nullified by an unlawful formation call late in the game. Fournette rushed for 233 yards against Eastern Michigan, becoming the first player in the Southern Conference (SEC) to rush for 200 or more yards in three straight games. Fournette went for 150 yards in his ninth straight 100+ yard game against Western Kentucky, his ninth straight 100+ yards rushing game since being a member of the Texas A&M football team in late November 2014. He tied a school record set by Charles Alexander in 1978. At Bryant–Denny Stadium, Fournette's streak snapped end as the nation's best rushing defense continued in the next game against Alabama. As the Crimson Tide handed LSU its first loss of the season, he was held to 31 yards on 19 attempts. The Tigers defeated Texas Tech 56–27, with Fournette running for 212 yards and five total touchdowns.

Fournette set school records with 1,953 passing yards and 22 touchdowns in his sophomore season. He received the NCAA rushing title, which is given to the player with the most rushing yards per game average each season, with an average of 162.8 per game. He came in sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, earning 110 points. As he was selected by three official selectors: the Associated Press (AP), the Walter Camp Football Foundation, and the Football Writers Association of America, he received consensus All-America honors. Fournette was appointed to their All-SEC first-team by SEC coaches, the Associated Press, and ESPN.com.

Fournette, who was expected to compete for the Heisman Trophy in his junior season, was one of the preseason favorites to win the award. Fournette sustained a high ankle sprain in a scrimmage game before the 2016 season, but he was fit to return against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. He bruised the same ankle in the match against Wisconsin, and as a result, he missed Jacksonville State's game next week. In a 101-yard rush effort against Auburn on September 24, he re-injured it, forcing him to miss the next two games. Fournette rushed for 284 yards and three touchdowns against Ole Miss on October 22, his first game back. Derrius Guice beat his school record by a single yard later in the season. Fournette was not supposed to play against Florida on November 19, and he did not appear in for pre-game warm-ups because his ankle was still not fully recovered. However, after a pregame brawl between the teams in which Fournette pushed a Florida assistant coach, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron allowed him to play. Despite being largely affected by the injury, he only passed for 40 yards on 12 attempts and did not participate in the fourth quarter. In the team's final game of the regular season, he did not travel with the team to College Station against Texas A&M due to the injury. In seven games, he finished his junior season with 843 yards and eight touchdowns.

Fournette declared that he would draft the 2017 NFL Draft on December 5, 2016. His coach advised him not to miss the 2016 Citrus Bowl, which LSU defeated Louisville due to injuries. Fournette had rushed for 3,830 yards in his college career, the fourth most by a player in LSU history behind Charles Alexander, Dalton Hilliard, and Kevin Faulk. With Alexander and Faulk, his 40 rushing touchdowns tied for the third most in school history, behind Hilliard and Faulk.

Professional career

Fournette was highly regarded as a top-ten pick in the upcoming draft and ranked as the third best player going into the NFL Combine coming out of college. He weighed in five pounds more than his playing weight in college and decided only to participate in the vertical and 40-yard dash. He only partake in positional drills at LSU's Pro Day. Pro Football Focus and Sports Illustrated ranked him as the top overall running back prospect by NFLDraftScout.com and second behind Florida State's Dalvin Cook.

In the 2017 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Fournette fourth overall. He was the first running back in that year's draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars announced Fournette to a four-year, $27 million deal with a $18 million signing bonus on May 17, 2017.

On September 10, 2017, Fournette made his regular season debut against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. As the Jaguars defeated 29–7, he passed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 26 attempts. Fournette's first career receiving touchdown was in Week 4-versus the New York Jets. Fournette put up an impressive showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5, with 181 passing yards, including a Jaguars franchise-record 90-yard run in the fourth quarter, and two touchdowns as the Jaguars defeated the Jaguars 31-9. Fournette led to 21 touchdowns on the Jaguars' first play from scrimmage in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams, with a 75-yard touchdown run on Sunday. After the Jaguars lost to the Rams, 27–17, he missed the game in the fourth quarter due to a minor ankle injury. He was ruled out for Week 7 due to the ankle injury. Following a bye week, more problems arose as Fournette was declared inactive against the Cincinnati Bengals on Week 9 as he breached team policy.

Fournette's rookie year saw him totaling 1,040 passing yards and nine touchdowns, as well as 302 receiving yards and a touchdown. He was ranked 56th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.

The Jaguars had a 10–6 record in 2017, clinching the AFC South. Fournette struggled against the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round, rushing for 57 yards on 21 attempts as the Jaguars defeated the Buffalo Bills 10-3. He appeared in the Divisional Round against the Pittsburgh Steelers for a short time, but the Jaguars won 45–42. He returned and finished with 109 yards and three touchdowns. Fournette ran for 76 yards and a touchdown in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots last week, but the Jaguars lost 24-20.

During the season-opening 20–15 victory over the New York Giants, Fournette tore his hamstring. He missed the next two games before returning against the New York Jets, where he exacerbated the injury and was suspended indefinitely. After missing four more games, he returned against the Indianapolis Colts, rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown with 56 passing yards and a receiving touchdown as the Jaguars barely defeated 29-26. Fournette had his best game of the season against the Buffalo Bills, rushing for 95 yards and two touchdowns. However, Fournette and Bills defender Shaq Lawson were initially suspended as a result of a brawl between the Jaguars and Bills in the third quarter, and the two players were then banned from the game. The Jaguars lost 24–21 without Fournette. He was suspended one game the next day because of the brawl.

Fournette ended the 2018 season with 439 passing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 22 receptions for 185 yards and a touchdown.

Fournette rushed for 225 yards, with an 81-yard touchdown, in the first NFL game in which he had over 200 rushing yards. In the 34–27 road loss, he rushed 23 times for 108 yards and his first rushing touchdown of the season. As the Jaguars defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on Week 7, Fournette finished with 131 passing yards. In Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans, Fournette rushed 24 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns, as well as nine passes for 62 yards. Fournette had 1,152 passing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go along with 76 receptions for 522 yards in the 2019 season.

The Jaguars turned down the fifth-year deal on Fournette's deal, which would have made him a free agent in 2021. Since being unable to trade him on August 31, 2020, the Jaguars released Fournette.

Fournette signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 6, 2020.

Fournette led to 103 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns, including a 46-yard rushing touchdown with 1:56 remaining in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers, ending the Buccaneers 31-17. Fournette led to 97 attempts for 367 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in a backfield where Ronald Jones II had the majority of the plays, as well as 36 receptions for 233 receiving yards in the 2020 season.

During the 31–23 victory, Fournette rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown and four passes for 39 yards. During the 30-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints, Fournette rushed for 63 yards and five touchdowns, as well as a touchdown. During the 31–26 victory over the Green Bay Packers, Fournette rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown. During the 31–9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Fournette rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown while still having four catches for 46 yards. After scoring a touchdown in the Buccaneers Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Fournette's outstanding playoff performance earned him the nickname "Playoff Lenny" later changed to "Lombardi Lenny." In four games in a single postseason, he became the third player in NFL history to score touchdowns in four games.

Fournette re-signed with the Buccaneers on a one-year contract worth $3.25 million on March 31, 2021.

Since the National Football League uniform numbers rule had changed in April 2021, Fournette was one of the first players to change his jersey number. He opted for number 7, which he wore at LSU during his college years.

Fournette had 127 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6. In Week 12, Fournette rushed for 100 yards, had 31 receiving yards, and had four total touchdowns, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the week. In Week 15, he sustained a hamstring injury and was put on injured reserve on December 23, 2021. Fournette ended the 2021 season with 812 passing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, as well as 69 receptions for 454 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

On January 22, 2022, Fournette was activated. In the 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, he had 107 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Fournette re-signed with the Buccaneers on a three-year, $21 million contract on March 23, 2022. In Week 1, Fournette rushed for 127 yards in a 19–3 victory over Dallas.

Esports career

Fournette was signed with Complexity Gaming in 2021.

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