It’s not every day that talent comes along and gets compared to retired soccer star Herschel Walker. Former Louisiana State University player Leonard Fournette was held in this regard before being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The running back, who was also one of Louisiana’s most-raised high school players, was billed as a future Hall of Famer. This is a testament to his talent, even if he still has a long way to go to reach such heights.
biography
On January 18, 1995 in New Orleans,Louisiana, Lory and Leonard Fournette Jr. welcomed their first of four children, Leonard Joseph Fournette III. The Fournette family raised their children in the violent and gang-riddled New Orleans 7th Ward, but was able to protect their children from that life and get them to focus on what mattered most, namely to get a good education and/or to focus on sports to make a career.
Leonard Fournette attended St. Augustine High School where he was a standout athlete on the track and soccer teams. Because of his talent, Fournette secured a starting position in his freshman year and has rushed for 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns this season. Following this outstanding performance, Fournette received a scholarship offer from the State of Louisiana (LSU), becoming the first freshman to receive a scholarship from that school in his freshman year.
Fournette continued his accomplishments in his sophomore and sophomore years, recording 1,900 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns and 2,135 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns. The latter earned him LFCA Class 4A First-Team All-State honors. During his high school year, Fournette recorded 1,792 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns and added 45 receptions for 745 yards and six points to make his name for the 2013 Mr. Football in Louisiana. He was also named to the Parade and USA Today All-American teams, and USA Today Offensive Player of the Year.
By the time Leonard Fournette graduated, he reportedly had nearly 100 scholarship offers from a number of college programs across the country. However, he chose to attend the first school that showed confidence in him, as a high school freshman, LSU.
In what turned out to be his last collegiate football season, Fournette played just seven games, recording 843 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, before announcing his intention to enter the 2017 NFL draft.
Leonard Fournette design of a profile
Leonard Fournette was predicted to be a top ten pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Various scouting and college football publications considered him the top or second-best running back prospect in the draft, having accumulated a total of 3,830 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns in Louisiana State University history.
On draft day, Fournette was the first backround pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick.
Injury and career statistics
During the preseason just before the start, Leonard Fournette suffered his first injury in his rookie year, although he was able to return in the season opener. Six weeks later, he suffered a minor ankle injury in a game against the Los Angeles Rams in which he had already recorded 21 receptions for 130 yards with a 75-yard touchdown. He missed a game before returning to full fitness.
By the end of the 2017 season, Fournette had recorded 1,040 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns and 302 receiving yards and 1 touchdown to help his team capture the AFC South title. He and his team defeated the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round before falling to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
salary
Leonard Fournette penned down a four-year, $27 million deal that came with an $18 million signing bonus with the Jaguars after being drafted in 2017.