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Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard starred in high school basketball before football career

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•about 13 hours•

bykeeganpope

Riley Leonard
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Riley Leonard wasn’t recruited by Notre Dame, or just about any major programs, as a high school senior.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder ultimately chose Duke over a handful of Power 4 offers, and the Blue Devils saw something in him that the rest of the college football is witnessing on a bigger stage this year: his pure athleticism.

Back in his hometown of Fairhope, Alabama, Leonard was more known for his exploits on the basketball court than the field, despite being a star for the football team. His hoops highlights, and in particular his ferocious dunking ability, made him a local legend in a town of roughly 25,000 people.

At only 6’4, he regularly posterized defenders and even threw down a 360 slam in the middle of a game.

He had basketball offers from UAB, Missouri State and Saint Mary’s, among others. And he was reportedly unsure what sport he would play in college until the football offers came in during his senior season.

“I like to think that I could [walk on at Duke],” Leonard said in a recent clip shared by ex-NFL QB Robert Griffin III. “I didn’t necessarily have the handles, though. Because to have handles, you’ve got to be in the gym, all day, every day.”

Instead, he focused on the gridiron where he was one of the country’s most promising underclassman quarterbacks at Duke before transferring to Notre Dame this season. He has accounted for more than 3,400 total yards this season and 35 touchdowns while leading the Fighting Irish to the precipice of their first national title since 1988.

Leonard got the chance to play during his time at Duke

But after giving up hoops to go to Durham, he found a way to still get some runs in and show what he could do on the court.

“My class, when I got there at Duke in the summer, was with Paolo [Banchero], so we used to go to Cameron late at night and hoop, which is dope,” he told Griffin. “I was always trying to sneak in there and play with them boys and see if I could really prove myself.”

As to how he fared in those games, he said: “I would hold my own. I’ll put it that way.”

Over his final two high school seasons, he averaged better than 20 points and seven rebounds per game while collecting 147 steals. As a senior, he led the Pirates to a 27-2 record and eclipsed 2,000 points in his career. He wasn’t just your average football player filling a spot on the roster.

Four years later, he takes the field for the Fighting Irish in the biggest game for the program in decades. His days on the hardwood are behind him, but anyone who watches Monday night’s game — or any of Notre Dame’s this season — can see the skills that have translated to the field.