Personal Information
Full Name | Leonard Joseph Fournette III |
Debut | September 10, 2017 |
Nickname | Button |
Leonard Fournette: A Brief Biography
Leonard Joseph Fournette III is an American football running back. He plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League (NFL). In the 2017 NFL Draft, Fournette III was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick. Louisiana State University (LSU) is where he played college football at. He was born on January 18, 1995.
He was named the High School Football Offensive Player of the Year by USA Today in 2013. In his 2014 senior class, he was also named the top-ranked recruit of the year, according to ESPN, 247Sports.com, and CBS Sports. Therefore there was no doubt that after an outstanding career at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Fournette had near-unprecedented hype headed into college in 2014. Following his sophomore season in 2015, he was a consensus All-America selection at LSU. He has set school single-season records with 1,953 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns, and leading the country with 162.8 rushing yards per game. He was regarded as the best player in college football by various experts.
Fournette had intermediate success upon being drafted by the Jaguars. He rushed for over 1,000 yards just in his rookie season alone. However he was released just after three seasons with the team as he struggled with several injuries and suspensions. It was reported that his relationship with the franchise even soured, eventually leading to his release. Following this, on September 6, 2020, he signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won Super Bowl LV with them with a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Fournette rushed for 89 yards, scored a touchdown and recorded four catches for 46 yards in the game. After scoring the touchdown in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl victory, he earned the nickname "Playoff Lenny" which later evolved to "Lombardi Lenny''. He also became the third player in NFL history to score touchdowns in four games in a single postseason.
Key Stats:
Summary | Games Played | TDS | Rush | YDS | Y/A |
2020 | 13 | 6 | 97 | 367 | 3.8 |
Career | 49 | 23 | 763 | 2998 | 3.9 |