While on holiday break from Duke, former Fairhope quarterback Riley Leonard visited his old stomping grounds last week before heading back to campus for the second semester of his sophomore year.

Leonard was spotted speaking to his former team and current Pirate football players at Fairhope High School as well as signing autographs at the J. Larry Newton School. Earlier this fall, he was highlighted in a Newton Spotlight teaching young athletes three tips on how to throw a football.

The rest of the fall went pretty well for Leonard and the Duke Blue Devils who finished 8-4 in the regular season, including a 5-3 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference, to earn their first trip to a postseason bowl game since 2018.

In the Military Bowl Dec. 28, 2022, Leonard led his team to a 30-13 victory behind 173 passing yards and 63 rushing yards with two touchdowns to earn MVP honors after he became the first Duke quarterback to collect at least 10 rushing and 20 passing touchdowns on the season.

The Blue Devils’ 9-4 overall record marked their first nine-win season since 2014 and that trails only the 2013 team that finished 10-4 overall.