MOBILE — With all the world’s eyes on him, Fairhope alum Riley Leonard never forgets where he started and the lessons he learned when he was there.
From a run to the College Football …
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MOBILE — With all the world’s eyes on him, Fairhope alum Riley Leonard never forgets where he started and the lessons he learned when he was there.
From a run to the College Football Playoff national championship with one of the biggest brands in the sport, to being under the microscope of every NFL team during this week’s Senior Bowl, Leonard knows that more than just Fairhopians are watching his every move.
“I think it's very important for me to always think, every time I wake up, about the little kids that look up to me,” Leonard said after Senior Bowl practice on Thursday. “They give me a lot of motivation to go throughout my day and make the right decisions and represent Fairhope in the right way.”
His high school coach, Tim Carter, said the community has rallied behind their former quarterback, and it’s all warranted because of Leonard's character.
“I think the way he has handled himself and humbled himself is just so satisfying for the people of our community, because we knew that Riley all along,” Carter said in a Thursday phone interview. “And we're just glad that it's been getting seen on a world stage.”
The former Pirate quarterback acknowledged all the shoutouts and cheers thrown his way from Baldwin County and said he’s been overwhelmed by the support.
“It'll be great. I think my whole Fairhope coaching staff is going to have a whole row with all their kids (at the game on Saturday). That'll be really cool, just the amount of support – it's kind of hard to describe,” Leonard said. “I've taken every single piece of advice that they've given me and just ran with it my entire career so I appreciate them.”
And in return, Leonard offered a piece of advice to younger athletes who hope to be in his shoes one day.
“I think the biggest thing is never let your circumstances change your standard. Let your standard change your circumstances,” Leonard said.
Carter argues that outlook has helped him become an attractive potential NFL draft selection.
“He has all the intangibles, the character, the leadership qualities that you want in that position. In the NFL, organizations are built around the quarterback position, and he is exactly what you're looking for,” Carter said. “That's what I would invest in if I was a general manager or an owner, I want that type of person representing my organization.”
The coach also had high praise in the form of an NFL comparison for Leonard.
“Takes me back to guys like Roger Staubach,” Carter said. “Quarterback of America's team, the clean-cut naval graduate that just did things right, a family man. That's kind of the person I think that Riley, in my era, would compare to.”
Without an NFL team in the immediate geography of Baldwin County, Carter said that if Leonard’s name is indeed called at the draft in April, the selecting team will gain plenty of fans from Lower Alabama.
“A homegrown kid that has made it to the biggest stage. We will definitely adopt whatever NFL franchise he goes to,” Carter said. “Just like this year, we were Notre Dame fans. We just want to see where he lands, because that's going to instantly be our number one NFL team.”
Until then, Baldwin County fans will have one last chance to see Leonard play up close and personal when he takes on the 76th Reese’s Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile.
“We've got a big community celebration. Fairhope is going to be there in a big way on Saturday,” Carter said. “I hope we fill the stadium, because it's a dream come true for us to get an opportunity to watch him play in this game.”