It was a special day for CFC100 Class of 2017 DB Deane Leonard, who was selected 236th overall in the 7th round by the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Calgary, AB native took a unique path to the NFL after graduating from local powerhouse high school program Notre Dame where he won the Alberta Tier I provincial title in 2014 and was ranked on the CFC100 Class of 2017 High School Rankings. He originally suited up for the hometown Calgary Dinos where helped lead them back to the Vanier Cup glory in 2019, and was named to the U Sports All-Canadian Team. That season he tallied 22 tackles, one for loss, one sack and eight passes defended, which was enough to reignite the NCAA dream.
Leonard took his skills to the SEC signing with Ole Miss for the 2020 season, and would make an immediate impact upon arrival appearing in eight games and starting two. The 6’0″, 195lbs prospect was able to earn an extra year on campus thanks to the pandemic, and made the most of the opportunity playing in 11 games racking up 50 tackles and seven passes defended in the toughest conference in America.
While some might have written off his chance, it was Leonard’s pro day at Ole Miss that caught the eye of NFL scouts running a 4.39 forty-yard dash, and a 4.18 shuttle. Clearly the Chargers were in attendance, and ready to give the Calgary born defensive back a chance in the big leagues.
Leonard was also selected 18th overall in the 2021 CFL Draft by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and was ranked 9th on the 2021 CFC40 Draft Class Rankings.
deane machine !!!!! pic.twitter.com/kKxw2ZAeO9
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) April 30, 2022
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