Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard sporting a wristband with a Bible verse, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photograph/Sam Craft)
12 months in and 12 months out, one of many extra enviable jobs in all of faculty athletics is that of the Notre Dame soccer workforce’s beginning quarterback. In 2024, that title goes to Riley Leonard.
>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith connect <<
Leonard spent three seasons quarterbacking Duke, the place he accomplished 382 passes on 618 makes an attempt for 4,450 yards and 24 touchdowns. His 2023 season was reduce brief attributable to an ankle damage he sustained in opposition to, coincidentally, Notre Dame in Week 5, when Duke was 4-0.
Leonard’s performances in opposition to the Irish and others impressed Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman (now in his third full season). So, when Leonard entered the switch portal the week after the Blue Devils’ final regular-season sport, it took lower than two weeks earlier than he had committed to the Irish. Notre Dame was the one faculty he visited.
A dream come true. Go Irish ☘️ pic.twitter.com/2Ft09Ho4uj
— Riley Leonard (@rileyleonard13_) December 12, 2023
Leonard’s great-grandfather, James Curran, performed at Notre Dame within the early Nineteen Forties.
“To have the ability to dwell his legacy and really feel what he felt again within the day actually means quite a bit to me, and it clearly means quite a bit to my household,” Leonard said in a video for the attire model New Period Cap.
One sport in and the match appears to be working fairly nicely, and Leonard has the Notre Dame devoted believing this could possibly be the workforce to return the Combating Irish to the highest of the faculty soccer world.
Ranked No. 7 to start the season, the Irish stormed into School Station, Texas, to face No. 20 Texas A&M (now led by Leonard’s former coach at Duke, Mike Elko) and headed house with a 23-13 victory on Saturday. Leonard threw for 158 yards, added one other 63 on the bottom, and his poise and expertise in opposition to the Aggies’ swarming protection was essential to the win. Notre Dame moved up to No. 5 in Tuesday’s new AP rankings.
Now, the Irish seems to have an inside observe on a berth within the new 12-team School Soccer Playoff. In accordance with ESPN Analytics, Notre Dame has the best likelihood of successful every of its remaining 11 video games, together with the regular-season finale on the street in opposition to USC.
But, as Leonard lives out a dream of taking part in for the Irish and has aspirations of chasing a nationwide title, he seeks to additionally develop spiritually. He has mentioned that being raised in Fairhope, Alabama, formed a number of who he’s and his beliefs.
“Each single particular person in that metropolis that I got here into contact with helped me with my religion. I’m capable of deliver that right here. Clearly that’s a very powerful factor in my life.” Leonard mentioned this February, according to The Irish Tribune. “After I go to mattress at night time, I’m not considering, ‘What number of landing passes did I throw?’ ‘Did we win or lose?’ I’m considering, ‘Did I higher my relationship with Jesus Christ? Did I deal with my girlfriend with respect? Did I name my dad and mom?’”
All through his time at Duke, and now in his one sport at Notre Dame, Leonard has worn a wristband with considered one of his favourite Bible verses, Matthew 23:12, which reads, “For many who exalt themselves will likely be humbled, and those that humble themselves will likely be exalted.” In a postgame interview with ESPN on Saturday, Leonard showed off his wristband to the watching viewers.
He generally posts about his religion on Instagram, and he writes in his bio, “No God – No Peace. Know God – Know Peace.”
In his postgame press convention following Notre Dame’s victory in opposition to Texas A&M, Leonard revealed that numerous gamers take part in a workforce Bible examine each week.
“One of many greatest bragging factors about this workforce is we now have, like, 40 guys present as much as our Bible examine generally each Thursday. That’s actually a credit score to them. It began with, like, 5 guys, however it’s grown to 40,” Leonard said. “This workforce is simply so shut. And the whole lot that we do, we do as a unit.”
He ended his press convention with one other reference to God.
“God bless,” he mentioned as he rose to go away.
Leonard is aware of it’s God who led him to South Bend, to tackle the duty of being Notre Dame’s beginning quarterback. God has him there for a objective, and that final objective is to make the identify of Jesus identified on his workforce and past by the sport of soccer.
This week, Notre Dame will search to maneuver one step nearer to an ideal season when it takes on Northern Illinois (1-0) in South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
RELATED STORIES:
— 15 Christ-following college football players to watch in 2024
— Ohio State players host on-campus faith event: ‘Let’s give Him the glory’
— Garrett Nussmeier says ‘God’s timing is always right’ as he becomes LSU’s QB
— Freshman Hannah Hidalgo leads No. 9 Notre Dame, is ‘always thanking God’
— SS PODCAST: Nevada QB Chubba Purdy on injuries, God’s plan, his big bro
