Leonard Fournette is an American football running back for the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL). He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Leonard signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers in 2020 and helped the team win Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs.
He was the team’s primary starter for the majority of the 2021 season.
However, a late-season injury kept him out of the final three regular-season games and a portion of the playoffs.
Leonard extended his stay with Tampa for three years on March 23, 2022.
Leonard Fournette in Practice With Bucs (Source: USA Today)
Want to know more about Fournette?
Please read till the end of the article to learn more about Leonard’s professional career, early life, net worth, and so much more.
But first, please go through some quick facts about Leonard!
Leonard Fournette | Quick Facts
Full Name
Leonard Joseph Fournette III
Date of Birth
January 18, 1995
Birth Place
New Orleans, Louisiana
Nick Name
Button
Religion
Christianity
Nationality
American
Ethnicity
Multiracial
Zodiac Sign
Capricorn
Age
30 Years Old
Height
6 feet/1.82 m/182 cm
Weight
103 kg/227 lbs.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Build
Athletic, Muscular
Father’s Name
Leonard Jr. Fournette
Mother’s Name
Lory Fournette
Siblings
Lanard Fournette, LaNata Fournette and LaTae Fournette
By the time he was 13, Fournette’s reputation had spread throughout the city. He was attracting high school crowds to park ball games. Leonard was much bigger, stronger, and faster than his peers.
At 13, Fournette weighed about 170 lbs. and stood about 172 m tall. The weight limit for skill position players in park ball was 155 lbs.
In his final season, Fournette was limited to playing on the defensive and offensive lines. That only lasted a few games.
The OTHER CHILDREN’S PARENTS wrote a letter requesting that Leonard be barred from the playground. Eventually, all the other playgrounds united and barred him from the league.
Leonard was far too large to play running back. He served on both the offensive and defensive lines. Nobody could stop him or keep him in check.
Leonard Fournette | Career
High School
Fournette attended St. Augustine High School, where he excelled in football.
In his freshman season, the player rushed for over 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns, becoming the first freshman to receive a scholarship offer from Louisiana State.
Similarly, Leonard finished his sophomore season with 1,900 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns.
Leonard Fournette For St. Augustine High School (Source: 247 Sports)
As a junior, he had 2,135 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns and was named to the LFCA Class 4A First-Team All-State team.
Leonard was widely regarded as the best running back prospect in his class and was one of the most highly recruited players to come out of Louisiana.
The player announced his decision to attend Louisiana State University at THE 2014 Under Armour All-America Game (LSU)
College Career
After having an outstanding career at St. Augustine High School, Fournette had near-unprecedented hype heading into college in 2014.
He was named the USA Today High School Football Offensive Player of the Year 2013 and the top-ranked recruit in the 2014 senior class by 247Sports.com, ESPN, and CBS Sports.
Following his sophomore season at LSU in 2015, he was a consensus All-America selection.
The player set a school single-season record with 1,953 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns.
Professional Career
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Leonard Fournette fourth overall in 2017. He became the NFL’s youngest player with a rushing touchdown of at least 90 yards.
Fournette also established the Jaguars’ records for the longest rushing play and was the first player to rush for 100 yards in his NFL debut.
He was the first player to score a scrimmage touchdown in each of his first six career games.
Leonard Fournette For Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Source: Sportskeeda.com)
He signed a four-year, $27 million contract with the Jaguars in 2017, with an $18 million signing bonus.
Furthermore, Leonard signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 6, 2020.
The running back extended his stay with the team with a three-year $21 million contract on march 20, 2022.
Fournette suffered a high ankle sprain during a scrimmage game prior to the 2016 season. But, he recovered in time to play in the season opener against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.
The player bruised the same ankle late in the game against Wisconsin. As a result, he missed the following week’s game against Jacksonville State.
He re-injured it in a 101-yard rushing effort against SEC West rival Auburn on September 24, which made him miss the next two games.
Moreover, in 2021, Leonard suffered another injury. He was placed on injured reserve on December 23, 2021, after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 15.
Career Highlights and Awards
(LV) Super Bowl champion
2015 Consensus All-American
2015 First-team All-SEC
2016 Second-team All-SEC
Leonard Fournette | Girlfriend
The NFL player Leonard Fournette was romantically linked with Jamie Jones. However, currently, they are said to have broken up!
Jamie and Leonard met for the first time through Jamie’s brother. Their relationship dates back to the 2010s, but much about it is unknown because neither of them has revealed it to the public.
Though the pair aren’t together now, they are the parents of two lovely kids! Lyric Fournette, their first child, and Leonard IV Fournette, their baby boy.
Complications in the First Pregnancy
The birth of Lyric, their baby girl, was not normal and easy.
Things had become extremely complicated, and Lyric was born five months premature, weighing just three pounds and two ounces.
Her weight was less than half that of the normal born, and she was approximately the size of a milk gallon.
Leonard Fournette With His Kids, Lyric and Leonard IV (Source: Instagram)
Similarly, her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck while she was delivered.
After that, everything became extremely complicated, making the parents nervous.
Until the following week of delivery, Lyric was fed through a tube that ran through her nose and down her throat.
Leonard Fournette | Controversies & Arrest
Controversies
During a loss to the Titans, while Fournette was with the Jaguars, the player was caught on camera shouting at a fan in the stands.
Similarly, he was suspended indefinitely for leaving the bench to fight Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Shaq Lawson.
The Jaguars then informed Fournette that the guaranteed money in his contract had been voided.
Arrest
Fournette was arrested in April 2019 at a car wash for driving with a suspended license, speeding, and improper window tint on the side and rearview mirrors.
His license was suspended in November for failing to pay a speeding ticket. Leonard spent less than 30 minutes in the Duval County Jail, but it left an indelible impression on him.
Leonard Fournette | Net Worth
The football player has had a rewarding NFL career. At present, he has a net worth of $10 million.
Leonard signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022.
The contract also includes a $12 million guarantee and a $7 million average annual salary.
Moreover, Fournette will earn a base salary of $2 million and a signing bonus of $5 million in 2022.
Social Media
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette has a sizable social media following with nearly a million on Instagram and half a million on Twitter.
Aayusha Bhattarai is a dedicated writer with a passion for uncovering the fascinating stories behind athletes' lives. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, she brings readers on a journey through the triumphs, struggles, and inspirations of their favorite players.
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