‘He’s a great human being… He’s a fighter’ – Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman has high remarks for Irish captain handling adversity
What a journey it has been for Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. A standout with the Duke Blue Devils, Leonard transferred to South Bend this offseason, and a lot of expectations followed him. Things obviously got off to a fast start against Texas A&M in the season opener, but quickly fell back to reality when […]
What a journey it has been for Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. A standout with the Duke Blue Devils, Leonard transferred to South Bend this offseason, and a lot of expectations followed him. Things obviously got off to a fast start against Texas A&M in the season opener, but quickly fell back to reality when the Irish lost to Northern Illinois.
That type of performance could have been enough to completely sink the confidence of most college football players. Leonard endured the criticism of that two-interception performance, and is now playing his best football over the last several weeks. During the team’s nine-game win streak, he has been responsible for 26 total touchdowns. Leonard has also thrown just two interceptions during that stretch.
Many have admired the resiliency of Leonard, and many have also become fans of the talented signal callers. The criticism was extremely loud after two games, but that has mostly been silenced. There may not be anyone more proud of Leonard than Head Coach Marcus Freeman, who gushed over his quarterback on Monday during media availability.
“As a father, I would want someone to describe my children the way I view Riley Leonard,” Coach Freeman said. “He is a great person. As a football player, he’s done nothing but continuously grow and get better… You realize a lot about a person’s character when they’re down and Riley is a competitor. He’s a fighter. He didn’t want anyone to feel bad for himself. He wanted to work. That’s what I’ve learned about Riley Leonard.”
As a person or a player, Leonard is a tremendous example of what Notre Dame stands for. If the Fighting Irish are going to finish this season on a high note, and make a playoff run, Leonard needs to play his best football. It appears that Coach Freeman and the others around the playoffs have nothing but confidence in him.
