Leonard Fournette
Fournette with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 27, 28, 7, 5 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | January 18, 1995 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | St. Augustine (New Orleans) | ||||||||||||||
| College | LSU (2014–2016) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2017: 1st round, 4th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American former professional football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
Fournette had near-unprecedented hype headed into college in 2014 after an outstanding career at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. He won the 2013 USA Today High School Football Offensive Player of the Year and was named the top-ranked recruit in 2014 senior class according to ESPN, 247Sports.com, and CBS Sports. At LSU, Fournette was a consensus All-America selection following his sophomore season in 2015, after setting school single-season records with 1,953 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns, and leading the country with 162.8 rushing yards per game. Various experts regarded Fournette as the best player in college football. He missed much of his junior season due to recurring ankle injuries.
Upon being drafted by the Jaguars, Fournette had immediate success, including rushing for over 1,000 yards as a rookie. However, he struggled with several injuries and suspensions and his relationship with the franchise soured as a result, eventually leading to his release after just three seasons with the team. Fournette then signed with the Buccaneers, with whom he played a large part in winning Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs. Fournette remained the team's primary starter for most of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. After being released by the Buccaneers, he played in two games for the Buffalo Bills in 2023.