Leonard Fournette

Leonard Joseph Fournette III (born January 18, 1995) is an American 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.

Raised in the 7th Ward of New Orleans by his parents, Leonard Jr. and Lory, Fournette grew up in a troubled area that was often affected by violence and gang activity, especially after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Fournette credited Katrina as kick-starting his football career after moving to Houston and back within a year because of the hurricane evacuation. Fournette also credits his mother's Catholic faith with getting the family through the recovery process.

After returning to New Orleans, Fournette played football at St. Augustine High School, and competed in track and field. His 200 metres regional mark of 21.57 seconds is fastest in 4A, and his 10.68 in the 100 metres is only .02 off the best time. Fournette also competed in the 4 × 100 metres relay and 4 × 200 metres relay.

On the varsity football team, Fournette was a starter since his freshman year and compiled 7,619 rushing yards and 88 rushing touchdowns for his career. As a freshman, Fournette rushed for more than 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns and became the first-ever freshman to earn a scholarship offer from Louisiana State. His sophomore year ended with 1,900 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns. As a junior, Fournette registered 2,135 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns and was an LFCA Class 4A First-team All-State honoree. In his senior year, Fournette ran for 1,792 yards and 16 touchdowns and added 45 receptions for 745 yards and six scores. Early in the season, he had a heralded performance with two touchdowns and 262 yards rushing against Malachi Dupre's John Curtis Christian, which was nationally televised by ESPN2. St. Augustine ended the season with a 9–2 record and an appearance in the LHSAA Division I semifinal game, where they were upset 31–28 by Archbishop Rummel High School. Fournette was named Louisiana's 2013 Mr. Football by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, and also was selected as an All-American by Parade and USA Today, as well as USA Today Offensive Player of the Year, the first from Louisiana since Ryan Perrilloux in 2004. After the season, Fournette participated in the Under Armour All-America Game where he caught a 36-yard touchdown pass and rushed for 43 yards on nine carries.

Unanimously regarded as the best running back prospect of his class, Fournette was one of the most highly recruited players ever to come out of Louisiana. ESPN ranked him as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2014, as did Scout.com. At the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game, Fournette announced his decision to attend Louisiana State University (LSU).

Fournette attended and played college football for LSU from 2014 to 2016 under head coaches Les Miles and Ed Orgeron.