Badger strong safety/punt returner Jim Leonhard may not have made a name for himself last year, but in just three games of the 2002 campaign, the sophomore has gained everybody's notice.
Coming out of the small town of Tony, Wisc., Leonhard was not offered a football scholarship and joined the team as a walk-on. He was a standout special teams player for the Badgers his freshman year, but has since moved on to bigger and better things.
\It's a huge change for me, there is nothing like this back home"" said Leonhard.
Leonhard is now the regular starter at the strong safety position but was untested until the start of this season. In his first primetime performance, August 23rd against Fresno State, Leonhard made two interceptions and harassed the Bulldog passing game for four quarters to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors. ""We didn't know going into the first game the type of role he was going to play"" said defensive backs coach Ron Cooper, ""But he made plays in the first game, made plays in the second game, and the third game.""
In regards to his sudden success, Leonhard said, ""It's something you plan for but you never know when it's going to happen ... I was lucky to come in and get a chance right away.""
Leonhard enters a UW secondary that sought to replace two starters. Erasmus James, a returning starter at defensive end, said that Leonhard ""Brings another dimension, especially with the speed we have on the team now and the pressure. With the pressure we have somebody to pick the ball off or get in someone's face to make the big play.""
On paper, Leonhard would not fit the mold of the prototype strong safety. His size, 5""8' 179 pounds, led many to believe that the low-profile sophomore would not be able to excel at his defensive role.
""I try to make it a non-issue"" says Leonhard, ""I try to use my other qualities to combat my height and weight.""
His play for the Badgers (3-0) this season has already erased most of those concerns.
""People look at his height and size and say 'can he really do it?'"" says Cooper, ""But he has great athletic ability that allows him to excel back there as a [defensive back]"" James echoes this praise, ""He studies his plays and knows exactly what to do everyday.""
Beyond his definite skill in the defensive backfield, Leonhard has also made a definite impact returning punts. He returned against West Virginia seven punts for 98 yards, with a long of 24 yards.
Beyond the football field Leonhard has received high praise from coaches and teammates alike. James calls him ""an influence on and off the field"" while Coach Cooper said of Leonhard, ""He's a great person. Anything you ask he's gonna do at full speed. Good student, loves the program, loves the UW. A total team player.""
Leonhard has triumphed over lack of experience, size, and obscurity to become a common name amongst UW faithful. Leonhard credits his success to ""the coaches and last year's seniors who brought you in and showed you the ropes.""
The fact that Jim Leonhard has received such praise and calmed a lot of fears in three games has given UW fans hope as to what he can do for the rest of the season. ""As a team goal we have to keep winning,"" Leonhard said, ""win the Big Ten, get into a good Jan. 1 bowl game. We set high goals for this year.\
