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Riley Leonard’s Father Was A Division 1 Basketball Player

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jan 2, 2025 12:17 PM ET

Riley Leonard has been a star for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the 2024 college football season.

After transferring from the Duke Blue Devils following the 2023 season, Leonard, the senior out of Fairhope High School (Fairhope, AL), has led the Irish to 11 consecutive wins and has his team fighting for a chance at a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

But before he was a college football star, Leonard was dominating the basketball court in high school. He actually considered basketball to be his main sport for a while, and this likely stems from his father, Chad Leonard.

Chad Leonard played college basketball for the Citadel Bulldogs under coach Pat Dennis from 1992-1995. During his career with the Citadel, Chad Leonard played in 79 total games, averaging 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He even became the school's all-time leader in steals. After his college basketball career ended, Chad Leonard worked for Rivertowne Country Club and Patriots Point as a golf professional.

Riley Leonard's father isn't the only family member with basketball roots. His uncle, Michael Sabol, also played college ball with the Georgetown Hoyas for two seasons from 1989 to 1991. He only appeared in 19 games for the Hoyas before leaving the school.

Riley Leonard's parents have been strong supporters of him through both his basketball and football careers. The quarterback made that clear on his website.

"My parents, Chad and Heather, have been there for us every step of the way, and I’ll always be grateful for the sacrifices they've made for me over the years," Leonard wrote.

Prior to the Sugar Bowl Game against the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon, Riley Leonard has had the best season of his college football career. He has completed 217-of-325 passes (66.6%) for 2,293 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions while adding 751 yards and another 15 scores on the ground. He also broke the Notre Dame record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season by a quarterback.

RILEY LEONARD MAKES FIGHTING IRISH HISTORY

The most single-season rushing touchdowns for a Notre Dame QB ever pic.twitter.com/uIjUVEHRTx
— ESPN (@espn) December 21, 2024

With a win over Georgia, Riley Leonard and the Fighting Irish will advance to the CFP semifinals from the Orange Bowl, where they would face off against Penn State.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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