Leonard Could Be Training Camp Sleeper

Written by Sam Ekstrom

One look at A.C. Leonard’s Twitter account quickly tells you something about the undrafted tight end. “Set Your Goals High And Don’t Stop Until You Get There” it reads across his profile.

Though Leonard has recently sworn off Twitter for the football season, it’s clear to see the motto by which he lives his life. The 22 year old now has to put those words to action as he strives to make the Vikings roster as their second tight end.

“I love it, man; it’s a great experience,” said Leonard, nicknamed A.C. by his grandma when he was a baby. “I’m happy to be out here… I just wanted the opportunity.”

Leonard is in the process of rebuilding a reputation that was damaged during college. After one season of playing behind future NFL-er Jordan Reed at SEC powerhouse Florida, Leonard was arrested for domestic assault and asked to transfer.

He chose FCS school Tennessee State and believes it was an important decision to help him mature.

“Getting into trouble at Florida, it really humbled me,” Leonard said in an interview with The Florida Times-Union. “Going to Tennessee State, I had a chance to grow up. I was away from home. I had to be a man. At Florida, I was very immature. I knew Tennessee State was my last chance, and I had to focus.”

Leonard averaged over 40 receptions a year at Tennessee State and amassed 11 touchdowns, good enough for back-to-back selections to the FCS All-American second team. While his college stats didn’t leap off the page to most pro squads, his NFL Combine numbers did. Leonard ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, which led the entire tight end class. He’s also got Vernon Davis-like size at 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, huge hands and a 34-inch vertical.

It was enough to intrigue the Vikings in the days after the draft.

“They called my agent. They gave him a call and told him they were interested,” recalled Leonard. “I gave him a call and told him I’d love to be here, so the tight ends coach called me and that was it.”

The tight ends coach is Kevin Stefanski, serving his first year in the role after working with the quarterbacks in the five years prior. Stefanski has been working to hone the technical part of Leonard’s game.

“We’ve been working a lot on just reading defenses and just a lot about blocking stuff and just working on becoming a better blocker,” Leonard said.

The Vikings see a lot of possibilities with the young man from Jacksonville, and if he can develop quickly enough, he’ll likely have a spot on the 53-man roster. Third-year back-up tight end Chase Ford was sidelined with a broken foot last week, leaving a wide open competition to be Kyle Rudolph’s back-up.

Offensive coordinator Norv Turner prefers to use two tight ends as part of his “12” personnel – one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers. He used that formation in 37 percent of his plays last year with Cleveland, the second highest rate in the NFL.

Turner sees Leonard’s potential but is also honest about the work Leonard needs to put in.

“He’s a young, raw guy that hasn’t been in this style of offense ever, so he’s got a lot of ground to cover,” said Turner on Wednesday. “He’s a guy that flashes, so you get encouraged, you get excited by that.”

Three days ago, Leonard got to see his tight end counterpart Rudolph earn a $36.5 million extension. For Leonard, that has become the “high goal” he plans to pursue.

“To see how hard he works, he deserves it,” said Leonard. “That gives me motivation so I can be next if I put in the work and the time.”