Q&A with Wisconsin Badgers Hall of Famer Jim Leonhard
Few Wisconsin Badgers football fans don't know the story of Jim Leonhard. From walk-on to All-American to long NFL career, Leonhard has long been a fan favorite.
On Sept. 11, Leonhard will join other great Badgers athletes as he is inducted into the Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame.
In advance of that ceremony, Leonhard took some time to chat about that honor, plus answer questions on the NFL and concussions, his future and more. Hope you enjoy this Q&A with the Wisconsin football legend (I think we can safely call him that now).
FOX Sports Wisconsin: It's obviously been a few years since you played at Wisconsin, but getting this kind of honor puts you at a different kind of level, I think.
Jim Leonhard: Yeah, it means so much. It's honestly something I never thought of. All of a sudden I had a conversation with Coach and he mentioned that I was going to get inducted and it was kind one of those . . . it took a few days for it to sink in just how special it is. To me, I always think of older athletes being inducted and to be inducted at 32 years old and kind of have my whole life to say I'm a UW Hall of Famer, it's really cool. It's a special thing. There have been so many people to help me along the way to allow this happen, it's really going to be a fun weekend.
FSW: When you were growing up -- I'm not sure people think of being a college Hall of Famer or a school Hall of Famer, is that something you even dreamed of?
JL: No, honestly it was the first time I had even ever thought of it. Obviously you see the NFL Hall of Fame year in and year out, they do an amazing job with that, so it's something that pops up but you never connect the dots going College Hall of Fame or your school's Hall of Fame. I was actually invited to the Walter Camp, where they do the College Hall of Fame. I was a second-team All-American, I think it was my sophomore year, so they invited me out and I saw that. It was never on my mind, that's for sure. It's definitely a very cool honor.
FSW: Do you have to give a speech?
JL: I think Matt Lepay does a question and answer and you get a little time to thank people. But I don't think you're up there 15-20 minutes giving a speech. I think it's pretty minimal as far as the talking that I have to do. But I'm excited. Like I said, there's so many special people that have helped out along this path that it will be cool to celebrate with them.
FSW: Most kids who like sports dream of becoming a college or pro player. Coming from such a small town, did you dream this much to happen to you? Does coming from a small town limit your dreams or doesn't it make a difference?
JL: No, it definitely doesn't diminish those dreams because that's what I did every day. But you have no examples. There really wasn't anyone that had been successful to that level in the surrounding area where I was from. So there's no blueprint. There's not a do this and you're on the path. I was very fortunate to grow up in a family of coaches that had been around good athletes, had coached good athletes, kind of a trial and error to see what worked and didn't work as far as getting eyes on them, getting recruited, going to camps, playing in different leagues, things like that. I was very fortunate to have a very good support system that helped me out, helped challenge me, get me in front of better competition and play with better athletes. I was very lucky to have that, there's no question that was the difference. Even in a small town where you don't have all of the, maybe, things that would help speed up the process I did have the people willing to help me out.
FSW: Obviously as I said you're from a small town, Tony, which has 150 people, maybe . . .
JL: Not even. Just over 100.
FSW: Ha, well, definitely a small town. I think we can agree you don't have the prototypical football size. You were a walk-on at Wisconsin, you were undrafted in the NFL. From the outside, people would say the odds were stacked against you. Did you ever feel that way, that the odds were stacked against you?
JL: Not necessarily. To me, all it takes is one opportunity and I always got one. I didn't have to wait, I didn't have to go a route to play at a smaller school and transfer in. I didn't have to wait a year to get into the NFL. There might not have been a whole lot of opportunities, but I always got at least one, and to me that's all I needed. And I was fortunate to make the most of those opportunities, obviously. I wouldn't recommend that path to anybody else (chuckles), but at the same time I do believe things happen for a reason and that's the way it was supposed to happen for me.
FSW: The typical question is to ask you your favorite memory from Wisconsin, but I'm going to narrow it down a bit because usually the answer is hanging out with the guys or the people who were around. So I'm going to narrow it down. Which stood out to you more: Making the team as a walk-on, becoming a starter (as a walk-on) or getting that scholarship?
JL: The biggest thing is the scholarship. One, it validates everything that you did up to that point. You did everything the right way, you treat people the right way and then you perform on the field. To be rewarded with a scholarship it helped my family so much. It took a big burden off their shoulders. And in the eyes of the team, you could see how happy everyone else was for me as well. It's cool. You know you earned it. I would have felt the same way coming out of high school, but after seeing those checks that you're writing out to the university and knowing just how important it is, you don't take it for granted.
FSW: Nowadays they make a big deal out of it, show videos, tweet it out and all that kind of stuff. I'm sure it was a little more low key back when you played but do you remember that moment?
JL: It was a little more low key but it was the same thing. Coach would always, at the end of practice when you have the whole team there, he'd make the announcement. It wasn't quite as elaborate as some of them nowadays but it is still the same feeling. You're kind of in shock, you don't know what to think. And mine was a little bit different because -- I got it going into my junior year actually (ed. note: I had mentioned earlier to him I thought it was his senior year) -- I had already had an All-American year, so it was more of an afterthought. It was more you knew it was going to happen, just when. But it still doesn't change the feeling. The feeling was exactly the same even though you knew it was coming.
FSW: Totally turning the conversation here for a second because it has been in the news . . . you retired at 32, you went on your own terms. Most players don't go out on their own terms. And a lot of the conversation now is on concussions and head injuries. You had at least one concussion, or at least reported concussion, that I could find in my research, was that ever a concern to you? Is this something that is being talked in the locker room at all? Or is it being talked about more on the outside than the inside?
JL: It is talked about in the locker rooms, (but) it is more on the outside than the inside. But guys understand. The game has changed. Just looking at the 10 years I was in the NFL, the game has changed so much. The knowledge of injuries, and especially head injuries, there's so much more out there. To me, the biggest thing is it takes time to trickle down. The NFL has done some amazing things as far as practice and limiting contact, and being smart about contact, and it takes time for it to get to the college level, and the high school level and especially down to the youth level, which is where it all starts. I think the game will look a lot different in a few years once it hits that lowest level across the board. And that's what everyone wants to see. And I think that's where everyone is scared because they haven't seen that change yet. You're dealing with the best of the best at the NFL level, as far as coaches and trainers and doctors, and you look at some of the youth levels and you have some guys who played in high school 30 years ago. They're teaching what they know. They might be doing a great job, but they're limited in what they know and the knowledge they can pass on and it is going to take some time for it to get down there.
FSW: You personally, how did it affect you? Did your mindset change in the past couple of years?
JL: Um, well . . . it hasn't. I guess I always felt in control. To me, it's a trust thing. Concussions, the information that is out there, the first one is not the dangerous one. And not to say it's not dangerous, but it's continuing to play after you've had a concussion and taking another hit, taking two more hits. So to me, it always comes back to trust. Will you trust yourself to make the right decision when you're dinged up? When you shouldn't continue? I always felt comfortable with my decision making but a lot of guys aren't. Let's be honest. At the NFL level, you get concussions and miss time, someone takes your job. So that's what's hard at that level. It's constantly those decisions being made. And guys don't want to get hurt and they don't want to jeopardize their career, even though that they really are, just in a different way. So to me a lot of it came down to trust, and I always felt like I was in control of my decisions.
FSW: One last question on this topic. Chris Borland went to Wisconsin and obviously was in the news about this. Do you know Chris at all . . .
JL: Yeah, I do know Chris. I mean, he was one of my favorite Badgers of all-time. I'm happy to have a good relationship with him. And we have talked about it.
FSW: Did you talk to him pre- or post? Did he come to you for advice or did you talk to him after the fact?
JL: I talked to him after the fact. His big thing was he didn't . . . he was really concerned about the older players, the veterans, the NFL alumni, of what they would feel about the decision. Which kind of speaks to who he is. He wasn't worried about himself. He knew he was making the right decision for him, but he was worried about the perception of him attacking the league, which they're trying to make it out to be now. Which is not at all what he intended. The right decision for him was to be done. And I congratulated him. Everyone plays this game for different reasons. Outsiders think you want to play for as long as you can and make as much money as possible, and that's not the case for everyone. The dream is to play in the NFL. Whether it's one play or 10 years, you've reached your dream. So, to me when you decide to get out -- like you said, most guys don't get the opportunity of quitting when they want to. He played a year, proved he would be as successful as he wanted to be and decided all the work and the risk you're putting out there wasn't worth it so he moved on. That's commendable, in my mind.
FSW: OK, getting back to you. You played 10 years. So you've been playing since you've been a little kid. One thing you read or hear about is once guys are done playing, it isn't the game they necessarily miss, but the routine and being around the guys, the camaraderie. You've been out a few months now and aren't in training camp. How are you handling that? Have you planned this far ahead?
JL: First of all, it's been nice. It's been nice to be around my wife and kids. And they've helped by providing a lot of structure. You have a 3- and a 1-year-old and they have a pretty set schedule and you just fall in line and help out. As far as the schedule, it definitely is a hard transition for a lot of guys because you've been told what to do almost every day of your life as long as you've played, and now you have a lot of free time. So that's definitely helped me and I've enjoyed being home. As far figuring out what I want to do, that's my next step. Just being back in Madison and settling in and seeing what's out there. I know this is going to be home for me and just wanted to take a little bit of time to decide what the right path is going to be.
FSW: You're 32 and you're retired. Most people, like me, work for a lot longer in a job and wonder when they can retire -- at 60, 65, whatever. I'm sure you made a lot of money in the NFL, but you don't want to sit around doing nothing, I imagine, so is there something you're looking to do or just taking it as it comes?
JL: Just taking it as it comes. Seeing what opportunities are out there. I did graduate with my degree from UW, so I have that to fall back on. Coaching is always an option. But I'm just trying to figure out . . . like you went back to: What's going to wake me up in the morning? What I am I going to be excited to get out of bed every morning to do. That's what I'm trying to find out. I'm fortunate enough to do that. That's what the NFL has allowed me to do, is I can choose what I want to do. It's going to be a fun process and I'm excited for what comes out of it.
FSW: You've mentioned Borland was one of your favorite Badgers. How much were you able to follow the Badgers when you were playing in the NFL and how much are you going to follow them now that you're in Madison and looking for work?
JL: I have always followed them. That's big bragging rights in the locker room, is how your team's doing. And we've done extremely well here recently. It's been fun. I always keep a close eye. I always had a place back in Madison in the offseason so we were here a lot and I'd try to come in and see the coaches, see a number of guys and work out with a bunch of guys over the past 10 years. Definitely kept a close eye and will continue to do that. Like I said, Madison will be home and I know want to be involved in the program in some capacity, whether it's just helping out, coming helping out with guys or getting actually in the program, I don't know exactly what that is, but I'm a very proud Badger. It obviously gave me an opportunity that was a dream come true so I want to give back to the university in some form.
FSW: It sounds like you want to keep football in your life.
JL: No question. I'm not going to go cold turkey and walk away. I love it. I love football and the lessons it teaches kids, and the opportunitiesthat can come out of it. I'm a big fan at all levels, so I'm definitely not going to get too far away from the game.
FSW: Again, you mentioned Borland was one of your favorite players. When I hear people, talk to people or they tweet at me, you are definitely if not at the top of the list near the top of the list as far as fan favorites. Do you know that and what's been your relationship with fans?
JL: I've obviously heard it from a lot fans throughout the years and that's what it's all about. It's cool, the interaction with the fans, the connection with the fans. Because all you're trying to do is go out there and perform well and entertain, to hear that you did it well and you're a fan favorite, that's really cool to me. As a player, you're not worried about any of that. You want to go out there and have success. To me, playing the game the right way, respecting the game -- and I think the fans could see that. I had a lot of passion for what I did and a lot of energy and time was put into it, and to get that response from the fans, that's what it's all about.
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