The earth movers fall into anonymity, regardless of what school they attend. It’s a curse they bear. Christian Leonard is a little tough to miss though. The St. Joseph’s Prep two-year starting right offensive guard is 6-foot-5, 305 pounds. And he’s lighter. He has dropped 30 pounds from last season and in his time at St. Joe’s Prep, all he has known is winning. Success could be an anathema sometimes. In the case of St. Joe’s Prep, which will be looking to threepeat as PIAA Class 6A state champions, it serves as additional fuel.
What’s more Leonard, who saw sparse time as a sophomore, enters his senior season with a special incentive: He does so without a college offer, despite being one of the cornerstones of the state’s premier high school football program.
“It is frustrating, but you have to do your best and have to keep on working,” Leonard admitted. “I’m not just playing for my team; I’m playing for my future. I have something to prove. I know I have to be the best version of myself, and here at Prep, we are very reliant on the big boys up front. That comes from doing my job and getting great film. The first move I had to make was shed some pounds.”
Leonard actually gained weight last year. He finished December around 335 pounds.
“I was always large growing up,” said Leonard, who carries a 3.2 GPA and aspires to be an attorney like his parents. “I just kept growing. I was always the biggest kid in the class. No one told me I had to lose weight. It is something I was committed to do myself. In January, I began running a mile almost every day at a local gym on a treadmill. I feel different. I look a little different.”
In Prep’s first scrimmage against St. John’s College (DC) at Delaware Stadium last Friday, Leonard felt an immediate difference on his feet.
“It’s probably the best I’ve moved and felt since I’ve been playing here at Prep,” said Leonard, who squats 500 pounds. “I wanted to be a leader and set an example for my teammates this year. My speed and my strength have improved. I ran off the treadmill and watched what I ate. I feel lighter on my feet and my parents are okay with buying me new clothes (laughs). After the season, I took the time off and I knew I could not exist at 335 pounds.
“I can’t wait for this year. The seniors on this team know people are underestimating us because we graduated a bunch of people. Once we come together as a team, we will be unstoppable. Everyone on this team has something to prove.”
Hawks’ coach Tim Roken has high expectations for Leonard, one of three seniors on the Prep offensive line with Syracuse-bound left guard Kahlil Stewart and right tackle Bleek Turner. They’ll team with 6-foot-1, 275-pound junior center Jake Namnun and 6-foot-3, 270-pound junior left tackle Sean Molley.
“From Day One, Christian bought into what we are as a program,” Roken said. “He gained his voice a little bit last year and this offseason he wanted to make sure he is in the best shape possible. That goes with leading by example. The expectation for him is to be the best version of himself every day and he has done that this summer. Christian does have something to prove this year. That is where the trust and the love come from. Everyone is expected to prepare and make themselves right and expect the guys next to them to do the same thing.
“Christian is motivated this season. We embrace the expectations we have for ourselves and our program. We have the built-in advantage of having the continuity of our staff, and the continuity of players like Christian. He does not expect success to just happen. He knows to show up every day at practice and focus on each game.
“Christian’s best football is ahead of him. He will be a huge part of our success this year.”
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito.
