It wasn’t long, though, before the Ladysmith,
"I’m from a real small town in the middle of nowhere," said Leonhard of his hometown of 3,932 in
Leonhard joined the Ravens with practically zero fanfare this spring after the Buffalo Bills declined to offer him a $927,000 restricted free agent tender during the offseason.
Now, that transaction is looking like a prescient move for
In relief of Landry and return specialist Yamon Figurs, Leonhard contributed two 30-yard kickoff returns, a 21-yard punt return as well as a sack, quarterback hurry and a pass deflection.
At an unimposing 5-foot-8, 186 pounds, Leonhard looks much younger than his 25 years. He makes up for his lack of ideal size with toughness, instincts and athleticism.
Leonhard won the campus slam dunk contest twice at
"I’m confident in him," defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. "He’s a great athlete. He just doesn’t look the part. He looks like your neighbor, but he can play."
Despite the reality that he’ll probably be asked for identification in bars for several more years, Leonhard likes flying under the radar.
Underestimated by recruiters, scouts and wide receivers, Leonhard embraces the underdog mentality.
"I know I look really young, so that’s nothing new for me," Leonhard said. "I get that a lot. I’m not a real imposing guy, but I go out there and play hard. I just love to compete and play football.”
The Ravens lined him up at nose guard for a preseason snap against the New England Patriots and are comfortable enough with his coverage ability and speed that he could work as an emergency nickel back if needed.
"The Ravens were actually one of the teams that was really interested in me coming out of college," said Leonhard, who signed with the Bills as a rookie after going undrafted. "I’m not exactly sure how it worked out, but they’ve got great scouts and coaches here."
Leonhard proved last season in
He started six games last year because of an injury to starter Ko Simpson, recording a career-high 51 tackles and two interceptions.
In his first start last September, Leonhard registered a career-high 13 tackles and his first NFL interception against the Denver Broncos.
However, Leonhard underwent surgery in January to repair a painful bone spur in his hip. He also dealt with a torn calf muscle last season, prompting the Bills to not retain him.
The Ravens are extremely happy with their relatively small investment of a veteran minimum contract in Leonhard, playing him opposite Pro Bowl free safety Ed Reed ahead of rookie draft picks Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura.
"Jim is a good football player," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "The interesting thing about Jim is that sometimes guys get stereotyped. He’s a solid football player. You say, ‘Well, he can’t make plays.’
Landry’s scary injury gave Leonhard pause, but he didn’t slow down when he got into the game while thinking of his fallen teammate.
"Your heart goes out to Dawan," Leonhard said. "He’s a great guy and a great teammate. We went through something terrible in
"I like the fact that it’s so active," Leonhard said. "I love that you get a chance to go after people. There’s a lot of talent here, and I’m just happy to be a part of this."
