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James Andrew Leonhard (born October 27, 1982) is an American professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
coach and former player who is the defensive pass game coordinator and assistant head coach for the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played professionally in the NFL as a
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
for 10 seasons. Leonhard played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Wisconsin Badgers The Wisconsin Badgers are the College athletics in the United States, athletic teams representing the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I ...
and was signed by the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
as an
undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
. He also played in the NFL for the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
,
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
,
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
,
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, and
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
.


Early life

Leonhard played
high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...
at Flambeau High School in
Tony, Wisconsin Tony is a village in Rusk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 105 at the 2020 census. Geography Tony is located at (45.481083, -90.994763). According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all ...
, where he was the starting
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
and strong safety. During his freshman year, 1997, the Flambeau Falcons won the Wisconsin state championship in football in division six over River Ridge high school. He was a team captain in his junior and senior seasons, the same seasons in which he was a first-team All-State performer. He was also named team MVP in his senior year.


College career

Leonhard was a
walk-on Walk On may refer to: Music Albums * ''Walk On'' (Boston album) or the title song, 1994 * ''Walk On'' (John Hiatt album) or the title song, 1995 * ''Walk On'' (Randy Johnston album) or the title song, 1992 *''Walk On'', by Kellie Coffey, 200 ...
football player at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...
, having received no Division I-A scholarship offers out of high school. He was not awarded a scholarship until his senior year, despite the fact that he had been a regular starting safety before that season and had already been named All-Big Ten twice. Noted for his speed, leaping ability, and sure tackling, he totaled 21 interceptions (tied with Jamar Fletcher for the most in school history) and made 281 tackles. He held the
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Fa ...
career punt return yardage record with 1,347 yards until
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
's
Steve Breaston Steven William Breaston (born August 20, 1983) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. ...
eclipsed his mark in 2006.


Professional career


Buffalo Bills (first stint)

Leonhard was the only undrafted rookie on the 53-man opening day roster for the 2005 Bills. He played in 10 games, finishing with 1 kick return for 36 yards. He was released during the 2006 preseason; however, he was signed 11 days later following an injury to fellow Wisconsin alumnus Troy Vincent. He finished the 2006 season with 13 tackles and 1 fumble recovery while making his first career start on December 10. In 2007, Leonhard stepped in for injured starter
Ko Simpson Yukota "Ko" Simpson (born November 9, 1983) is an American former professional football safety. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played college football at South Carolina. He also played for the ...
and recorded 13 tackles on opening day against the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
. He went on to record 54 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery, despite being hampered by a calf injury halfway through the season.


Baltimore Ravens

In 2008, Leonhard signed with the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
, where he started in 13 of 16 regular season games, replacing the injured
Dawan Landry Dawan Frank Landry (born December 30, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He played c ...
. He set career-high marks with 68 tackles and one sack to go along with one interception, which he returned for a TD against the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
.


New York Jets

In 2009, Leonhard signed with the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, reuniting him with former Ravens defensive coordinator and later
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
head coach,
Rex Ryan Rex Ashley Ryan (born December 13, 1962) is an American former football coach and analyst. Ryan was formerly the head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL), and also held various coaching positions w ...
. Terms were $6 million for 3 years with $1 million guaranteed. During the 2009 year, Leonhard started all 16 games making 66 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 interception, 6 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble. His efforts led to the Jets going to the play-offs but eventually losing to the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
in the AFC Championship game. On December 3, 2010, Leonhard suffered a fractured tibia after a collision with wide receiver
Patrick Turner Patrick Steven Turner (born May 19, 1987) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2009 N ...
during practice. He underwent surgery the same night and was ruled out for the rest of the 2010 season. Leonhard played 11 games in 2010 making 56 tackles, 1 interception, 4 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. The Jets would go to the play-offs again but lose the AFC Championship to the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
. During a game against the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
on December 11, 2011, Leonhard landed awkwardly after catching an interception thrown by
Tyler Palko Tyler Robert Palko (born August 9, 1983) is an American former professional football quarterback. Palko was the starting quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh from 2004 to 2006. The left-handed thrower was not selected in the 2007 NFL dra ...
. Leonhard was carried off the field by a medical cart. A few days later, an MRI revealed that there was a torn
patellar tendon The patellar tendon is the distal portion of the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the patella to the tibial tuberosity. It is also sometimes called the patellar ligament as it forms a bone to bone connection whe ...
in his right knee. As a result, Leonhard was eliminated for the rest of the 2011 season. Leonhard played 13 games in 2011 making 48 tackles, 1 interception, 6 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.


Denver Broncos

In August 2012, Leonhard agreed to a one-year deal with the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
. During the 2012 season with the Broncos, Leonhard made 17 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery in 16 games (1 start).


New Orleans Saints

In April 2013, Leonhard signed a one-year deal with the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. He was released before the season.


Buffalo Bills (second stint)

Leonhard signed a contract with the Bills in September 2013, returning to the club where he started his professional career. During his first season back with Buffalo in 2013, Leonhard made 41 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 5 passes defended in 16 games (6 starts).


Cleveland Browns

In 2014, Leonhard joined the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
. He made 27 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions and 3 passes defensed. He retired following the season.


NFL statistics


Coaching career


Wisconsin

In February 2016, Leonhard joined
Paul Chryst Paul Joseph Chryst (born November 17, 1965) is an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 2012 to 2014 and the University of Wisconsin—Madison from 2015 to 2022. Chryst had previously ...
's staff at his alma mater as
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
s coach. In his year off between retiring from the NFL and being named DB coach for the Badgers, Leonhard spent his time studying college film with then-Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator
Dave Aranda David Christopher Aranda (born September 29, 1976) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Baylor University, a position he has held since 2020. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at LSU, Wisconsin, Utah St ...
and familiarizing himself with schemes that exist in college football that aren't prevalent in the NFL, such as the zone-read option offense. Prior to UW DB coach Daronte Jones leaving UW for an assistant coaching position with the Dolphins, Leonhard had been asking Paul Chryst about joining the Badgers staff. In February 2017, Leonhard was named the new defensive coordinator of the Badgers, replacing Justin Wilcox, who became the new head coach of
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. In late November 2017, Leonhard was named one of five finalists for the
Broyles Award The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles. The award is presented in Little ...
which recognized the top assistant coach in college football. On October 2, 2022, Leonhard was named interim head coach of the Badgers following the firing of
Paul Chryst Paul Joseph Chryst (born November 17, 1965) is an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 2012 to 2014 and the University of Wisconsin—Madison from 2015 to 2022. Chryst had previously ...
. After Wisconsin hired
Luke Fickell Luke Joseph Fickell (born August 18, 1973) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a position he has held since 2023. Previously he was the head coach at t ...
as head coach in November 2022, Leonhard announced that he would be leaving Wisconsin at the end of the 2022 football season.


Illinois

On July 25, 2023,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
announced they had hired Leonhard as a senior football anaylst.


Denver Broncos

On February 14, 2024, Leonhard was named as defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator for the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
. On March 6, 2025, Leonhard was promoted to assistant head coach, while remaining the defensive pass game coordinator.


Head coaching record


College


References


External links

*
Wisconsin Badgers bio

Denver Broncos coaching profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leonhard, Jim 1982 births Living people American football safeties Baltimore Ravens players Buffalo Bills players Cleveland Browns players Denver Broncos players New Orleans Saints players New York Jets players Wisconsin Badgers football coaches Wisconsin Badgers football players People from Ladysmith, Wisconsin Coaches of American football from Wisconsin Players of American football from Wisconsin Denver Broncos coaches Illinois Fighting Illini football coaches