Leo Chenal ( ; born October 26, 2000) 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 ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

for 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 ...

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

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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 selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the

2022 NFL draft The 2022 NFL draft was the 87th edition of the National Football League's annual NFL draft, draft and was held from April 28–30, 2022, at the Caesars Forum on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, Paradise next to Las Vegas. The first round ...

Early life

Chenal grew up in West Sweden, Wisconsin township and attended school in the

Frederic, Wisconsin Frederic is a village in Polk County, Wisconsin, Polk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,154 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It was established as a village in 1901. Geography Frederic is located at (45.658797 ...

district. He open enrolled as a freshman to nearby town

Grantsburg, Wisconsin Grantsburg is a village in Burnett County, Wisconsin, Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,341 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The village is located within the Grantsburg, Burnett County, Wisconsin, Tow ...

to attend Grantsburg High School, where he played both running back and linebacker. As a senior, Chenal rushed for 2,038 yards and 42 touchdowns with 226 receiving yards and three touchdowns on offense and had 120 tackles and seven tackles for loss on defense. He was named both the small-school Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year by Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and the state Gatorade Football Player of the Year. After a devastating loss to the future state champions, Iola-Scandinavia. Chenal finished his high school career with 3,706 rushing yards and 68 touchdowns and 1,300 receiving yards and 17 touchdown receptions on offense and with 385 tackles, 55 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and three interceptions on defense.

College career

Chenal joined the Wisconsin Badgers as an early enrollee. He played in 11 games during his freshman season and had 20 tackles with two tackles for loss and one sack. As a sophomore, he was named honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference after finishing the season with 46 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception in seven games during Wisconsin's

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

-shortened 2020 season. Chenal was named the Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten as a junior. On January 3, 2022, Chenal announced that he would forgo his senior year to enter the

Professional career

Chenal was selected in the third round (103rd overall) by the

in the 2022 NFL Draft. Chenal made his NFL debut in the Chiefs' regular season opener against the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

. He earned his first start in Week 5 against the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...

. He recorded his first professional sack in Week 10 against the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

. He finished his rookie season with 35 total tackles and one sack in 17 games, of which he started eight. Chenal won two Super Bowls, in his first two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. In

Super Bowl LVII Super Bowl LVII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Confere ...

Chenal recorded six tackles and a sack as the Chiefs won 38–35 over the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

. He was also a key factor for the Chiefs in

Super Bowl LVIII Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 NFL season, 2023 season. A rematch of Super Bowl LIV four years prior, the American Football Conference (AFC) 20 ...

, contributing 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, and a blocked extra point, helping the Chiefs win 25–22 in overtime over the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

. In Week 10 of the

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

season, Chenal blocked the potential walk-off field goal from

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 ...

kicker Wil Lutz, leading to him being named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

References

External links

Kansas City Chiefs bio

Wisconsin Badgers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chenal, Leo 2000 births Living people People from Grantsburg, Wisconsin Players of American football from Wisconsin American football linebackers Wisconsin Badgers football players Kansas City Chiefs players American people of French descent