Leonard Fournette: The 7th Ward Kid Who Became Lombardi Lenny

The 7th Ward Kid Who Became Lombardi Lenny

Leonard Joseph Fournette III was born on January 18, 1995, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up in the 7th Ward — a neighborhood that has produced more culture per square block than most entire cities. He attended St. Augustine High School, the legendary all-boys Catholic school known for its Marching 100 band and for producing Black leaders across every field. Fournette produced something else: 7,619 rushing yards and 88 touchdowns across his varsity career. He was the most dominant high school running back in Louisiana history, and possibly the country.

LSU and the Heisman Hype

Fournette went to LSU, because of course he did — a New Orleans kid playing for the Tigers in Baton Rouge is as natural as red beans on Monday. His sophomore season in 2015 was otherworldly: 1,953 rushing yards, 22 rushing touchdowns, and 162.8 yards per game to lead the nation. He was a consensus All-American, a Heisman Trophy contender, and the most exciting player in college football. Injuries limited his junior year, but nobody questioned the talent.

The Jacksonville Jaguars took him fourth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft — the first running back selected. He rushed for over a thousand yards as a rookie but his time in Jacksonville was plagued by injuries and inconsistency. The Jaguars released him in 2020. Most stories would end there.

Playoff Lenny, Lombardi Lenny

But Fournette signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady, and everything changed. In the 2020 playoffs, he became "Playoff Lenny" — a wrecking ball who couldn't be stopped when the games mattered most. He scored a touchdown in Super Bowl LV against Kansas City, becoming the third player in NFL history to score touchdowns in four postseason games in a single year. The kid from the 7th Ward had a Super Bowl ring.

Leonard Fournette's career has had peaks and valleys — St. Aug to LSU to Jacksonville's disappointments to Tampa Bay's championship. But that's a New Orleans story. You get knocked down, you get back up, and when the moment is biggest, you run harder than anyone thought possible.