By Kelley Kepler
Catholic Herald

Tony's Jim Leonhard is a Badger star

TONY --Though the 114 residents of Tony and those in the surrounding area have recognized Jim Leonhard as a star athlete for some time, Leonhard started his college football career virtually unknown at the University of Wisconsin.

However, throughout the past season the 5'8", 178 pound Leonard, a nonscholarship walk-on, has made a big name for himself in Madison and has put his home town of Tony on the map.

Leonhard, a sophomore kinesiology major and starting strong safety, recently returned from the Alamo Bowl, Dec. 28, in San Antonio, where the Badgers upset 14th ranked Colorado with a 31-28 victory in overtime.

With an interception in the second quarter of the Alamo Bowl and a total of 11 interceptions this season, he set a Badger record and tied a Big Ten record. The last three of these interceptions occurred after Leonhard broke a finger and a bone in his right wrist.

He also led the Big Ten in pass breakups, and he set a Badger record for punt-return yardage, with a total of 438 yards.

Among the local fans who traveled to San Antonio to see Leonhard play was Fr. John Anderson, pastor at St. Anthony de Padua Parish, where Leonhard is a member.

Anderson said he believes Leonhard is successful "because he's determined and well-grounded." He continued, "Jim got up and went to Mass with us before the Alamo Bowl, and his faith plays a big part in what he does."

"People are very proud and happy for him," Anderson added. He has also noticed that when Leonhard attends Mass in Tony, he usually draws a crowd of parishioners that hang out after the service to chat about football.

Leonhard's grandfather Richard Leonhard, a deacon at St. Anthony, said Leonhard's recent success has not come as a shock to anyone who has seen him excel in high school athletics. "We're not exactly surprised, but elated, and everybody is talking about him," Richard said.

He said people are always sending the family things for Jim to sign. "He's been remarkable about that and very generous about giving his autograph," Richard said. "He's also pretty reserved; you wouldn't know he was there in the crowd," he added.

But on the football field, Leonhard does stand out. He was recently named first team All-American by CNN/SI.com and third team All-American by the Associated Press. He was also honored with the Special Teams Award by the Badger coaching staff and was selected by his teammates to receive the Jimmy Demetral Most Valuable Player Award. In addition, he was named to the regional Academic All-American team.

Leonhard has remained humble throughout all this acclaim. "Going into the season I had no idea of what to expect, other than to keep working hard, and there's no way I could have imagined this," he said.

He added that football " is such a team sport. You get to see how you can't do anything by yourself and need a great group of people around you to help you out."

Of all the people in his life, he said his parents Don and Debbie have helped him the most over the years. "They drove me all over the place to different sporting events, and they would do anything for me," he said. In addition, the rest of his family and friends, especially his brothers Brian and Tyler, have been very supportive.

Leonard has played organized football since seventh grade. While considering colleges, he attended a football camp in Madison. He was so impressed with the program and the coaches that he decided to join the team as a walk-on rather than attend a smaller university that would have given him a scholarship.

His love of the game, Leonhard said, has taught him much about hard work and dedication. "If you want something bad enough and are willing to put in the effort, just go for it. Never get discouraged and keep working hard at it," he said.

For Leonhard, football and faith go hand in hand.

"God has given me everything from my abilities and my faith in other people," he said. "Without him there's no way I could have accomplished what I have."

Leonhard also feels fortunate that he is able to attend Mass while on the road. Monsignor Michael Burke travels with the Badgers and inspires the team with his church services before each game. "He's always there if I need someone to talk to, and he's a great guy," Leonhard said.

While in Tony, Leonhard has helped his grandfather with parish volunteer work, such as delivering food baskets for the needy. He said volunteering helps him realize his blessings.

"You see people who haven't had things go their way, and you can see how lucky you are with the things that you have," he said.

"A lot of what you do is because of your faith, and if you don't believe you can't achieve anything," Leonhard said.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2003