‘He’s our champion’: Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard returns to Fairhope High
Fairhope High School football coach Tim Carter put into words what most people had to be thinking Friday morning about native son Riley Leonard.
“He’s our champion,” Carter said.
Leonard, the Notre Dame quarterback who led the Irish to last week’s national championship game, returned to his alma mater Friday morning for a school pep rally. He will compete in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile.
“It’s kind of hard to put into words what this city means to me,” Leonard said. “Every day that I wake up, they give me motivation to be a better person. I’m just a product of my environment. The person you see, the character you see, is what you will see anywhere walking around Fairhope High School and the Fairhope community.”
Leonard starred in football and basketball at Fairhope High School before signing a football scholarship with Duke and then transferring to Notre Dame for his senior year.
“This is a hometown boy,” Carter said. “He’s been able to elevate himself and battle through so many adversities and stay true to who he is. Did you see that gym? It’s packed. It’s people who don’t have anything to do with the high school. They’ve been his youth league coaches, his elementary teachers. It’s an influx of people, and that is the way Fairhope is. He’s our champion.”
Leonard signed a few autographs and took a few pictures as he has done all week following Senior Bowl practices. He told the packed gym of students of all ages to follow their faith and stay true to who they are.
“The biggest thing I can offer them is perspective,” he said. “If I could go back to Fairhope High School, I would in a heartbeat. I hope they just enjoy where they are right now and be themselves. This experience is unreal. I can’t put it into words.”
Fairhope mayor Sherry Sullivan surprised a humbled Leonard with a proclamation declaring Saturday, Feb. 1, Riley Leonard Day.
“I don’t know if I’m deserving of that, but it definitely means a lot to me and, hopefully, I can make the most of it and continue to give back to my community as much as possible,” he said.
Carter said it’s easy for people to gravitate to Leonard.
“He just makes you feel good,” Carter said. “He’s special. He’s kind. He’s humble. He’s caring. All those intangibles. All those things you want your child to be, Riley emulates. He made me want to be a better man as a coach because he was so mature and such a good human being. You wanted to make sure you gave him your all. We are just waiting to see what pro team he is a part of because we have to buy the jerseys and the logos.”
Fairhope principal Jon Cardwell said Fairhope’s affection for their hometown hero boils down to two things.
“It’s his character and his faith,” he said. “He’s a better man than he is an athlete, and that is saying something. He’s easy to gravitate to. He’s a great leader. You see kids from all over the community supporting him. It shows you how special he is as a person.”
Leonard took photos with the Fairhope basketball team and gave them props for Thursday’s win over rival Daphne. He didn’t, however, have a chance to put on a dunking display like the ones he was famous for during his high school career.
“It’s awesome to walk these hallways and get into the gym and see all my old coaches who brought me where I am today,” he said. “It’s such a blessing. I’m trying not to take it for granted because it’s really a special experience for me.”
Following the Senior Bowl, Leonard will spend time working out in Mobile with his coaches at QB Country leading up to the NFL Draft. Carter said there is no question who he would draft if he were an NFL coach.
“If I were a GM or an owner, that’s the first dude I would draft,” he said. “That’s the kind of person I would want in my organization. He reminds me a lot of Roger Staubach when I was a young boy. Naval Academy graduate, All-American guy. That’s who Riley is. Everywhere he’s been, he makes them better. Duke? He transcended that program. At Notre Dame, he put them back in the national championship hunt. That’s just who he is. He’s a winner. I absolutely would draft him.”
Kickoff for the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl is set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium, with television coverage by NFL Network. A limited number of tickets remain available for the game and may be purchased at seniorbowl.com/tickets.