ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Coming out of Lake View High School, linebacker Darius Leonard was used to being on the football field for just about every snap.
So when Leonard arrived at South Carolina State in the fall of 2013, the last thing he expected was to sit on the sidelines for an entire season.
But sitting out as a freshman and redshirting might have been the best thing that ever happened to Leonard.
Like a lot of athletes that S.C. State head coach Buddy Pough recruits, Leonard came to Orangeburg as an undersized player at his position. The lanky, 6-3 Leonard had the height and quickness to play linebacker in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, but weighed just 185 pounds and needed a year in the weight room and at the training table.
Leonard’s talent became apparent after just a handful of practices. There was talk early in Leonard’s freshman season about burning his redshirt year and getting him on the field.
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