Darius Leonard feels like he’s starting all over.
As a relatively unheralded high school player, he was exasperated by the lack of attention he got from nearby South Carolina and Clemson. That snub drove him as he built a standout career at South Carolina State, an FCS school, and it seems like déjà vu as he tries to convince NFL teams he’s worth picking in this year’s draft.
“I used that as a little chip on my shoulder to show teams what they could’ve had,” he said. “I’m still that guy because I came from a small program, so I’ve got a point to prove.”
Leonard, a linebacker who wrecked everything he saw when he played for the Bulldogs, is emerging as a second-day prospect after a dominant senior season. He picked up momentum with a good showing at last month’s Senior Bowl, and said
the Dolphins were among the teams he met with that week.
