As Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard speaks to the media before the College Football Playoff National Championship game against Ohio State, he reminisces about his days at Duke, not on the football field, but on the basketball court.
During an appearance on Robert Griffin III’s “Outta Pocket” podcast, the Duke defector explored his aspirations of potentially joining the Duke basketball team and shared memories of late-night escapades at the famed Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“I didn’t really have the skills to pull it off,” Leonard admitted. “To have those skills, you have to be in the gym all day, every day. When I came to Duke in the summer, I was there with Paolo Banchero and others. We would often sneak into Cameron late at night playing basketball, it was amazing, I was always trying to compete and see if I could compete with them.”
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Leonard expressed slight sadness, saying, “It’s one of my biggest regrets. I should have contacted coach Mike Krzyzewski my first year and just asked to get in on the layup lines! My shot wasn’t not great, and I lacked skills at the time, but I could still jump and dunk.”
Asked if he had ever scored against Banchero or other Duke players, Leonard smiled and replied: “Paolo is different…I think I could compete, let’s say that. I honestly believe I could follow him.”
Banchero, who became the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, won Rookie of the Year in 2023 and was selected as an NBA All-Star in 2024.
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Riley Leonard’s athletic prowess extends beyond football. Prior to his time at Duke, he was a standout at Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where he attracted basketball scholarship offers from Saint Mary’s and the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) before to ultimately choose to pursue football. Leonard accumulated over 2,000 points during his high school career and averaged over 20 points per game.
During his senior year, he played a key role in leading the Pirates to a remarkable 27-2 record and a perfect 10-0 away record as they advanced into the state playoffs. Fairhope’s remarkable 2001 season, however, ended on a bitter note in the Alabama 7A Southeast Regional final, where the Pirates lost to Auburn High School in a double-overtime thriller, 54-52, a clash described as an “instant classic” by local sources.
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