Leonard Fournette is taking the game of college football by storm. LSU fans simply refer to it as BUGA Nation.
“Being United Generates Attitude” is the slogan that Fournette brought to LSU when he committed to the Tigers after the Under Armour All-America Game in 2014. Before Fournette even stepped foot on campus, the acronym went viral as students and fans awaited the highly-touted star.
Along with the high expectations that fans set for Fournette came comparisons to Adrian Peterson, or as LSU coach Les Miles, “having Tiger Woods on the golf course with a putter.”
Fournette didn’t let the pressure faze him. After playing just 18 college football games, he is now being compared to legends like former Georgia running back Herschel Walker and former Auburn running back Bo Jackson.
The humble sophomore from New Orleans certainly appreciates the comparisons and national attention, but he ultimately strives to write his own legacy.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Fournette said. “I would rather not be compared to those guys because they are the greatest of all time. I’m just working my way up to be where they were.”
Fournette’s story begins before all of the hoopla he received during his high school and college playing days. In fact, there use to be a time when Leonard didn’t like football.
“When I was younger, I hated running laps, bear crawls and up-downs,” Fournette said. “So I quit.”
It didn’t take Fournette long to snap out of this phase. A year later, he was back in his helmet and pads playing the game he now loves.
“I was in a church lot behind my grandmother’s house playing football with my older cousins” Fournette recounted. “My dad was in the far distance watching me play. After we finished playing, he asked me if I was ready to play football again, and I told him, ‘Yeah.’”
Fournette dominated the park ball league. Due to weight and size restrictions, he was forced to sit out some games. He was that player that mothers feared. At age 13, he was finally banned from park ball.
“They signed a petition against me,” Fournette laughed. “It didn’t hurt my feelings. I went and played for the middle school, and I was the only seventh-grader playing on the (high school) freshmen team.”
Fournette went on to dominate high school football at St. Augustine and was named the USA Today National Offensive Player of the Year, the 2013 and 2014 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year, and he earned a spot on the All-USA First Team. He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation.
Letters came pouring in at the Fournette’s residence during the recruiting process. The most anticipated prospect could have played anywhere in the country, but he chose to stay close to his home in New Orleans and play for his home state.
“LSU is home,” Fournette said. “It felt like home when I came here with all of the love and support I received from the fans and Louisiana. It also had a lot to do with the bond I created with Coach Miles and (LSU running backs) Coach Frank (Wilson).”
After setting a school freshman rushing record with 1,034 yards, Fournette lived up to the expectations as one of the most highly-touted signees in LSU history. He also added All-SEC Freshman Team honors to his resume, along with three SEC Freshman of the Week awards after his stunning performances against Florida, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
The start of Fournette’s sophomore campaign has been even more impressive as he breaks through tackles, trucks over defenders and manages to find his way into the end zone.
“It’s just a reaction,” Fournette smiled. “The only thing in the back of my mind is make one man miss. That’s for any running back. You don’t want to be tackled by one person. That’s just embarrassing.
“It’s something Coach Frank Wilson instills in all our running backs,” Fournette continued. “Never let one man take you down. You have to have a certain mindset and be comfortable with the ball in your hands. It’s just not just the team counting on you. It’s the whole state of Louisiana.”
With jaw-dropping performances against Mississippi State, Auburn and Syracuse, Fournette has already been named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week three weeks in a row. He broke an SEC record after another solid performance against Eastern Michigan by rushing for over 200 yards in three consecutive games.
“I didn’t know I broke the record until Coach Miles told me, but it’s not just me,” Fournette said. “It’s (LSU fullback) J.D. Moore and the offensive linemen. That group is doing a great job protecting and blocking for me. They are doing the things they need to do to lead us to victory.”
As Fournette continues to impress the country, he is perceived more and more as the 2015 Heisman winner. He currently leads all the national Heisman watch lists with 10 first-place votes from ESPN, seven first-place votes from CBS Sports and 27 first-place votes from USA Today.
Former LSU running back and the 1959 Heisman winner, Billy Cannon, stated, “If they don’t give Leonard Fournette the Heisman Trophy, they should quit giving it.”
Cannon is the only LSU football player to win the Heisman Trophy, as the last player to come close to winning it was Tyrann Mathieu, who finished fifth in the voting in 2011.
When asked about winning the Heisman, Fournette smiles and humbly says, “It’s a team award. Without my team, I wouldn’t be able to do the things I am doing, especially how they open the holes up for me. Our fullback, J.D. Moore, who blocks for me is doing an outstanding job.”
Fournette is sure to give credit when it is due. After the Auburn game, Fournette was named the team MVP by the LSU coaches. Instead of accepting the award, he stood up and presented it to Moore.
Because of Fournette’s leadership, respect for others and hard work, no one wants more for him to win the Heisman than his teammates.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about what they want for me or what I want,” Fournette said. “It’s about what LSU needs. We need a championship back home.”
What matters most to Fournette is his team and winning. It is not about the awards, trophies, honors and national attention.
“As long as LSU gets the victory, it doesn’t matter,” Fournette explained. “At the end of every practice, I tell them our mindset and goal is championships. Let’s not forget the main purpose of why we come out here and practice every day and play each and every week.”
To keep Fournette focused on his goal of winning championships, he uses a picture of the College Football National Championship trophy as his phone’s screensaver.
“Every day I open my phone and look at it and say at the end of the day, this is what we need.”
Outside of football and school, Fournette also has a daughter, Lyric Jay Fournette. If Fournette isn’t practicing football or attending classes, you can find him spending quality time with his daughter. His Instagram and Twitter are filled with pictures of her since her birth.
“My daughter is my motivation,” Fournette said. “Lyric is one of the happiest things that has happened in my life. She changed my life and helped me mature more.”
Championships, teammates and his daughter are what drive Fournette each day as he continues to unite the Tigers with a winning and positive attitude. With his “BUGA” mindset, everything will fall into place for Fournette while he continues to awe the nation and create his own legacy at LSU.