Southern Is The First To Offer John Tyler’s Pierre Leonard

Pierre Leonard has scratched and clawed for notoriety among college coaches and, Monday, a school answered the call.

The John Tyler senior defensive tackle has a Division I future.

Leonard (5-8, 247) announced through his personal Twitter account that Southern University invited him to join their program upon graduation next year with a football scholarship opportunity.

Don't let the size fool you. Leonard, the District 16-5A Defensive Newcomer of the Year, was a fireball of productivity for John Tyler in its run to the 2014 Class 5A Division I state semifinal round.

The defensive tackle recorded 91 tackles last season, including 15 tackles for loss and and 12 sacks. He also scored two touchdowns as a goal line running back and caught two passes for 26 yards.

Leonard appears poised for a strong senior campaign as well.

He attended the ETSN.fm + APEC Football Recruiting Combine last month and tied for first place with 16 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and was one of only two prospects in the 113-player field to break 4,000 watts on the Keiser squat machine. Furthermore, he ran a laser-timed 4.98 40-yard dash.

Southern, located in Baton Rouge, La., turned in a strong 2014 season. The program reached the 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game after winning the league's West Division. It fell to Alcorn State in the SWAC Championship Game, narrowly missing an FCS playoff berth with a 9-4 overall record.

Strong records are nothing new for the Jaguars. The program claims nine mythical black college football championships, selected by various media entities, in addition to 19 SWAC league championships.

Leonard will become eligible to sign with any program that offers him on Feb. 3.