Leonard Antonio Little (born October 19, 1974) is a former American football defensive for Rams St. Louis from National Football League (NFL). Little playing college football for the University of Tennessee, and recognized as All-American. He was recruited by the Rams in the third round of the NFL Draft 1998, and played his entire professional career for 12 years with them.
Video Leonard Little
Initial years
Little attended Asheville High School in Asheville, North Carolina, where he played linebackers and wide receivers. At AHS, she is a three-year starter. For his senior year, Little was named Super Prep , Blue Chip , Prep Football Report and First All-American team. In November 2005, her high school dropped her # 30 jersey.
Maps Leonard Little
College career
Little play three seasons at the University of Tennessee, where he started every game in Defensive End during his senior season, leading the team in tackles (87) and sack (8.5). He is the first team of All-America and the first All-Southeastern Conference team in his senior season. He appeared in his first seven games of his junior season at the defensive end, counting 33 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and five tackles for losses, also blocked one field goal and forced four fumbles. As a sophomore, he started every game in the left and recorded 62 tackles and one sack as high as eleven career. He played a season for Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kansas. Little graduated from Tennessee with a degree in psychology.
Professional career
Pre-draft
Little measured 6-3Ã,½, 237 pounds and a 40-yard run in 4.48 seconds. Little is expected to be the first-round draft choice, but the team "in between" sizes leave the team unsure whether he will be a linebacker or a defensive end in the NFL.
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams selected Leonard Little as the 4th pick in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft 1998, the 65th overall pick. The Rams made trading last moment to 65 picks on concerns that the Steelers will take Little with a 66th pick. When Rams coach Dick Vermeil called, Little was congratulated by Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh's coach, being drafted by Steelers.
He signed a 3-year contract, $ 1.2 million on July 2, 1998, with a signing bonus of $ 400,000. Little started his NFL career as a linebacker, dressed in number 57. As a shooter on kickoff and Little punt coverage made eight tackles. He was inactive for four games before being placed on the list of non-soccer injuries due to legal issues surrounding drunk driving accidents.
The NFL suspended Little for 8 games in the 1999 season. The suspension cost a little $ 125,000, half his seasonal salary. He returned to the Rams in mid-season and did mostly on a special team with four teams special high season deal vs. New York Giants on 19 December 1999, ending the season with nine special teams handled. He will also spell Rams defense ending Kevin Carter and Grant Wistrom and in a game for Wistrom to play known as "The Tackle" in Super Bowl XXXIV.
In 2000, he played in a defensive final position, coming into the game to play the left side defensive in a passing situation, with Kevin Carter's final start "reducing" to the left-backed race. He also spelled the end of the proper defense, Grant Wistrom. A little extra 20 pounds with weight training and an extra meal to help him make a switch and in that role Little has 5 sacks and totals 17 tackles. He also had 18 tackles on a special team in 2000.
On April 24, 2001, Leonard Little approved a one-year tender offer of $ 512,000, a minimum rate for free unlimited agents. That season, he turned his back number to 91 and became a fast-feed specialist for the NFC champion, Rams. Few will enter the game in a passing situation in place of left-back defensive start Chidi Ahanotu. In that role, Little leads the Rams with 14.5 sacks, 3 in the NFL. Few have nine tackles (five solos), three QB pressures, and one sack in the Super Bowl XXXVI. In the first game of the New England Patriot winning game drive, Little brushed the ball but could not let go of Tom Brady, who kept the drive alive by completing a short pass. Little also continued his role as a special team, making 11 tackles.
On March 4, 2002, Little signed a five-year contract of $ 17.5 million. That year, Little earned his early left defensive work and performed very well, despite the fact he was considered small to survive in the "base defensive end" in the NFL. He played well and improved his game against the bait as well. Rams' defense rider Bill Kollar said: "He's a full-time player, he does a good job in running games, and his baits are better.He records 12 sacks (sixth most in the NFL) and nine franchise records are forced to touch -rebruary for the season (surpassing Deacon Jones six in 1968.) Small ability to strip ball quarterbacks recorded by Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman who chose Little as "the best in the business to go for the strip." He played primarily in the season finals against San Francisco 49ers by recording nine tackles (five solos), one QB pressure, 2 sack high seasons, and three high career forcing groping.
The following year, he was named the All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection; he has 12.5 sacks, third in NFC (fourth in NFL), six forced groping and an interception. Against the Minnesota Vikings on November 30, 2003, Little had eight tackles (six solos), four best sacks, three QB pressures, and two others forcibly groped. Viking offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said that Little "ruined the game plan, just destroyed it." In addition to the four sacks, the Viking offensive rights attack was called for four penalties that tried to block Little. For his efforts, Little was named NFC Defensive Player in a Week.
In 2004, Little started all 16 games and recorded only 7 sacks, however, the year down is due to being the two teams or "blocked-chip" in the degrading majority. "They never leave him alone," said Rams coach Mike Martz. "Very rarely he is blocked nd {sic} if he is, it's a quick throw. Opponents are very respectful of him". Slightly added, "This is the first year in which they constantly strangle me... Last year, they will do it and continue, but not as often now." Although fewer sacks, Little was chosen as an alternative to Pro Bowl. Little also scored his first two NFL goals in 2004, he took four guys who fumbled and returned two of them for the score.
On September 11, 2005, against the 49ers, he has nine tackles (four solos), 2.0 sacks, and two forced strokes. He continued his swift start, with four sacks in the first six games, but slumped after the death of his brother, Jermaine, who was murdered in Harriman, Tennessee, on October 18, 2005. "While fighting," interim coach Joe Kata Vitt. "He is mourning now, and our football team - everyone here, lends us our support." Slightly skipped two games and did not record the sack in the next five games. He ended up with 5.5 sacks and two men were forced to grope for the last three games and lead the Rams with 9.5 sacks and four were forced to grope in 2005.
On the 11th Sunday of the 2006 season, Little signed a $ 19.5 million 3-year contract extension that included a $ 6.1 million signing bonus. Little started all 16 games and led the team with 13.0 sacks (tied for second in NFC, tied for fifth in the NFL), seven forced groping and also recorded the highest career of 58 tackles and once again the Pro Bowl alternative.
Little sprained his big toe when his left leg was caught in the grass in a 22-3 loss in Baltimore on October 14, 2007. On November 5, 2007, Little placed on a wounded reserve, ended the season with just one sack, and underwent an operation that week to fix the ligament which was torn in his left toe. Few agreed to restructure his contract to stay together with the Rams. He is due to a $ 7.17 million bonus list that will count as $ 9.5 million against the 2008 Rams' salary cap. Restructuring converts bonus lists to signing bonuses, meaning it will be spread over the last two years of the contract, essentially cutting the cap amount to nearly $ 3.6 million and generating $ 5.9 million cap amount for Little in 2008.
In 2008, Little was again slowed by injury, this time a hamstring injury in the season opener, played in 14 games, starting just five. Often, he was used in a passing situation similar to his role in 2001. He was second on Rams in a sack with six and he also forced two fumbles, giving him a total of 32 career. Few had two sacks against Buffalo on September 28, 2008.
For the 2009 season, Little numbered 6½ sacks to lead the team for the sixth time in his career. He started 13 games on the left side of the defense and was relatively healthy - compared to the previous two seasons. However, he missed two games with a knee injury. Greg Cosell of NFL.com described one of Little Jackson's versions of Jacksonville Jaguars as, "The return of a small 36-yard interrogation of TD is a reading that Little can not trust.He reads the flare action by Jones-Drew and throws by Garrard - spectacular individuals playing".
During the 2009 season, Little has given clues that he will retire after this season. In Little quiet season, unlimited free agents, accepted and then canceled a meeting with the New Orleans Saints to discuss the possibility of signing with the defending Super Bowl champions. Although Little has not made an announcement, it is considered that he has retired from football. Few earn $ 31.55 million in their twelve NFL seasons. and leads his team in sacks six times (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008) and has four seasons of twelve sacks or more. Retired small on December 15, 2010.
NFL stats
Lock
- GP : game is played
- COMB : handle merge
- TOTAL : number of tackles
- AST : handle help
- SACK : sack
- FF : forced to grope
- FR : faltering recovery
Issues off the field
Confidence Manslaughter
After leaving a birthday party in 1998, Little crashed into and killed Susan Gutweiler at St. Louis, Missouri whose two children were with him in the car. When tested, the blood alcohol level was 0.19 percent, 0.11 points beyond the 0.08 law limit in the state of Missouri. Little received four years of probation and ordered to undergo a thousand hours of community service.
On January 18, 2003, with indictments since 1999, Little is accused of spreading threats and making abusive calls, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department. Little lawyer Scott Rosenblum said the allegations were filed after Little and his ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams ended their relationship. Rosenblum added, "We do not think this case will happen anywhere, it's unreasonable from the start."
On April 24, 2004, he was arrested again for driving while drunk after being stopped by the Ladle Police Department to drive 78 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone on Interstate 64. At that time, he had red eyes, alcoholic, and failed three tests calm by the roadside. He later admitted that he drank alcohol to the police. Having been convicted for minor offenses but released from DWI, Little received two years probation on May 6, 2005, and was barred from drinking any alcohol during his probation.
References
External links
- Leonard Little on Twitter
- St. Louis Rams Biography
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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