Riley Leonard’s participation in the Orange Bowl took an abrupt and worrying turn when Anthonie Knapp sustained an injury prior to an unexpected and hard fall by Dvon J-Thomas caused by him. Following this injury setback for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame, things became even less hopeful as another tragedy struck: this time star quarterback Riley Leonard suffered injury.
Penn State defenders Dvon J-Thomas and Zane Durant put Leonard under considerable pressure before halftime, forcing his swift departure. Reports indicated a heavy landing following J-Thomas’ collision, causing him to hit his back of head on impact and fall heavily onto his sideline mat. Leonard’s teammates immediately came to assist but eventually had to support his removal off of the field due to apparent disorientation.
Concerns have been expressed over Leonard’s health following this incident, given he initially appeared disoriented following impact and struggled to gain his balance after. ESPN’s Sean McDonough announced later on that Leonard is currently going through concussion protocol; as a result of which Steve Angeli will take his place as quarterback until Leonard returns.
As football community awaits more information regarding Leonard’s recovery, focus has turned towards Angeli and how he will manage challenges without Leonard around. This situation highlights both physical risks faced by athletes as well as safety protocols within sports.