INDIANAPOLIS – Riley Leonard was a professional football player. He was an Indianapolis Colt.
Little did the former Notre Dame quarterback realize he would need some type of verification.
From NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Or maybe from Colts general manager Chris Ballard.
Leonard was with family and close friends at his home in Fairhope, Alabama, on that life-altering April 26 when the Colts selected him in the sixth round of the draft. The initial elation included a reality check on the ensuing process.
The Colts dispatched owner Jim Irsay’s private jet to transport first-round pick Tyler Warren and his family to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center for an introductory press conference the day after his April 24 selection.
Not so with Leonard and the other seven draft picks. That’s not how it’s done.
“It’s funny because you get the call and you’re with your family celebrating,’’ Leonard said. “I expected to fly out within hours.
“…you wake up the next morning you’re still eating mom’s dinner and… leftovers from the night before.’’
He had to remind himself, ‘I’m in the NFL right now. Straight up’.”
A day or two later, there was a temporary jolt to his ego as he was tending to business in Fairhope.
“I’d go around the city and they were like, ‘What are you doing? Did you get cut already?’’’ Leonard said with an infectious laugh. “So yeah, it’s cool to be here now.
“Now it’s like, ‘Whoa, we made it’.”
His first steps into the NFL came during the Colts’ May 9-10 rookie minicamp, which was followed by staying in Indy for the team’s offseason workout program. The latter was interrupted last week as Leonard, Warren and 40 other rookies converged in Los Angeles for an NFLPA event.
But Leonard has indeed made it. He’s already signed his four-year rookie deal worth roughly $4.435 million with a $235,244 signing bonus.
His orientation began immediately with daily video sessions with quarterbacks coach Cam Turner leading up to the rookie camp.
“We’d hit a Zoom every day for around 45 minutes or so,’’ Leonard said. “I’ve just been learning the offense and it’s been really good for me to learn six installs and then go back to day 1 install when I got here.
“That does a lot when you’re trying to lead a team and be a rookie quarterback. Stepping into a program, it’s like, ‘Hey, I know your splits. I know your depth. I can talk you through the routes and my reads and my concepts because I’m confident in it.’
“This system is very friendly, quarterback friendly.’’
Barring an injury to Anthony Richardson Sr. or Daniel Jones, 2025 will be a developmental season for Leonard. As Sam Ehlinger’s successor on the depth chart, he’ll get whatever practice reps are left over from the open competition for the starter’s role, and must maximize his time during individual position drills or even after practice.
Leonard caught the Colts’ eye during their pre-draft evaluations.
Scouts had been impressed with his multi-dimensional game during three seasons at Duke. He passed for 4,450 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed for 1,224 yards and another 19 TDs.
And they took notice when he transferred to Notre Dame and helped lead the Irish to the Jan. 20 national championship game against Ohio State. Leonard passed for 2,861 yards with 21 TDs and eight interceptions, and rushed for 906 yards and 17 TDs, a school record for a QB.
Leonard’s Pro Day performance on March 27 only reinforced the Colts’ analysis.
“Watching him in person, kind of polished-up mechanically, seeing him live, seeing his arm strength, what he has to offer physically, I think that definitely kind of put the stamp on him as a player,’’ said Mike Lacy, in his 10th year as an area scout.
“He’s got the physical ability to be much more than a No. 3. I think that’s kind of what he’s going to be coming in as. He’s going to find his way. He’s going to learn, be a sponge, soak up and be ready to go.
The Colts tracked Leonard’s collegiate travels and successes.
“We follow all these guys for their whole careers,’’ Ballard said. “We’ve been following him from Duke and then he goes to Notre Dame and has a lot of success.
“He had been training with Philip Rivers. So, of course, that is a definite connection. But good to get him. He’s a good player, a good athlete. We think he’s got some upside. He’ll come in and compete.’’
The Colts, Leonard insisted, “felt like home’’ the night he was drafted.
“There’s no place I would rather be than back in Indiana,’’ he said.
His familiarity with Indy and the Colts actually began in Fairhope. As it turns out, Leonard’s home is about two minutes away from Philip Rivers, who moved to Fairhope several years ago after his decorated 17-year NFL career ended.
Rivers’ final season in 2020 was with the Colts. He led Indy to an 11-5 record and its last playoff appearance.
To the surprise of no one, Rivers has enjoyed a smooth post-NFL transition. He’s been the head coach of St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Fairhope since 2021 and led the Cardinals to the state playoffs the past two seasons. His son, Gunner, is considered one of the top recruits in the class of 2027. Gunner has passed for more than 7,000 yards and 65 TDs in two seasons.
Leonard has tapped into Rivers’ wealth of experience and expertise as much as possible.
He brought six of his Notre Dame receivers to Fairhope prior to last season, and their three-day session included work at Rivers’ home.
“Philip played a huge part in our development as a Notre Dame offense,’’ Leonard said.
The routine was repeated following Notre Dame’s 34-23 loss to Ohio State in the national championship game in January.
“I went back home to train and he was very influential throughout the whole process,’’ Leonard said. “Then, I get drafted to the Colts and first guy I’m hitting up is Philip: ‘Hey, what time can I come over to your house?’
“Obviously, he’s a busy man, so sometimes it was later at night when we were just going over the playbook, talkin’ ball because he understands and knows this scheme very well from his playing days.’’
River’s career with the Chargers coincided with a six-year stretch during which Shane Steichen was either the team’s receivers/quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator.
Leonard was given a glimpse into the traits Steichen prefers in a quarterback during his discussions with Rivers.
“A guy who can put his head down and go to work,’’ Leonard said. “Come in humbly is a big thing. Making the right read, right? You don’t want to be the guy to skip a hitch and try to throw a corner route versus a certain coverage. If you can take 5 yards, take 5 yards.
“Be disciplined. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone other than you can operate the offense.’’
Or that you belong in the NFL.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.