Indianapolis Colts Darius Leonard and Ryan Kelly share offseason reflections and talk about what's ahead, April 15, 2019. Jenna Watson, jenna.watson@indystar.com
INDIANAPOLIS — Darius Leonard showed up for the start of his rookie season in Indianapolis at 234 pounds.
Lighter than Roquan Smith, lighter than Tremaine Edmunds, lighter than Leighton Vander Esch, lighter than most of the linebackers in his rookie class. Lighter than the linebacker most football fans have in their heads, a 240 or 250-pound bruiser who looks like a bodybuilder.
By the end of the season, Leonard had dropped down to 218 pounds, a weight that might have made him a strong safety in the NFL’s not-too-distant past.