 Leach with the Houston Texans in 2010 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 48, 44 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1981-11-06)November 6, 1981 (age 43) Lumberton, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | South Robeson (Rowland, North Carolina) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | East Carolina (2000–2003) | ||||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2004 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Terzell Vonta Leach (/ˈvɒnteɪˈliːtʃ/VON-tayLEETCH; born November 6, 1981) is an American former professionalfootball player who was afullback for ten seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). He was signed by theGreen Bay Packers as anundrafted free agent in 2004. He playedcollege football atEast Carolina.
Leach also played for theNew Orleans Saints,Houston Texans, andBaltimore Ravens.
Leach attendedEast Carolina University,[1] where he played for theEast Carolina Pirates football team from 2000 to 2003.[2] He became a member ofOmega Psi Phi fraternity. Leach earned his degree in 2010 after completing his online classes.[3]
Leach spent the first three years of his career with theGreen Bay Packers, and compiled 5 receptions for 19 yards.[4][5][6] On October 9, 2005, he caughtAaron Rodgers' first completion.[7] He was released by the Packers on September 13, 2006.[8]
TheNew Orleans Saints claimed Leach off waivers one day after the Packers released him, but he was eventually released by the team.
The Houston Texans signed Leach on October 9, 2006.[9]
On March 19, 2007, Leach signed a four-year, $8 millionrestricted free agent offer sheet with theNew York Giants.[10] However, the Texans matched the Giants' offer and Leach returned to Houston.[11] Leach scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on December 13, 2007, in a 31–13 win over theDenver Broncos.[12] In the 2008 season, Leach appeared in all 16 games and started 12. He finished with 12 receptions for 103 receiving yards to go with a rushing touchdown.[13] In the 2009 season, Leach had 20 receptions for 155 yards and one touchdown in 16 games and four starts.[14] After helping pave the way for teammateArian Foster's breakout 2010 campaign, Leach was voted into the2011 Pro Bowl, his first Pro Bowl selection.[15] On January 24, 2011, Leach was also selected to theAssociated Press's NFL All-Pro Team.[16] Leach was announced as the 45th ranked player on the2011 NFL Top 100.[17]
Leach signed a three-year, $11 million contract with theBaltimore Ravens on July 31, 2011, making him the highest paid fullback in the NFL.[18] While paving the way forRay Rice, Leach also amassed 12 carries for 35 yards, plus 15 receptions for 69 yards.[19] This performance earned him another first team All-Pro nomination andPro Bowl appearance in 2011.[20][21] He was ranked 45th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2012.[22]
Leach earned first team All-Pro honors for the third time for his performance in the 2012 season.[23] Leach was announced the fullback for the AFC in the2013 Pro Bowl—his 3rd selection for thePro Bowl—but was not able to play because the Ravens had qualified forSuper Bowl XLVII with their victory over theNew England Patriots in the 2012AFC Championship.[24] Leach earned his first NFL Championship in Super Bowl XLVII when the Ravens defeated theSan Francisco 49ers 34–31.[25]
On June 10, 2013, Leach announced onTwitter that he might be cut or traded because he could not reach a compromise on his reduced contract.[26]
On July 29, 2013, Leach re-signed with the Baltimore Ravens.[27]
On September 5, 2013, Leach scored the first touchdown of the2013 NFL season on a 2-yard pass fromJoe Flacco in a game against theDenver Broncos.[28] Leach gradually saw his playing time decrease as the 2013 season progressed and he was only used in a dozen snaps over the last three games of the year.[29]
On February 27, 2014, the Ravens released Leach, making him an unrestricted free agent.[30]
On July 24, 2019, the Ravens announced that Leach would be signed to a one-day contract and retire as a Raven on July 26, 2019.[31]
Media related toVonta Leach at Wikimedia Commons