.jpg) Leatherwood with theLas Vegas Raiders in 2021 | |||||||
| Profile | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Offensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | (1999-01-05)January 5, 1999 (age 26) Pensacola, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight | 312 lb (142 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school | Booker T. Washington (Pensacola) | ||||||
| College | Alabama (2017–2020) | ||||||
| NFL draft | 2021: 1st round, 17th overall pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||
| |||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||
| |||||||
Alexander Leatherwood (born January 5, 1999) is an American professionalfootballoffensive tackle. He playedcollege football for theAlabama Crimson Tide, where he was two-timeCFP national champion and the winner of theOutland andJacobs Blocking trophies in 2020. Leatherwood was selected by theLas Vegas Raiders in the first round of the2021 NFL draft, but was released after his rookie season.
Leatherwood was born on January 5, 1999, and grew up inPensacola, Florida, where he attendedBooker T. Washington High School.[1] He was named first-team All-Area by thePensacola News Journal as a junior and senior.[2] As a senior, he was named a first-teamAll-American byParade and named to the second-team byUSA Today and played in theAll-America Bowl.[3] Leatherwood was rated a consensus five-star and top 10 recruit for his class and committed to playcollege football at theUniversity of Alabama during his junior year.[4]
Leatherwood enrolled at Alabama a semester early and played in seven games as a true freshman. He saw significant playing time in the2018 CFP National Championship Game, entering the game at left tackle after starterJonah Williams was injured in the third quarter.[5] He was moved to right tackle during spring practice and moved again to right guard during fall training camp, winning the starting job going into his sophomore season.[6] He started all 15 of the Crimson Tide's games, giving up 21 pressures, and was named second-teamAll-Southeastern Conference (SEC) by the league's coaches.[7][8]
Leatherwood was moved back to the left tackle position following the season.[9] He was named first-team preseason All-SEC and a second-team preseason All-American bySporting News entering his junior season.[10] He was placed on theOutland Trophy watchlist midway through the season.[11] Leatherwood started every game for Alabama and was named first-team All-SEC by the league's coaches and second-team by the media and was named first-team All-America by theAmerican Football Coaches Association.[12] After considering entering the 2020 NFL Draft, Leatherwood announced that he would return to Alabama for his senior season.[13]
As a senior, Leatherwood starting all 13 of Alabama's games as the Crimson Tide won the2021 College Football Playoff National Championship. He was named first-team All-SEC and was the co-winner of theJacobs Blocking Trophy along with Alabama centerLandon Dickerson. Leatherwood was a unanimous first-team All-America selection and was awarded theOutland Trophy as the nation's best interior lineman.[14]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+3⁄4 in (1.95 m) | 312 lb (142 kg) | 33+7⁄8 in (0.86 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.99 s | 1.78 s | 2.94 s | 4.65 s | 7.45 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) | ||
| All values fromPro Day[15][16][17] | ||||||||||||
Leatherwood was selected by theLas Vegas Raiders with the 17th overall pick in the2021 NFL draft.[18] On May 24, 2021, Leatherwood signed his four-year rookie contract with Las Vegas,[19] a four-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $14.39 million.[20] He moved to offensive guard due to struggles at tackle as a rookie and was waived on August 30, 2022.[21]
On August 31, 2022, Leatherwood was claimed off waivers by theChicago Bears.[22] He was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list on September 14, 2022.[23] He was activated on October 28.
On August 27, 2023, Leatherwood was released by the Bears.[24]
On August 30, 2023, Leatherwood was signed to thepractice squad of theCleveland Browns.[25] His contract expired when the team's season ended January 13, 2024.
On May 29, 2024, Leatherwood signed with theLos Angeles Chargers.[26] He was released on August 27, and re-signed to the practice squad.[27][28] Leatherwood was released by the Chargers on December 10.[29]
In June 2020, Leatherwood wrote a screenplay for a video in support of theBlack Lives Matter movement. He appeared in the video along with other Alabama players and their head coach,Nick Saban.[30]