Mikel Leshoure
{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1990)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Mikel Leshoure
| image = Mikel Leshoure at the 2012 Detroit Lions training camp.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Leshoure with the Detroit Lions in 2012
| number = 25
| position = Running back
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|3|30}}
| birth_place = Streator, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 233
| high_school = Centennial {{nowrap|(Champaign, Illinois)}}
| college = Illinois (2008–2010)
| draftyear = 2011
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 57
| pastteams =
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2011}}–{{NFL Year|2013}})
- BC Lions ({{CFL Year|2016}})*
| highlights = * Second-team All-American (2010)
- First-team All-Big Ten (2010)
| statlabel1 = Rushing attempts
| statvalue1 = 217
| statlabel2 = Rushing yards
| statvalue2 = 807
| statlabel3 = Rushing touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 9
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 = 34
| statlabel5 = Receiving yards
| statvalue5 = 214
| pfr = LeshMi00
}}
Mikel Leshoure (born March 30, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Early life
Leshoure attended Centennial High School in Champaign, Illinois. During his career, he rushed for 4,652 yards on 681 carries and scored 52 rushing touchdowns.
College career
As a freshman at the University of Illinois, Leshoure played sparingly collecting 126 yards on 35 carries. Leshoure first received a significant amount of playing time as a sophomore, playing in 12 games and running for 734 yards on only 108 carries. During the 2010 season, Leshoure rushed for 1,697 yards on 281 carries (126.1 yards per game, which was eighth best in the nation) with 17 touchdowns, playing in all 13 games.[https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/14052/mikel-leshoure Mikel Leshoure on ESPN.com] and capping off the season by scoring three touchdowns in the Illini's 38–14 victory over Baylor in the 2010 Texas Bowl. He also is the Illinois single game rushing record holder by rushing for 330 yards against Northwestern.{{cite web | title=Illinois' Mikel Leshoure Sets A School Record With 330 Rushing Yards In Win Over Northwestern | website=SB Nation Chicago | date=2010-11-20 | url=https://chicago.sbnation.com/northwestern-wildcats/2010/11/20/1826794/illinois-mikel-leshoure-sets-a-school-record-with-330-rushing-yards | access-date=2025-04-17}}
=Statistics=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! Year !! Team !! Att !! Yards !! Average !! TDs !! Receptions !! Yards !! TDs | ||||||||
| 2008 | Illinois | 35 | 126 | 3.6 | 1 | 6 | 66 | 0 |
| 2009 | Illinois | 108 | 734 | 6.8 | 5 | 14 | 177 | 2 |
| 2010 | Illinois | 281 | 1,697 | 6.0 | 17 | 17 | 196 | 3 |
| style="background:#555555;font-weight:bold;color:white;"
| colspan=2 | Totals | 424 | 2,557 | 6.0 | 23 | 37 | 439 | 5 | |
| style="background:#555555;font-weight:bold;color:white;" |
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 11 5/8
| weight = 227
| dash = 4.65
| ten split = 1.64
| twenty split = 2.72
| shuttle = 4.40
| cone drill = 6.82
| vertical = 38.0
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 2
| bench = 21
| arm span = 32 5/8
| hand span = 9 1/2
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/mikel-leshoure/32004c45-5320-2930-67dd-a3db0fd148d7 |title=Mikel Leshoure Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=February 16, 2023}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=83466&DraftYear=2011 |title=20 Draft Scout NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile |access-date=February 16, 2023 |website=draftscout.com}}
}}
=Detroit Lions=
Leshoure was taken with the 57th overall pick in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2011/draft.htm |title=2011 NFL Draft Listing |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en |access-date=2019-02-26}} On August 8, 2011, Leshoure tore his Achilles tendon in practice after a collision with Cliff Avril, and missed his entire rookie season.{{Cite web |date=2011-08-08 |title=Lions lose rookie RB Leshoure to torn Achilles |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/trainingcamp11/story/_/id/6843820/mikel-leshoure-detroit-lions-season-torn-achilles |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press |language=en}}
After being suspended for the first two games of the 2012 season and missing his entire rookie season, Leshoure made his NFL debut in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans.{{cite web | title=Mikel Leshoure suspended two games by NFL | website=NFL.com | date=2012-06-13 | url=https://www.nfl.com/news/mikel-leshoure-suspended-two-games-by-nfl-09000d5d829cc3b8 | access-date=2024-10-25}} Leshoure had 26 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown, but the Lions lost 44–41 in overtime.{{Cite web |title=Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans – September 23rd, 2012 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201209230oti.htm |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
On August 30, 2014, Leshoure was released by the Lions as a 53-man roster cut.{{cite web | title=Durham, Leshoure among Lions cuts | website=USA TODAY|agency=Associated Press | date=2014-08-30 | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2014/08/30/durham-leshoure-among-lions-cuts/14871689/ | access-date=2025-04-17}}
=BC Lions=
Leshoure signed with the BC Lions on February 5, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.tsn.ca/lions-sign-former-nfl-rb-leshoure-1.434024 |title=Lions sign former NFL RB Leshoure |publisher=tsn.ca |date=February 5, 2016 |accessdate=February 7, 2016 |author=Beamish, Mike |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208010812/http://www.tsn.ca/lions-sign-former-nfl-rb-leshoure-1.434024 |archivedate=February 8, 2016 }} He was released by the team on May 5, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.bclions.com/transactions/ |title=BC LIONS TRANSACTIONS |publisher=bclions.com |accessdate=June 16, 2016 |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617000810/http://www.bclions.com/transactions/ |archivedate=June 17, 2016 }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110718000442/http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/leshoure_mikel01.html Illinois profile]
- {{Footballstats |nfl=mikel-leshoure |espn=14052 |cbs= |yahoo=24844 |si= |pfr=/L/LeshMi00 |rotoworld= }}
{{Lions2011DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leshoure, Mikel}}
Category:American football running backs
Category:Canadian football running backs
Category:Detroit Lions players
Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football players
Category:Sportspeople from Champaign, Illinois
Category:Players of American football from Illinois