Mitch Leidner
{{Short description|American football player (born 1994)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Mitch Leidner
| image = Mitch Leidner (cropped).jpg
| caption = Leidner (#7) in 2016
| current_team =
| number = 7
| position = Quarterback
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|1|17}}
| birth_place = Lakeville, Minnesota, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lbs = 226
| high_school = Lakeville South
| college = Minnesota (2012–2016)
| undraftedyear = 2017
| pastteams =
- Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|2017}})*
| status =
| highlights =
}}
Mitchell Leidner (born January 17, 1994) is an American former college football player who was a quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent.
Early life
Leidner attended Lakeville South High School in Lakeville, Minnesota.{{Cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/lakeville-south-s-mitch-leidner-already-a-winner/128850303/|title=Lakeville South's Mitch Leidner: Already a winner|website=Star Tribune}} He committed to the University of Minnesota to play college football.{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/minnesota/lakeville/lakeville-south-quarterback-mitch-leidner-commits-to-minnesota|title=Lakeville South Quarterback Mitch Leidner Commits to Minnesota|date=June 30, 2011|website=Lakeville, MN Patch}}
College career
Leidner played at Minnesota from 2013 to 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://madison.com/sports/college/football/badgers-football-film-room-explaining-mitch-leidner-s-improvement-and/article_2f39666f-a3d5-5f4f-8306-10a1e3825d51.html|title=Badgers football film room: Explaining Mitch Leidner's improvement and how Minnesota's offense has changed from a year ago|first=Jason |last=Galloway |website=madison.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wctrib.com/sports/3994620-gophers-leidner-may-be-future-pro|title=Gophers Leidner may be a future pro|website=West Central Tribune|date=March 25, 2016}} He tied a school record for quarterbacks when he ran for four touchdowns in one game in 2013 against San Jose State as a redshirt freshman.{{cite news|last1=Greder|first1=Andy|title=Gophers will start Mitch Leidner at QB vs. Purdue|url=http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_28941378/gophers-will-start-mitch-leidner-at-qb-vs|access-date=November 3, 2015|agency=Star Tribune|publisher=Digital Media|date= October 8, 2015 }} After starting four games as a freshman, he took over as the full-time starter in 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.twincities.com/2014/08/01/gophers-football-qb-mitch-leidner-at-home-in-leading-role/|title=Gophers football: QB Mitch Leidner at home in leading role|date=August 1, 2014}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-minnesota-preview-spt-0827-20150826-story.html|title=Minnesota QB Mitch Leidner ready to take on greater burden|first=Shannon|last=Ryan|website=chicagotribune.com}} Leidner was named the MVP of the 2015 Quick Lane Bowl.{{Cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com/north/story/minnesota-golden-gophers-central-michigan-quick-lane-bowl-ncaa-football-mitch-leidner-mvp-122815|title=Gophers hold on for win in Quick Lane Bowl, Leidner named MVP|date=December 28, 2015|website=FOX Sports}} During his career, he started 41 of 47 games and passed for 7,287 yards, 34 touchdowns and 32 interceptions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.twincities.com/2017/09/01/dream-comes-true-for-mitch-leidner-of-playing-in-game-for-hometown-vikings/|title=NFL debut a dream come true for Lakeville's Mitch Leidner|date=September 1, 2017}}
=Statistics=
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||||||
| ! colspan="15" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Minnesota Golden Gophers}};" |{{center|Minnesota Golden Gophers}} | |||||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Season
! colspan="3"| Games ! colspan=7|Passing ! colspan=4|Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Comp | Att | Yards | Pct. | TD | Int | QB Rating | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
| 2012
| colspan=14 style="text-align:center;" | Redshirt File:Redshirt.svg | |||||||||||||
| 2013
| 10 | 4 | 3–1 | 43 | 78 | 619 | 55.1 | 3 | 1 | 131.9 | 102 | 407 | 4.0 | 7 |
| 2014
| 12 | 12 | 7–5 | 122 | 237 | 1,798 | 51.5 | 11 | 8 | 123.8 | 126 | 452 | 3.6 | 10 |
| 2015
| 13 | 13 | 6–7 | 242 | 407 | 2,701 | 59.5 | 14 | 11 | 121.2 | 107 | 270 | 2.5 | 6 |
| 2016
| 12 | 12 | 8–4 | 173 | 307 | 2,169 | 56.4 | 8 | 12 | 116.5 | 111 | 366 | 3.3 | 10 |
| Career{{cite web |title=Mitch Leidner |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/mitch-leidner-1.html |publisher=USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties |work=www.sports-reference.com |access-date=December 18, 2015}}
! 47 | 41 | 24–17 | 580 | 1,029 | 7,287 | 56.4 | 36 | 32 | 121.2 | 448 | 1,495 | 3.4 | 33 |
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 3 1/2
| weight = 226
| dash = 4.93
| ten split = 1.63
| twenty split = 2.80
| shuttle = 4.25
| cone drill = 6.96
| vertical = 34.5
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 3
| bench =
| wonderlic =
| arm span = 33 3/4
| hand span = 10
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/mitch-leidner/32004c45-4915-1930-a0ac-5da83de770fa |title=Mitch Leidner Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=June 2, 2021}}
}}
Leidner signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent on August 20, 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/vikings-in-need-of-another-quarterback-sign-former-gophers-qb-mitch-leidner/441194533/|title=Vikings, in need of a quarterback, sign Mitch Leidner|website=Star Tribune}}{{cite web|title=Vikings Sign Former Gophers QB Mitch Leidner|url=http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Vikings-Sign-Former-Gophers-QB-Mitch-Leidner/584228b0-eaa5-44ca-ace9-617783bd6550?sf107818746=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821004518/http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Vikings-Sign-Former-Gophers-QB-Mitch-Leidner/584228b0-eaa5-44ca-ace9-617783bd6550?sf107818746=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 21, 2017|website=Vikings.com|date=August 20, 2017}} He was waived on September 2, 2017.{{cite web|title=Vikings Announce Roster Moves, Set Roster|url=http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Vikings-Announce-Roster-Moves-Set-Roster/efb3b87d-d166-482e-90a1-b23becee4af2?sf111117150=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201072934/http://www.vikings.com/news/article-1/Vikings-Announce-Roster-Moves-Set-Roster/efb3b87d-d166-482e-90a1-b23becee4af2?sf111117150=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 1, 2018|website=Vikings.com|date=September 2, 2017}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/mitch_leidner_793624.html Minnesota Golden Gophers bio]
- [http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/players/playerpage/1983757/mitch-leidner CBS Sports (Statistics)]
{{Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leidner, Mitch}}
Category:Players of American football from Minnesota
Category:American football quarterbacks