Darius Leonard “Fell out of love with the game”

[Bravo]

Last season was a struggle for DL it sounds like. Hopefully he continues to enjoy the game enough to play for a couple more years.

 

https://fox59.com/sports/colts/last-season-colts-darius-leonard-fell-out-of-love-for-the-game/amp/

[Smonroe]

Sort of why Luck retired.  The physical grind takes a toll and adds to the mental grind.

 

Hopefully the new guys, Gilmore and Yannick will help him keeping it fun.  And I sure hope that ankle is fixed.  

[Introspect]

Like he stated... He wasn't at 100% and a lot of personal situations that wore on him mentally.  He is the leader, smiling, asking how everyone else is doing but he really wanted a person to say "Hey man, How's things?" Even the strongest man wants to have a ear to vent to.

 

I love the guy's honesty and introspection dealing with the past year. 

Glad he is a COLT!

[GoColts8818]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/needed-indianapolis-colts-darius-leonard-110102234.html
 

another story on the subject.

[Indyfan4life]

I think all will be fine. Dude just wasn’t having his best season physically, and I’m sure it brought him down knowing he wasn’t playing his best football, even though he still had a monster season. 
 

I doubt he pulls a Luck and retires out of the blue. 

[Four2itus]

Hang in there Darius. And if it get's too dark, I will never have anything but respect for you...no matter when you hang it up. 

[lollygagger8]

I think winning will go a long way for not only DL but everyone involved with the team

[2006Coltsbestever]

Windows are short in the NFL. All in, in 2022. Have to go for it this year and next year while we have Leonard, Nelson, Defo, Moore, Hines, Pittman, and Taylor at their best with Matt at QB.

[MB-ColtsFan]

It has got to be incredibly tough not being able to perform at the level you want - especially when people look up to him for that leadership.  It sounds like he's never had to deal with it at this level and he's struggling a bit in dealing with it.

If he can get through this he could become even better as a leader and be able to handle it better as he gets older and it occurs more often, if it occurs more often.

[compuls1v3]

19 hours ago, Bravo said:

Last season was a struggle for DL it sounds like. Hopefully he continues to enjoy the game enough to play for a couple more years.

 

https://fox59.com/sports/colts/last-season-colts-darius-leonard-fell-out-of-love-for-the-game/amp/

Me too.  He just got paid recently, didn't he?

[rock8591]

A lot of players have these thoughts multiple times, not just during every season but during every game, every rep, every rep of motion at the gym.

[Nickster]

[2006Coltsbestever]

[sb41champs]

My heart goes out to ANY individual who has to fight the demon that is "mental health".  God bless you Darius and thank you for sharing your story !!

[MikeCurtis]

1 hour ago, Nickster said:

You will probably catch some crap from other posters.......  

 

But.... you (WE) are right to be at least a little concerned

 

There have been times that I lost passion for jobs that I had

 

I never got that passion back........I went on to do another role.

 

It  doesnt mean that it HAS to happen that way with DL, 

 

But phases in life come and go

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IrsaysArmy]

I hope Darius beats every challenge that comes his way. Mental illness is no joke and whatever else he was dealing with. 
 

This is NOT a shot at Darius at all but a professional athlete losing some motivation after signing a big contract is a tale old as time.

[GoColts8818]

50 minutes ago, MikeCurtis said:

You will probably catch some crap from other posters.......  

 

But.... you (WE) are right to be at least a little concerned

 

There have been times that I lost passion for jobs that I had

 

I never got that passion back........I went on to do another role.

 

It  doesnt mean that it HAS to happen that way with DL, 

 

But phases in life come and go

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read the story.  At the end of it he talks about how he’s ready for this season and excited.  

[MikeCurtis]

23 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

Read the story.  At the end of it he talks about how he’s ready for this season and excited.  

I truly hope it works out and that he can regain his passion for the game

[Painterman]

Poor  Darius had a  boobo, fell out of love with the JOB that paid BIG $... Get to work Nancy!

[Nickster]

4 hours ago, MikeCurtis said:

You will probably catch some crap from other posters.......  

 

But.... you (WE) are right to be at least a little concerned

 

There have been times that I lost passion for jobs that I had

 

I never got that passion back........I went on to do another role.

 

It  doesnt mean that it HAS to happen that way with DL, 

 

But phases in life come and go

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Football is a brutal sport.  In 2019 Leonard said similar stuff when he had a concussion.

 

Not what I want to hear from the highest paid LB in history.

 

I’ve never been a fan of the signing because I am do not think he’s good enough in coverage to spend that kind of money on.  My guess is the ball punching has already seen it’s better days and that teams are already adjusting to it.

 

All I’m going to say is I am well acquainted with the effects of mental illness and don’t take it lightly, but that is not the issue for me as a fan.  Just focus and do your job as a 100 million dollar LB.

 

In my experience guys that talk a lot of crap like him are often compensating.  Loud and brash often correlates to insecure and underconfident.  Sherman is a good example.  And I’d sign Sherman if I thought he was stabilized if for nothing more than to teach the young guys how to play C3 corner. BUT. . . .I wouldn’t pay him much.

 

Leonard is often anonymous when he’s been brash.  If the ball punching dries up, I don’t think he will be a great asset next year.  Good player, but not worth it at that dollar figure.  
 

It is going to be an interesting season on many fronts.

 

we all have loved ones who pass.  We all have injuries/sicknesses/etc.  not minimizing that at all, but most of us still go to work.  And almost none of us earn the money he earns.

once again

 

 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

We all or most of us deal with stuff. Some physically, medically, mentally, etc..... I certainly can attest to that!!!

Money isn't a cure all but $20 million per year helps I'm guessing lol.l

.....but you can't buy losing people, it said he lost a cousin and losing people is the worst. I lost my fiance and then my dad 3 months later. 3 years before I lost my mom. No amount of money can make up for that. No antidepressant meds work. You just have accept it sucks and try to move on.

 

I have my baby granddaughter Emma, 3 years old, that keeps me going and brings joy to my life.

[New Zealands #1 Colts Fan]

2 hours ago, Painterman said:

Poor  Darius had a  boobo, fell out of love with the JOB that paid BIG $... Get to work Nancy!

[2006Coltsbestever]

This is exactly why I posted what I posted in the other thread, because a tweet with his qoute in it saying he has fallen out of love with football would have a lot in here worried about Leonard. I figured once people read the story that came about him this would happen. Initially I just read the tweet and immediately said to myself, oh no here goes half the forum worrying.

[Patrick Miller]

It IS a bit concerning that his ankle is still not ready and his passion for the game is waning.

[1959Colts]

The way the Colts 2021 season ended... I think a lot of us fell out of love for the game.

[GoColts8818]

23 hours ago, Painterman said:

Poor  Darius had a  boobo, fell out of love with the JOB that paid BIG $... Get to work Nancy!

Classless.

[CurBeatElite]

23 hours ago, Nickster said:

Football is a brutal sport.  In 2019 Leonard said similar stuff when he had a concussion.

 

Not what I want to hear from the highest paid LB in history.

 

I’ve never been a fan of the signing because I am do not think he’s good enough in coverage to spend that kind of money on.  My guess is the ball punching has already seen it’s better days and that teams are already adjusting to it.

 

All I’m going to say is I am well acquainted with the effects of mental illness and don’t take it lightly, but that is not the issue for me as a fan.  Just focus and do your job as a 100 million dollar LB.

 

In my experience guys that talk a lot of crap like him are often compensating.  Loud and brash often correlates to insecure and underconfident.  Sherman is a good example.  And I’d sign Sherman if I thought he was stabilized if for nothing more than to teach the young guys how to play C3 corner. BUT. . . .I wouldn’t pay him much.

 

Leonard is often anonymous when he’s been brash.  If the ball punching dries up, I don’t think he will be a great asset next year.  Good player, but not worth it at that dollar figure.  
 

It is going to be an interesting season on many fronts.

 

we all have loved ones who pass.  We all have injuries/sicknesses/etc.  not minimizing that at all, but most of us still go to work.  And almost none of us earn the money he earns.

once again

 

 

I don't see him talking openly as a red flag. The guy shows up and does his job just fine, at an all-pro level when most people wouldn't even be on the field due to major injury. 

 

Irsay and the Colts are big into the 'kicking the stigma' campaign about mental health and promoting people being able to talk about it openly. Darius has his own foundation which also promotes mental health awareness and resources. 

 

I think part of him talking about this stuff is him being a role model and advocate for something he believes in, like he says on the NFL mental health promos 'it's OK to not be OK.'  In a lot of ways, he's showing people that if an NFL player (a 4x all-pro no less) can openly discuss his mental health problems, then a 'normal' person probably can, too.

[Dingus McGirt]

3 hours ago, Patrick Miller said:

It IS a bit concerning that his ankle is still not ready and his passion for the game is waning.

Money and injuries did the same to a certain QB.

[CurBeatElite]

41 minutes ago, Dingus McGirt said:

Money and injuries did the same to a certain QB.

Luck had nagging shoulder and calf/ankle/lower leg injuries which seemed to be constantly misdiagnosed by our staff.  On top of that, if you listen to McAfee, Frank Gore and others - the culture Grigs had in this building was awful. As a #1 overall pick, Luck was getting pounded year in, year out until Ballard came in, at which point it was probably too little too late.  Leonard griped on Twitter earlier this off-season about the rotating door of QBs.. rightfully so, but at least Ballard seems to have a good culture and in a place where we are legitimately close to being serious contenders... Grigs had us as a team that would have a top ten draft pick without Luck. 

 

Also, not saying Darius isn't smart or won't be successful after football... but Luck graduated from Stanford with honors in Engineering.. the guy was a nerd and could easily make a lucrative living post-nfl with his brain and degree. 

[NewColtsFan]

53 minutes ago, Dingus McGirt said:

Money and injuries did the same to a certain QB.

Money and injuries do the same to lots of players.   Fans only notice and care when it’s a high profile player like Luck and Leonard.   When it happens to other players most fans simply yawn and move on to whoever is next.  
 

In other words, this type of thing is more common than fans realize.  

[Hoose]

43 minutes ago, CurBeatElite said:

Luck had nagging shoulder and calf/ankle/lower leg injuries which seemed to be constantly misdiagnosed by our staff.  On top of that, if you listen to McAfee, Frank Gore and others - the culture Grigs had in this building was awful. As a #1 overall pick, Luck was getting pounded year in, year out until Ballard came in, at which point it was probably too little too late.  Leonard griped on Twitter earlier this off-season about the rotating door of QBs.. rightfully so, but at least Ballard seems to have a good culture and in a place where we are legitimately close to being serious contenders... Grigs had us as a team that would have a top ten draft pick without Luck. 

 

Also, not saying Darius isn't smart or won't be successful after football... but Luck graduated from Stanford with honors in Engineering.. the guy was a nerd and could easily make a lucrative living post-nfl with his brain and degree. 

Actually, Luck has an architectural degree if I’m not mistaken. But your point is well taken in that Leonard will likely never get a large paycheck doing anything else. Yet money, however nice to have, does not beget happiness. 
And Leonard is signaling that he’s not happy. So lets hope, for the sake of the Colts, that he rediscovers his passion and zest for the game. He’s an indispensable part of this team when mentally and physically healthy. 

[EastStreet]

For falling out of love, he was a turnover machine, and still seemed like the life of our D, much more than our DL or DBs. 

 

I heard rumblings he was also big time turned off about pressures around vaxing and some of the words from ownership. That's really not too much of a leap given what we saw and heard last year. 

 

Hoping he's 100% this season and falls back in love. Without his turnovers last season, our D would have been pathetic. We already were bad in sacks and gave up the most or second most passing TDs. We need those areas to improve obviously, but need him being a terror on the 2nd level. 

 

Love ya Maniac. Hope you find that love. 

[Introspect]

On 5/5/2022 at 9:13 PM, Painterman said:

Poor  Darius had a  boobo, fell out of love with the JOB that paid BIG $... Get to work Nancy!

Just because a job gives you incredible compensation, fame or power doesn't mean you lose your humanity and become a super human.

People go through things. And no doubt so have you. Extra money or clout over people doesn't really make you worry free or make personal issues disappear. 

 

Contrary to popular opinion every human has ups and downs.... Don't knock anyone that is honest about what they are dealing with. Worry about the guy that always claims he is "OK".

 

People being honest and truthful is what's needed more than ever. Not something that should be ridiculed.

 

 

[Painterman]

12 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

Classless.

I know...

 Everyone deserves a pity party. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

Stuff like this should kept in-house because once a player says something like Leonard did, people will pounce on it and it is a distraction at that point. Once I read the tweet I seen it coming. Last night on CBS radio a few were talking about Leonard and his comment, wondering how much more time does he have, does he love the game, etc... It is the boring time of the offseason so anyone that can write any story will jump on it. I have watched football for 45 years, I know how this works. If Matt Ryan told someone in the media that his arm strength wasn't near as strong as it was 2 years ago, you would have at least 50 reporters in the media salivating to write that story. Some probably saying, is he on the brink of having a noodle arm, so are the Colts doomed  . Matt Ryan would never say anything like that though because he knows how this business is. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

The Indystar came out with a story, I have trouble copying links. I just read it. If you type in Darius Leonard injury, then go to Indystar.com you will see it. By Joel A Erickson. Leonard told him his ankle feels a whole better than last year and he is looking forward to the season. Article was wrote on May 4th. Yeah that sounds like a guy that doesn't love football. At the end of the article "I'll be fine" - per Leonard. This guy is local and around the team, great written article and I would say accurate.

[Boondoggle]

I have an easy remedy for Mr. Leonard.  It involves him getting a regular job in the offseason for some perspective.

[AwesomeAustin]

15 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Money and injuries do the same to lots of players.   Fans only notice and care when it’s a high profile player like Luck and Leonard.   When it happens to other players most fans simply yawn and move on to whoever is next.  
 

In other words, this type of thing is more common than fans realize.  

Colts just had a DT retire bc of injuries. Can’t remember his name but I think he was a 6th round pick out of Penn State.  
 

edit: Rob Windsor 

[Solid84]

4 minutes ago, AwesomeAustin said:

Colts just had a DT retire bc of injuries. Can’t remember his name but I think he was a 6th round pick out of Penn State.  

Rob Windsor

[Hawkeyecolt]

I don’t mean to minimize his mental health issues because they are certainly real. However, watching Leonard on the field he didn’t look like someone who fell out of love so I find some of this as an excuse for their collapse. Maybe due to the injuries he fell out of love with the grind. 
 

What I find troubling is his statement that he didn’t watch film his first three years in the league.  A real leader who wants to be the best doesn’t skip on the film work. I know a lot of Colts fans think he’s the best LB in the game. I don’t. I think he’s the best at creating turnovers but he relies on his athletic ability and could improve consistency at filling holes, shedding blocks, and covering TE’s. 
 

Probably unfairly to Leonard he was cast into a leadership role with a young team. I find his leadership style as always talking but not a lot of substance in what he says. I found his comments in the huddle against Jax as someone who sounded defeated.  To be fair it was only a snippet of a game. I feel it’s why Mathis said what he said about backing the talk. 
 

After reading Ngakoue’s story, I’m glad he and Gilmore are being added to a defense. Having Defo, Gilmore, and Ngakoue should be great leadership examples for Leonard and help take a load of his plate. 
 

I look forward to seeing what a healthy ankle, a better cast, a new system and dedication to film study will do for Darius this year.