FORMER U OF C DINO FOOTBALL PLAYER STARTS IN SUGAR BOWL GAME AND CHOSEN TO COMPETE IN THE HULA BOWL

Former University of Calgary Dinos defensive back Deane Leonard has been invited and has accepted an invitation to play in the Hula Bowl in Orlando, Florida later this month. The Hula Bowl has a long-standing tradition running back into 1946 before the game was canceled after 2008. It was resurrected in 2020 and has so far put two successful seasons together and now enters its third year.

The 21-year-old Leonard completed his varsity season for the University of Mississippi on New Years Day evening playing in a “New Year’s Six” bowl game in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA. that Ole Miss lost 21-7 to the Baylor Bears before 66,479 fans in the Superdome. Leonard started at cornerback and finished the game with one solo tackle, one assisted tackle and three breakups in the contest.

The Hula Bowl is usually played in Hawaii but will be played in Orlando in 2023 due renovations currently underway at Aloha Stadium. The 2022 game will be played at University of Central Florida Bounce House Stadium on Saturday, January 15 at 12:00 PM EST and televised on CBS.

The 6’, 195 lbs. Leonard started and played in all but two of the Rebels games this season. He finished the season with 30 solo tackles, 20 assisted tackles, two tackles for a loss, and seven breakups in the South East Conference, Sugar Bowl, and non-conference action. The only games Deane did not dress and start were the non-Conference games against Liberty and Tulane.

Deane joined the Dinos as a 17-year-old from Notre Dame High School in 2017. During his three-year career with the Dinos Leonard played in 23 games finishing with 47 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one quarterback sack and six interceptions. He was a two-time Canada West all-star, two-time U Sport all-Canadian and a vital part of the defense on the Dinos 2019 Vanier Cup championship team. His position coach with the Dinos was Marcello Rapini.

While playing for the Dinos, Deane excelled in the classroom as well as on the field and was a U Sports Academic All-Canadian in the Haskayne School of Business. He continued his academic excellence at Ole Miss earning 2020-21 SEC First-Year Honor Roll recognition and was a Chancellor’s Honor Roll student in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021 studying General Business.

Deane is the second player with University of Calgary Dinos ties to compete in the prestigious Hula Bowl. Wide receiver Don Blair played in the 1996 Hula Bowl after helping the Dinos win the Vanier Cup in 1995. Blair signed a free agent contract with the National Football League Chicago Bears before eventually starting his Canadian Football League career with the Edmonton Eskimos who selected him first overall in the 1996 CFL Draft. Leonard was selected 18th overall by the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the 2021 CFL Draft.

Leonard is the son of former Calgary Stampeders defensive back Kenton Leonard, and Kathy Leonard. Before playing High School football at Notre Dame Deane played in the Mavericks organization of the Calgary Minor Football Association.