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John Leake Fact: Registered 169 tackles in 2002, the fifth-highest figure in Clemson history.
Fall 2003 Depth Chart Position: Starting linebacker
Years Lettered: 2000-02
Bowl Participation: Clemson’s leading tackler in the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl against Louisiana Tech and in the 2002 Tangerine Bowl against Texas Tech.
Overview: Veteran leader of the Clemson defense who will be in his third season as a starter in 2003...listed among the best at his position by some preseason publications; he is ranked as the 17th-best outside linebacker in the nation by Lindy’s, 18th-best by The Sporting News...ranked as the ACC’s hardest-hitting linebacker by The Sporting News...has 312 tackles for his career, all but nine have come in the last two seasons...went over the 300-mark in the Tangerine Bowl against Texas Tech...tied for 13th in Clemson history in career tackles entering the 2003 season...has had at least 134 tackles in each of the last two years...another 150-tackle season as a senior will move him into fourth place in Clemson history...that would be quite an accomplishment considering he had just nine tackles as a freshman and did not play a single snap on defense; he only played on special teams as a freshman...his 169 tackles in 2002 rank fifth best in Clemson history for a season...has had double-figures tackle totals in 17 of the his last 25 games...has started 25 games in a row coming into 2003 season and has played in 36 of a possible 37 in his career...a veteran of two bowl game starts; he did not appear in the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech at end of 2002 season...Khaleed Vaughn is only other returning Tiger who has started two bowl games on defense...has ranked in the top 10 in the ACC in tackles per game in each of his last two years...has had 28 total tackles in two games against South Carolina over the last two years, so the native of Texas has been outstanding in the state rivalry...has 29 tackles in two career bowl game appearances, 13 in the win over Louisiana Tech and 16 against Texas Tech...has three career sacks, as two have come in bowl games...has worked hard in the weight room in the offseason, as he has increased his weight to over 240 pounds...tied for first on the team in the power clean with a 400-pound lift...has a 430-pound bench press, sixth on the team...did 29 reps of 225 pounds, fifth best...leads the team in the hang clean with a 400-pound lift...fifth-strongest player on the Clemson team pound-for-pound and first among players over 200 pounds in body weight...has a 41.5” vertical jump to go with his 430-pound bench press, a rare combination...also has a 10.5 inch broad jump, 10th on the team...third on the team in overall weight lifted in the various areas with 1,765 pounds...has football in his blood; his father, Mike Leake Sr., was a wide receiver at Wyoming from 1969-71...his father also played baseball for the Cowboys...he can dunk a basketball from a standing start...recruited to Clemson by Rich Rodriguez, now the head coach at West Virginia...Todd Graham was Leake’s high school coach and a friend of Rodriguez...the first member of his Clemson recruiting class to earn a starting position on defense.
In 2002: Named Clemson’s Defensive MVP of the Tangerine Bowl...he had 16 tackles in the game, including two tackles for loss and a 10-yard sack...started every game; he played at least 41 snaps in every game and had at least eight tackles in every game...failed to reach double figures in tackles against just Florida State and N.C. State...finished the season with a team-best 169 tackles; his 13.0 per game average was fourth best in the nation...was Clemson’s leading tackler and the second-leading tackler in the ACC...had double figures in tackles in 11 of the 13 games; he had a high of 21 tackles against Maryland in just 66 plays...that was just the 15th game in Clemson history in which a player recorded 20 tackles or more and just the ninth time in a conference game...an Honorable Mention All-ACC linebacker...had 17 tackles in the win over Louisiana Tech for his second-high total of the season...had 14 tackles, including season-best 10 first hits in just 49 snaps, against Ball State...also had a 24-yard sack in that game, one of the longest minus plays by a Tiger defender in history...had exactly 14 tackles in three different games, including the win over Ball State, the win over Wake Forest, and the win at Duke...a big reason Georgia gained just 203 yards of total offense against Clemson; he had 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss...a strong run-stopper in the Clemson attack; he played 749 snaps for the season, third most on the team...averaged a tackle every 4.6 snaps...did whatever he can to help the team, as he played on special teams in 2002 and had four special-teams tackles...finished the season with five-straight double-figure tackle games; he had double figures in each of the first four games...led Clemson in tackles in seven of the 13 games.
In 2001: Ranked 11th in the ACC in tackles per game with an 11.0 figure...second on the team in tackles; he had 134 tackles including the bowl game when he led the Tigers with 13 tackles...also had a tackle for loss and two pass breakups in an active performance against Louisiana Tech...one of the top-five totals in Clemson history by a sophomore...among the top-50 tacklers in the nation...listed as the #23 linebacker in the nation by The Sporting News in its 2002 preseason magazine...won the 2001 Hustle Award among defensive players in a vote by the Clemson coaches...voted the most improved linebacker of spring practice, 2002...came from nowhere to be the second-leading tackler on the Clemson team, first among returning players...did not play a snap from scrimmage in 2000, he was only on the field for special teams...started every game, one of six defensive players who could make that claim...had nine tackles in win over Central Florida in his first collegiate start; he had three quarterback pressures in that contest...Clemson’s leading tackler in five of the 12 games...led the way against Georgia Tech with 19 stops, which was his high for the season; had eight first hits in that game...also top tackler the next week in the win over N.C. State with 14...had 17 tackles in the rivalry game against South Carolina on November 17...had two tackles for loss and nine tackles to tie for game honors against Florida State...also had 16 tackles in the win over Wofford...had six games in which he had double figures...played just nine snaps against Wake Forest; he left early with an injury...played at least 50 snaps in every game except the Wake Forest game...averaged 56 plays per game.
In 2000: Played on special teams only and earned a letter as a first-year freshman...only defensive player to earn a letter as a first-year freshman...fifth on the team in special-teams tackles with nine, second among freshmen...had three tackles in the win over Wake Forest, including two on special teams...had two stops in the win over Missouri and two in the home win over N.C. State...might have made the largest strides among defensive players in the spring of 2001, as he had a 57-yard interception return for a score in the Spring Game...had 10 tackles, including three tackles for loss, and would have to be considered the defensive MVP of the Spring Game...also had three tackles for loss and a sack in the March 31 scrimmage; he led the team in tackles for loss during spring scrimmages with seven...a fine student; he made the ACC Academic Honor Roll in his first year at Clemson.
In High School: Came to Clemson as a linebacker from Plano, TX...had 140 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior in high school for Scott Phillips’ Plano East team...the first Clemson signee from Texas since Darnell Stephens in 1991...was the last signee in the class of 2000 and did not sign until well after signing day...had 900 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns as a running back his senior year in high school...named unanimous all-district on offense and defense...helped Plano East to an 11-3 record in 1999 and the Final Four of the state AAAAA playoffs...his season included a 160-yard rushing performance against Plano High and a 17-tackle performance against North Mesquite High...a two-year starter at linebacker; he had 85 tackles on a 9-3 team in 1998...averaged seven points and 10 rebounds on the basketball team...competed in the triple jump, long jump, high jump, and sprints on the track team...played on the baseball team as a junior...narrowed his selections to Clemson and Oklahoma...born John R. Leake on 8-28-81...majoring in marketing.
Leake 2001 Game-By-Game Stats
Date Opponent Plays Hit Ast Tot TFL Sacks QP 9-1 CENTRAL FLORIDA *51 4 5 9 3 9-8 WOFFORD *50 8 8 16 1 9-22 VIRGINIA *65 5 5 10 1-1 1 9-29 at Georgia Tech *63 8 11 19 1-1 1 10-13 at N.C. State *76 9 5 14 10-20 NORTH CAROLINA *63 3 5 8 10-27 at Wake Forest *9 0 1 1 11-3 FLORIDA STATE *51 7 2 9 2-4 11-10 at Maryland *67 6 3 9 11-17 at South Carolina *72 8 9 17 1-3 1 12-1 DUKE *60 4 5 9 12-31 Louisiana Tech *60 7 6 13 1-9 1-9 2 Totals 687 69 65 134 6-18 1-9 9 * - start
Leake 2002 Game-By-Game Stats
Date Opponent Plays Hit Ast Tot TFL Sacks 8-31 at Georgia *56 7 3 10 2-6 9-7 LOUISIANA TECH *63 8 9 17 9-14 GEORGIA TECH *60 4 7 11 9-21 Ball State *49 10 4 14 1-24 1-24 10-3 at Florida State *55 2 7 9 10-12 at Virginia *56 7 4 11 10-19 WAKE FOREST *69 6 8 14 10-24 N.C. STATE *52 5 3 8 11-2 at Duke *72 3 11 14 2-10 11-9 at North Carolina *49 5 8 13 11-16 MARYLAND *66 6 15 21 11-23 SOUTH CAROLINA *41 6 5 11 12-23 Texas Tech *61 12 4 16 2-11 1-10 Totals 749 81 88 169 7-51 2-34 * - start
Leake Career Stats
Year GP-S PL Hit Ast Tot TFL Sacks Int QP PBU CF-RF 2000 11-0 0 5 4 9 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0-0 2001 12-12 687 69 65 134 6-18 1-9 0-0 9 4 1-0 2002 13-13 749 81 88 169 7-51 2-34 0-0 3 1 0-0 Totals 36-25 1436 155 157 312 13-69 3-43 0-0 12 5 1-0
