Leon Gonzalez

Leon Eugene Gonzalez III (born September 21, 1963) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Bethune-Cookman University.

Leon Gonzalez
No. 83, 89
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1963-09-21) September 21, 1963
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:162 lb (73 kg)
Career information
High school:Jean Ribault (FL)
College:Bethune-Cookman
NFL Draft:1985 / Round: 8 / Pick: 216
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× All-MEAC (1983, 1984)
Career NFL statistics
Games played:13
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

Gonzalez attended Jean Ribault High School, where he practiced football, basketball and track. He was a teammate of future NFL wide receiver Kelvin Martin.

He accepted a football scholarship from Bethune-Cookman University.[1] As a freshman, his teammates gave him the nickname "Speedy" Gonzalez. As a junior, he became a starter, registering 43 receptions for 718 yards and 6 touchdowns.

As a senior, he led the MEAC in receiving with 56 receptions for 941 yards and 9 touchdowns.[2] He also contributed to the team winning the Mideastern Athletic Conference Division championship.[3]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Gonzalez was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the eighth round (216th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft.[4][5] He was also selected by the Orlando Renegades in the eleventh round (147th overall) of the 1985 USFL Draft. As a rookie, he was a backup wide receiver behind Mike Renfro and also returned punts. He finished with 3 receptions for 28 yards and 15 punt returns for 58 yards (3.9-yard avg.). He was waived on December 5 to be placed on the injured reserve list with a Bunion condition, and to make room for Gordon Banks.[6] He was released on August 23, 1986.[7]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In May 1987, he signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[8] He was released before the start of the season.

Atlanta Falcons

After the NFLPA strike was declared on the third week of the 1987 season, those contests were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the NFL decided that the games would be played with replacement players. Gonzalez was signed in September to be a part of the Atlanta Falcons replacement team.[9] He was a backup at wide receiver. He appeared in 2 games, posting 3 receptions for 40 yards. He was cut on October 19, at the end of the strike.[10]

References
  1. "Pro Football Careers Loom For Bethune's Gonzalez, Bostic". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  2. "Bethune Trio Making Strong Bids To Land Nfl Jobs". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  3. "Brown Isn't Blue Because Gonzalez Is A Cowboy". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  4. "1985 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  5. "Gonzalez Makes Speedy Impression : Landry Likes the Chances of Dallas' Rookie Wide Receiver". Los Angeles Times. 27 July 1985. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  6. "For The Record". The Washington Post. December 6, 1985. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  7. "The Dallas Cowboys released three players Saturday". Associated Press. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  8. "Little: Not Drafting Irvin Was A Mistake". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  9. "Atlanta Falcons". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  10. "NFL Roster Moves". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
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