If NFL coaches are looking for passion from players in this upcoming draft, there might not be a prospect with more of it than LSU running back Leonard Fournette. This is because football was a lifesaver for Fournette.

RELATED: Watch LSU Running Back Leonard Fournette Shed 1,176 Pounds of Would-Be Tacklers

In a recent appearance on PFT Live, the 6-foot, 240-pound running back explained how the sport saved his life. “I could have been like any knucklehead out here selling drugs, a criminal or doing whatever. But no, I was on the football field 24/7,” Fournette said.

It wasn’t the first time Fournette has talked about the positive impact football has had on his life. A couple years ago he tweeted about it.

I swear football saved my life….

— Leonard Fournette (@_fournette) December 22, 2015

@_fournette — Interesting. How?

— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) December 22, 2015

@MartySmithESPN I could of been a drug dealer or killer but playing football stopped me from being that

— Leonard Fournette (@_fournette) December 22, 2015

@_fournette — Organized sports w influential coaches can indeed positively direct — and sometimes save — lives. U have good ones @ LSU too.

— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) December 22, 2015

Fournette is from the 7th Ward of New Orleans and he was displaced from his home by Hurricane Katrina when he was 10 years old. Fournette told ESPN that he had behavior problems when he was younger and that football changed all that.

RELATED: How Leonard Fournette’s Heavier Weight Helped His NFL Combine Performance

Fournette is ranked as the No. 2 running back in the 2017 draft class.

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