Leonard Fournette is, by all accounts, a Ford F-150 playing college football. He’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, but trying to tackle Fournette is a cruel lesson in physics, as several opponents have found out this season. He’s already rushed for 864 yards and 11 touchdowns, surpassing his touchdown total for all of last season. He’s averaging 8.7 yards per carry, and when he ran for 233 yards last week against Eastern Michigan, he became the first running back in SEC history to rush for over 200 yards in three consecutive weeks.
But it’s not just his numbers that make your eyes bulge out of their sockets. Fournette has uncanny breakaway speed for someone built like he is, and his strength is a sight to behold. On many occasions this year, Fournette has shed defenders like action figures from Toys R Us.
Let’s take a look at some of his saddest victims through the first half of the 2015 college football season. We are talking about a group of men who collectively weight more than 1,000 pounds.
Howard Matthews – Defensive Back, Texas A&M
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 210
Howard Matthews is not a small man. Fournette made him look like a pillow that happened to fall on him and needed to be brushed off. This run is from the 2014 season, when Fournette wasn’t yet the household name he’s become today. Plays like this made college football fans take notice real quick. Playing safety here, Matthews had ample time to ready himself for Fournette’s arrival, set his feet and hold his ground, but it didn’t matter. As Matthews lowers his head to try and wrap up Fournette around the waist, Fournette’s body just keeps on moving, overpowering Matthews and pushing him into the ground. When you google “Howard Matthews,” this should forever be the first result.
Kivon Coman – Defensive Back, Mississippi State
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 196 pounds
In LSU’s first game of the 2015 season, Fournette shredded Mississippi State on the ground, including this touchdown run in which he jukes one defender to the ground, then bowls over Coman for daring to stand between him and 6 points. To be fair, Coman doesn’t make much of an effort, perhaps realizing that a bulldozer is heading straight for him and that tree he was hugging wasn’t worth it anymore. Still, Fournette crushes him with a shoulder.
Jonathan Jones and Blake Countless – Defensive Backs, Auburn
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 181 (Jones) and 185 pounds (Countless)
Jones and Countless formed the last line of defense during one of Fournette’s three touchdown runs in a 45-21 LSU win over Auburn, and things went poorly for both of them. Having turned the corner at Auburn’s 35-yard line, Fournette had already reached peak speed and was barreling toward the end zone. Jones was up first. He attempted to arm-tackle Fournette, which is like trying to knock down a grizzly bear with your pinky. Countless remained between Fournette and sweet, sweet victory. He took a shoulder right to the grill as Fournette bowled over him and kept on chugging for 6. Thanks for playing, Auburn.
Tray Matthews and Nick Ruffin – Defensive Backs, Auburn
Height: 6-1 (Matthews) and 6 feet (Ruffin) | Weight: 213 and 191 pounds
We saved the best for last. By now you’ve probably seen video of Fournette whipping Matthews off his back like a rogue carousel, but it’s one of those videos you have to watch over and over again. At 213 pound, Matthews is pretty sizable for a college cornerback, and he catapults himself onto Fournette’s back, hoping to take him down by the shoulders. He fails, landing on his back near the sideline after going for a ride. Ruffin attempts finally to stop Fournette, but after seeing what happened to his teammate, he doesn’t even come close to bringing him down.
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Leonard Fournette is, by all accounts, a Ford F-150 playing college football. He’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, but trying to tackle Fournette is a cruel lesson in physics, as several opponents have found out this season. He’s already rushed for 864 yards and 11 touchdowns, surpassing his touchdown total for all of last season. He’s averaging 8.7 yards per carry, and when he ran for 233 yards last week against Eastern Michigan, he became the first running back in SEC history to rush for over 200 yards in three consecutive weeks.
But it’s not just his numbers that make your eyes bulge out of their sockets. Fournette has uncanny breakaway speed for someone built like he is, and his strength is a sight to behold. On many occasions this year, Fournette has shed defenders like action figures from Toys R Us.
Let’s take a look at some of his saddest victims through the first half of the 2015 college football season. We are talking about a group of men who collectively weight more than 1,000 pounds.
Howard Matthews – Defensive Back, Texas A&M
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 210
Howard Matthews is not a small man. Fournette made him look like a pillow that happened to fall on him and needed to be brushed off. This run is from the 2014 season, when Fournette wasn’t yet the household name he’s become today. Plays like this made college football fans take notice real quick. Playing safety here, Matthews had ample time to ready himself for Fournette’s arrival, set his feet and hold his ground, but it didn’t matter. As Matthews lowers his head to try and wrap up Fournette around the waist, Fournette’s body just keeps on moving, overpowering Matthews and pushing him into the ground. When you google “Howard Matthews,” this should forever be the first result.
Kivon Coman – Defensive Back, Mississippi State
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 196 pounds
In LSU’s first game of the 2015 season, Fournette shredded Mississippi State on the ground, including this touchdown run in which he jukes one defender to the ground, then bowls over Coman for daring to stand between him and 6 points. To be fair, Coman doesn’t make much of an effort, perhaps realizing that a bulldozer is heading straight for him and that tree he was hugging wasn’t worth it anymore. Still, Fournette crushes him with a shoulder.
Jonathan Jones and Blake Countless – Defensive Backs, Auburn
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 181 (Jones) and 185 pounds (Countless)
Jones and Countless formed the last line of defense during one of Fournette’s three touchdown runs in a 45-21 LSU win over Auburn, and things went poorly for both of them. Having turned the corner at Auburn’s 35-yard line, Fournette had already reached peak speed and was barreling toward the end zone. Jones was up first. He attempted to arm-tackle Fournette, which is like trying to knock down a grizzly bear with your pinky. Countless remained between Fournette and sweet, sweet victory. He took a shoulder right to the grill as Fournette bowled over him and kept on chugging for 6. Thanks for playing, Auburn.
Tray Matthews and Nick Ruffin – Defensive Backs, Auburn
Height: 6-1 (Matthews) and 6 feet (Ruffin) | Weight: 213 and 191 pounds
We saved the best for last. By now you’ve probably seen video of Fournette whipping Matthews off his back like a rogue carousel, but it’s one of those videos you have to watch over and over again. At 213 pound, Matthews is pretty sizable for a college cornerback, and he catapults himself onto Fournette’s back, hoping to take him down by the shoulders. He fails, landing on his back near the sideline after going for a ride. Ruffin attempts finally to stop Fournette, but after seeing what happened to his teammate, he doesn’t even come close to bringing him down.