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Javon Leake
refer to caption
Leake with the Edmonton Elks in 2024
No. 22 – Edmonton Elks
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1998-08-01) August 1, 1998 (age 26)
Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Walter H. Page
(Greensboro, North Carolina)
College:Maryland
Undrafted:2020
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
CFL status:American
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Stats at CFL.ca

Javon Leake (born August 1, 1998) is an American professional football running back and return specialist for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has also been a member of the New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins.

Early life

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Leake was born in The Bronx, New York and moved to Greensboro, North Carolina while in middle school and attended Walter Hines Page Senior High School.[1] He became the Pirates' starting running back as a sophomore and rushed for 456 yards and five touchdowns. He was named first-team All-Area by the Greensboro News & Record after rushing 277 times for 2,048 yards and 30 touchdowns while gaining 356 yards and scoring four touchdowns on 21 receptions as a junior.[2] As a senior, Leake gained 1,679 yards and scored 29 touchdowns on 216 carries despite missing time due to an ankle injury and was again named first-team All-Area and first-team All-State by USA Today.[3] Rated a three-star recruit, Leake committed to play college football at Maryland over offers from Louisville, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.[4]

College career

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Leake with Maryland in 2019

Leake served as a kick returner and backup running back as a true freshman, rushing nine times for 99 yards and two touchdowns and returning 13 kicks for 274 yards.[5][6] He rushed 34 times for 309 yards and a team-leading seven rushing touchdowns and lead the team with 409 kickoff return yards and one kick returned for a touchdown during his sophomore year.[7][8][9] Leake became the first player in Big Ten Conference history to be named the Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Week for the same game after he rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns and returned a kick 97 yards for a fourth score against Illinois.[10][11]

Leake had an expanded role on offense as a junior, sharing primary running back duties with Anthony McFarland Jr., and rushed 102 times for 736 yards and eight touchdowns while also leading the Big Ten and finishing third in the nation with 804 kickoff return yards on 30 returns with two touchdowns and was named first-team All-Big Ten as a return specialist and the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year.[12] He was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week two times after returning a kick 100 yards for a touchdown against Rutgers on October 4, 2019 and for a 97-yard return touchdown against Michigan on November 4, 2019.[13][14] Following the end of the season Leake announced that he would be forgoing his final year of eligibility to enter the 2020 NFL draft.[15]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 0+1⁄8 in
(1.83 m) 		215 lb
(98 kg) 		31+1⁄2 in
(0.80 m) 		9+5⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.65 s 1.62 s 2.75 s 34.0 in
(0.86 m)		 10 ft 5 in
(3.18 m)
All values from NFL Combine[16][17]

New York Giants

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Leake signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent on April 25, 2020,[18] but was waived on August 29, 2020.[19]

Washington Football Team

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Leake with the Washington Football Team in 2020

Leake signed with the practice squad of the Washington Football Team on November 19, 2020.[20] He was placed on the practice squad/COVID-19 list by the team on November 23,[21] and restored to the practice squad on December 2.[22] He was elevated to the active roster on December 12 for the team's week 14 game against the San Francisco 49ers, and reverted to the practice squad after the game.[23] He was released on December 31, 2020,[24] but rejoined their practice squad on January 7, 2021.[25] Leake signed a reserve/futures contract with Washington on January 11, 2021,[26] and was waived on April 9, 2021.[27]

Detroit Lions

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On August 11, 2021, Leake signed with the Detroit Lions.[28] He was waived on August 23, 2021.

Toronto Argonauts

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On April 26, 2022, it was announced that Leake had signed with the Toronto Argonauts.[29] He played in his first CFL game in the team's season opener on June 16, 2022, against the Montreal Alouettes where he was used primarily as a kick returner.[30] In 2023, Leake had a dominant season as he finished with 1,216 punt return yards, the third-most in CFL history and the most in Toronto franchise history. He also had four punt return touchdowns, which was one shy of the league record, but set a new Argonauts franchise record. He was named both a Divisional and CFL All-Star at the end of the year.[31]

Edmonton Elks

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Leake joined the Edmonton Elks in free agency on February 13, 2024.[32]

References

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  1. ^ "As Greensboro's Javon Leake becomes a standout for Maryland, his dad follows as best he can from prison". News & Record. November 18, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  2. ^ Batten, Sammy (August 16, 2016). "Nos. 11-20". The Fayetteville Observer.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Littlehouse, Alex (June 17, 2017). "Javon Leake is joining a crowded Maryland backfield, but he shouldn't be overlooked". TestudoTimes.com. SB Nation. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  4. ^ Ghafir, Ahmed (July 30, 2016). "Breaking: Javon Leake Commits to Maryland". 247Sports.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  5. ^ "Maryland loses 1-2 punch in backfield, with Javon Leake following Anthony McFarland Jr. into NFL eligibility". Baltimore Sun. December 4, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  6. ^ Montiel, Sean (June 19, 2019). "Javon Leake will bring explosiveness to Maryland football's 2019 backfield". TestudoTimes.com. SB Nation. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  7. ^ Stirn, Josh (April 17, 2019). "Spring Practice Report 10: Leake Makes His Move". 247Sports.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  8. ^ "Barnes, Leake Selected to Preseason Watch Lists". Garrett County Republican. August 1, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  9. ^ "A role player his first two seasons, Maryland running back Javon Leake seems ready for star turn". Baltimore Sun. August 14, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  10. ^ "Javon Leake and Maryland football explode to win over Illinois". The Washington Post. October 27, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  11. ^ Stirn, Josh (October 29, 2018). "Leake Makes History After Four-TD Performance". 247Sports.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  12. ^ Bromberg, Lila (December 3, 2019). "Running back Javon Leake headlines Big Ten awards for Maryland football". TestudoTimes.com. SB Nation. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  13. ^ "Maryland's Javon Leake named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week". Baltimore Sun. October 7, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  14. ^ "Leake named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week". Rivals.com. November 4, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  15. ^ "Javon Leake leaving Maryland football for NFL draft". The Washington Post. December 4, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  16. ^ "Javon Leake Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  17. ^ "2020 Draft Scout Javon Leake, Maryland NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  18. ^ Ghafir, Ahmed (April 25, 2020). "Leake finds a home as undrafted free agent". 247Sports.com. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  19. ^ Eisen, Michael (August 29, 2020). "Giants sign DBs KeiVarae Russell, Brandon Williams". Giants.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  20. ^ Jennings, Scott. "Washington Roster Moves: Geron Christian Sr. goes to IR". Hogs Haven. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  21. ^ Williams, Charean (November 23, 2020). "Washington places practice squad player Javon Leake on COVID-19 list". NBCSports.com. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  22. ^ Aaron Wilson [@AaronWilson_NFL] (December 2, 2020). "Javon Leake (Washington) restored from practice squad-COVID-19 list" (Tweet). Retrieved December 29, 2020 – via Twitter.
  23. ^ "Washington Makes Multiple Roster Moves". WashingtonFootball.com. December 12, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  24. ^ "Javon Leake: Cut from practice squad". CBSSports. December 31, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  25. ^ "Javon Leake: Rejoins practice squad". CBSSports. January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  26. ^ Washington Football Team Public Relations. "Washington Signs 13 Players To Reserve/Future Contracts". WashingtonFootball.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  27. ^ Alper, Josh. "Caleb Brantley, Thaddeus Moss among five players cut by Washington". Pro Football Talk. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  28. ^ Schlitt, Erik (August 11, 2021). "Detroit Lions sign RB Javon Leake, waive/injured RB Michael Warren". SBNation.com.
  29. ^ "Argos Ink American RB Javon Leake". Toronto Argonauts. April 26, 2022.
  30. ^ "Javon Leake". Canadian Football League. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  31. ^ "Stars of the show: 2023 CFL All-Stars, fan favourite unveiled". Canadian Football League. November 8, 2023.
  32. ^ "Elks Ink Star Returner Javon Leake". Edmonton Elks. February 13, 2024.
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