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J.D. Leman was a four-year letterwinner for the Wheaton football program. In 2000 he recorded a dominating season at linebacker and earned recognition as the CCIW Co-Defensive Player of the Year. He was honored as a First Team All-American by D3football.com in 2000 and was a Third Team member of the Hewlett-Packard Division III All-America Team.
Leman helped lead Wheaton to a share of the CCIW Championship in 2000 with a team-high 116 total tackles, including 85 solo stops. He also registered 13 tackles for loss (-57 yards) that year with four sacks (-33 yards). He also recorded three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
J.D. recalls a favorite memory from his senior season, "It was fourth-and goal in the second overtime at Augustana in the final game of the 2000 season. We had exchanged field goals in the first overtime and had the ball first in the second overtime. After scoring a touchdown, Augustana had a chance to answer. Their tight end had been killing us on short yardage routes and it seemed obvious that would be the go-to play as they lined up from the seven-yard line. I lined up on the tight end man-to-man. He ran a 10-yard out route and I broke on the ball, knocking it down, sealing a 37-30 victory, an 8-2 season, and most importantly a CCIW title."
"I learned there is no substitute for hard work and discipline in your craft. Everyone has been blessed with a unique set of gifts but they don't mean much if you are unable to put in the time required to maximize their potential," J.D. recalls of what he learned in his time with Wheaton football. He concludes, "Real life is surprisingly similar to football. There are times you win and there are times you lose. We were always told to focus on where we were going. The challenge to keep your perspective on the goal ahead has been instrumental in my development as man.
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