(Photo courtesy of Willie Pile of 4th & Inches Sports Performance (Irving, TX), where Brian is training for his pro day)

Former Bemidji State University tight end Brian Leonhardt (Blaine, Minn.) competed in the Texas vs The Nation Game Saturday and excelled in the Senior All-Star Game, typically reserved for Division I talent. He posted four receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown to earn Offensive Most Valuable Player honors in a 24-13 Nation victory.

One of the most decorated student-athletes on and off the field to ever play Beaver football, Leonhardt was one of more than 110 student-athletes from around the country invited to play at Eagle Stadium in Allen, Texas Feb. 2 in the annual Texas vs The Nation Game.

The Division I-A Collegiate Senior All-Star Bowl pits top collegiate senior student-athletes with ties to the state of Texas (originally from Texas or played college football in Texas) against top seniors from around the nation. The game showcases top senior players for professional scouts and has been successful in displaying talent signed by NFL teams. Watching Feb. 2 will be 225 NFL coaches, general managers and scouts. In 2012, 1 in 10 players on NFL rosters were TVN alumni and since 2007, 515 (93%) players have gone on to sign NFL contracts.

A four-time All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference player, Leonhardt earned All-America status from two different publications following a standout 2011 season. When the season was over, Leonhardt and Tesch started getting contacted from NFL teams. By the end of the 2012 season, the multifaceted tight end had visited with more than half of the 32 NFL teams.

Despite battling injuries all season, Leonhardt started 10 games in 2012 and was named Beyond Sports Network Division II All-America First Team and All-NSIC First Team. A preseason All-American from BSN, the tight end posted 25 receptions for 343 yards and three touchdowns. His reception and reception yards numbers were third on the team in 2012, while the three scores put him in a four-way tie for first. He averaged 34.3 yards per game, 13.7 yards per reception and had a season-long reception of 38 yards. He posted a season-high 93 yards on seven receptions at University of Mary Oct. 6. An extension of the offensive line, Leonhardt helped guide the Beavers to 170.8 rushing yards per game and 20 touchdowns.

He capped his career with 15 touchdowns to rank tied for eighth all-time at Bemidji State and his 112 career receptions are 10th at BSU. Leonhardt finished his career with 1,431 career reception yards to rank second among BSU tight ends since 1971.

He was a 2009 All-NSIC Honorable Mention as a freshman, then earned All-NSIC First Team honors in 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2011 he was named Daktronics, Inc. Super Region #3 First Team, en route to All-America Second Team honors from the publication. Leonhardt was also a 2011 D2Football.com All-America Honorable Mention. At the conclusion of the 2012 season, he earned the team’s Guy Vena Most Inspirational Award.

The 2012 captain also led off the gridiron and posted a 3.71 GPA entering his final semester and graduated in December with a degree in business administration. For his efforts, he was named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Division II Football First Team. A 2011 Academic All-America selection, Leonhardt was a three-time academic all-district award winner and three-time Fall NSIC All-Academic Team member.