Leigh Bodden

Infobox NFLactive


currentteam=Detroit Lions
currentnumber=28
currentposition=Cornerback
birthdate=birth date and age|1981|9|24
birthplace=Washington, D.C.
heightft=6
heightin=1
weight=193
debutyear=2003
debutteam=Cleveland Browns
college=Duquesne
undraftedyear=2003
pastteams=
* Cleveland Browns (2003-2007)
* Detroit Lions (2008-present)
status=Active
statweek=17
statseason=2007
statlabel1=Tackles
statvalue1=217
statlabel2=Sacks
statvalue2=0.0
statlabel3=INTs
statvalue3=12
nfl=BOD194145

Leigh Edmond Bodden (born September 24, 1981 in Washington, D.C.) is an American football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Duquesne University.

Early years

Bodden attended Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. And in 1998, his final season with the Wildcats he helped lead his school to their best season to date. They posted a 10-2 record and appeared in the first playoff game in school history.

College career

The holder of nearly every Duquesne University interception record, he picked off seven passes in his last season, 2002, under Coach Greg Gattuso, including a school record-tying three vs. Iona College. He was a prime reason DU's defense was ranked No. 1 in all of NCAA Division I-AA in 2002 in total and scoring defense and second in pass and pass efficiency defense. He also owns three records for the school's men's track & field team and was the Atlantic 10 Conference long jump champion in 2002.

In his final season with Duquesne, Bodden was an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division I-AA All-American and the 2002 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League Defensive Player of the Year. He also was a consensus All-American as a junior. In total, he caught 28 interceptions during his time at Duquesne, second in the nation during that period.

Professional career

Cleveland Browns

Despite his strong collegiate career, Bodden received little press and went undrafted in 2003. He would make the 53-man roster of the Cleveland Browns though out of training camp and contributed heavily as a special teams player and nickel cornerback, playing in 13 games in his rookie year. He nabbed his first career NFL interception against the Arizona Cardinals off of a 4th-quarter pass from Josh McCown.

The 2004 season saw Bodden further establish himself as a force on special teams. He would tie for the team lead with 18 special tackles and recorded his first career forced fumble. Unfortunately for Bodden, his season would be ended in the third quarter of a week 8 match-up against AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens. He would suffer a left shoulder strain and was also placed on the injured reserve for the remainder of the season due to a biceps injury.

In 2005, Bodden had a breakthrough season. He would gain one of the starting cornerback positions under new head coach Romeo Crennel after an injury to Gary Baxter and despite missing weeks 2 & 3 with an injury, then weeks 4-6 inactive, he would make himself a favorite of defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and DB coach Mel Tucker. His first big game came in a week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in which he totaled 7 tackles, a forced fumble, and his second career interception.

He contributed mightily in defensive efforts against Houston (10 tackles 1 int. in a 19-16 loss), Miami (5 tackles in a 22-0 win), and Oakland (6 tackles 1 int. in a 9-7 win). His finest moment to date came against the Baltimore Ravens in week 17. Bodden forced a fumble, caught an interception, and tallied 5 tackles. His contributions would prove to be crucial in a 20-16 win over the Ravens which brought the year's difficult campaign to a close.

As a result of his solid performance in 2005, Bodden received a four-year contract extension. Bodden spent most of the 2006 season battling injuries and only played in 9 games, amassing 2 interceptions.

In 2005, Chad Johnson announced he was keeping a list of defensive backs who had covered him skillfully. This list was called "Who Covered 85 in '05", the Pro-Bowler named Leigh Bodden #1 and called him his toughest cover after being held to a season low 2 catches and 22 yards.

On December 23, 2007, Bodden recorded 4 tackles, 1 assist, and 2 interceptions in a Cleveland Browns loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game marked a high point in Bodden's career.

Detroit Lions

On February 29, 2008, Bodden was traded to the Detroit Lions along with a third round draft choice in a deal for defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. Bodden is expected to compete for a starting role in the Lions secondary.

Arrest

On September 5, 2007, Bodden was arrested at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport following an incident in which he allegedly backed his 2004 GMC Yukon SUV into a parking spot in the airport's arrivals area.cite web| url = http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3006908 | title = Browns cornerback Leigh Bodden arrested at Cleveland airport |author = Associated Press |date=2007-09-06 |work = ESPN.com | accessdate=2007-09-06] Bodden was said to be at the airport to pick up his girlfriend and their children.

Cleveland police reported that Bodden failed to comply when asked to pull his vehicle over. When asked a second time by police, he reportedly did comply, but pulled his SUV into an illegal parking zone and left it there. Officers alleged that Bodden was verbally abusive when asked for his driver's license.

Bodden was released from jail after posting $1,000 bond and entered not guilty pleas to charges of resisting arrest, failing to comply with an officer and a traffic offense.

Bodden apologized for the incident on September 6, and did not face a team- or league-imposed suspension for conduct.

References

External links

* [http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/player.php?id=244 Cleveland Browns bio]
* [http://www.detroitlions.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=492&season=10 Detroit Lions bio]
* [http://goduquesne.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/duqu-bodden-pros.html Duquesne Dukes bio]