Leigh Bodden

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Leigh Edmond Bodden (born September 24, 1981 in Hyattsville, Maryland), is an American football cornerback for the Cleveland Browns. Bodden signed with the Browns as a undrafted free agent after a stellar career at Division I-AA Duquesne University.

1 High School Years
2 Duquesne University
3 Cleveland Browns (2003-Present)
4 References

[edit] High School Years

Bodden attended Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland and received varsity letters in football and track & field.

[edit] Duquesne University

The holder of nearly every Duquesne University interception record, he picked off seven passes in his last season 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 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.

[edit] Cleveland Browns (2003-Present)

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 nickle 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 2-6 with an injury 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 mightly in defensive efforts against Houston (10 tackles in a 19-16 loss), Miami (5 tackles in a 22-0 win), and Oakland (6 tackles 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 strong performance in 2005, Bodden received a four-year contract extension.