| Defensive tackle | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: August 8, 1975 | |
| Place of birth: Ontario, California | |
| Date of death: May 30, 1998 (aged 22) | |
| Place of death: Marietta, Georgia | |
| Career information | |
| College: Washington State | |
| NFL Draft: 1998 / Round: 2 / Pick: 31 | |
| No regular season or postseason appearances | |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NFL statistics as of 1998 | |
| Games played | -- |
| Games started | -- |
| Fumble recoveries | -- |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Leon Bender (August 8, 1975 – May 30, 1998) was an American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the 1998 NFL Draft out of Washington State in the second round. However, on May 30, 1998, five weeks after the draft, Bender died and would never play an NFL game. Bender graduated in 1993 from Santana High School in Santee, California.
Bender was found dead on May 30, 1998 in the home of Terry Bolar in Marietta, Georgia. Bender was visiting Bolar, an associate of Eugene Parker, Bender's agent. The Cobb County (Ga.) medical examiner's office confirmed on June 10, that a seizure disorder was the cause of death.