Leandre Diarra

Leandre Diarra

Leandre Diarra at Columbia Lions football practice in 2049.
No. 45 – Prospect
Position:	Fullback
Personal information
Born:	(2027-09-03)September 3, 2027 (aged 35) Paris, France
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	255 lb (116 kg)
Username:	Slate-2
Career information
College:	Columbia Lions football
Career history
Roster status:	Active

Leandre Souleymane Diarra (born September 3, 2027) is an American football fullback who is currently preparing to enter the professional ranks. He played college football for Columbia and has declared his intent to enter the professional ranks next season.

Early years

Leandre Souleymane Diarra was born in Paris to his parents Amidou Diarra and Mareme Diarra, both first-generation immigrants to France from Africa. His father was a Malian footballer who moved to France at age 20 to play for Olympique Lyonnais, while his mother had immigrated at a much younger age from Senegal. Leandre has a younger sister, Leonie, and a younger brother, Thibault.

Leandre was initially interested in following in his father's path as a professional soccer player and was enrolled in Olympique de Marseille's football academy at the age of 9. Despite initial promise and success as part of the club's Under-13 side, when Diarra was 16 Marseille informed him that he would not receive a scholarship to continue on with the club. Diarra began to pursue other athletic and intellectual pursuits, dedicating himself to his schoolwork and beginning to compete in other sports, including track and field (hammer throw, shot put, discus throw, and hurdles) and fencing.

College career

Leandre Diarra was accepted to Columbia University and received an athletic scholarship for Track & Field, where he competed mainly in the hammer throw and shotput events. He was interested in pursuing other sports and received permission to try out for the Columbia Lions football team, where he earned a roster spot at running back. In his four year football career with the Lions, he amassed 1,642 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.

Track and Field

Diarra achieved moderate success in track and field during his time at Columbia. His best finish was 2nd place in hammer throw at the 2047 Ivy League Outdoor Track and Field Championships. That season, he also qualified for the 2047 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in hammer throw and shotput, though he failed to place top 8 in any events.

American Football

Despite never playing organized American football prior to attending Columbia, Diarra took to the game quickly. After making only 3 appearances in his freshman season, Diarra played in all 10 games in his sophomore season, totaling over 300 yards rushing and 100 receiving. Diarra made 5 starts at running back in his junior season and totaling the second highest rushing yards of any player on the team. In his senior season in 2049, new head coach Anders Hill had Diarra take some snaps at fullback and tight end to block for his fellow running backs. Diarra responded well to the new role and drew interest from DSFL scouts in these roles, despite his rushing yards suffering as a result.

College career statistics

Career statistics			Rushing					Receiving
Season	Team	Games	Att	Yards	Avg	Lg	TD	Rec	Yards	Avg	Lg	TD
2046	Columbia	3	9	34	3.8	12	0	1	9	9	9	0
2047	Columbia	10	73	317	4.3	34	5	22	178	8.1	23	1
2048	Columbia	10	147	756	5.1	26	7	31	229	7.4	42	1
2049	Columbia	10	113	535	4.7	19	3	37	322	8.7	28	0

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