While the families of most high-level athletes motivate them with encouraging words and sentiments, Riley Leonard’s family is a little different. Where most athletes would presumably hear something like “you’re the best” from their families, Riley gets a “You suck.” But it was his own idea.
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Leonard famously sports a simple, yet powerful wristband that says, “You suck,” apparently to remind him to stay humble and to keep pushing his QB game.
It all started in high school at Fairhope High School (Ala.), where Leonard excelled as a multi-sport athlete. With the pressure of balancing football and basketball, he came up with this tradition to provide that “extra motivation” to stay grounded.
“In high school, I come from a small town, and I got a lot of credit for being a good athlete on the football field and on the basketball court. Everyone was always telling me how good I was. So, I needed somebody to humble me a little bit, give me a little extra motivation,” he explained in an NBC Sports interview ahead of the CFP National Championship final.
What’s more touching is how Leonard shared his need to stay grounded with his parents, Chad Leonard and Heather Leonard. His mother, Heather, took it to heart and made it her mission to help him maintain humility.
“I remember telling my parents that. My mom took it, and ran with this. So, if you look at my high school lockers, it even says ‘you suck’ all over it. Just a cool tradition that we do.”
This tradition grew beyond just a wristband. Heather Leonard started sending Riley “you suck” texts before every game to help keep him focused and motivated. And when Riley joined Notre Dame, he made a small change—switching the wristband’s color to green, to represent the Fighting Irish spirit.
The tradition quickly caught the attention of head coach Marcus Freeman, who praised it as a key motivator for Riley’s success.
“When I heard that, it’s a reminder to me of why he’s so competitive. And whatever it is that she’s doing, whatever that text means to him, it’s getting him to play at a high level,” Freeman said about the pre-game texts.
As Notre Dame heads into Monday’s national championship game, Leonard will be hoping to add a fourth win to their 3-2 record in the College Football Playoff. With his “you suck” tradition still in play, there’s no telling how far his determination will take him.
