Riley Leonard with his mother Heather Leonard and father Chad Leonard in November 2024 at the University of Notre Dame. Photo:
Riley Leonard/ Instagram
Riley Leonard has two proud parents!
Chad and Heather Leonard welcomed the Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback on Sept. 13, 2002, several years after they met in high school and later married. The longtime couple are also parents to sons Cole and Devin.
From coaching Riley’s little league days to sending him motivational texts before every football game, Chad and Heather have supported Riley’s athletic journey since he was a kid.
“My parents, Chad and Heather, have been there for us every step of the way and I’ll always be grateful for the sacrifices they’ve made for me over the years,” Riley wrote on his website.
In September 2024, Heather told the local outlet WKRG that while she’s proud of his athletic talents, it’s his work “off the field” that has been “the most rewarding.”
“Since Riley was little, we would get notes or texts or a parent would come up to us and be like, ‘Riley’s a real role model to my son, he’s a leader, and he’s inspired my son to do better at their sport or just in life and be the best that they can be,’ ” she shared. “And that’s all we can ask for as a parent.”
Now, as Riley leads his team against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College National Championship game on Jan. 20, they’ll be cheering him on once again.
From Chad’s own athletic career to how he and Heather support their son’s football journey, here’s everything to know about Riley Leonard’s parents, Chad and Heather Leonard.
Riley Leonard poses for a photo in November 2018 in Fairhope, Ala. Riley Leonard/ Instagram
Chad and Heather both grew up near Washington, D.C. and met while in high school, per Advance Local. According to the outlet, Heather attended the all-girls institution Georgetown Visitation, while Chad was a student at the all-boys school Gonzaga Prep, per The Athletic.
They eventually moved to Fairhope, Ala., when their children were young but didn’t expect to stay long-term. However, they ended up enjoying the lifestyle, which allowed their sons to grow up running through the woods.
“They’re outside barefoot running around. We’re from D.C. and it’s like, ‘What happened?’ ” Chad told The Athletic in August 2024. “We decided if we were gonna move to Alabama, we were gonna move to Alabama. There’s a farmer’s field behind us, cows, a pond, they’d go back and fish, get kicked off.”
Although Riley now attends school in Indiana, he told the outlet that the people and sights he has encountered around Notre Dame’s campus remind him of home.
Riley is Chad and Heather’s middle child, growing up alongside brothers Devin and Cole.
In a December 2024 message to his “Notre Dame Family” in The Players’ Tribune, Riley shared that he and his siblings were “inseparable” growing up.
“We actually had a couple of extra bedrooms in our house, so we could’ve each had our own — but we insisted on not splitting up,” he said. “Our parents caved and let us squeeze three beds into one room.”
Riley shared that they would “get into all types of trouble together,” adding that they spent a lot of time building “forts,” battling with their Star Wars lightsabers and playing sports.
Riley Leonard plays golf with his father Chad Leonard and two brothers Devin and Cole Leonard. Riley Leonard/ Instagram
Riley’s passion for sports mirrors his father’s, who was also a college athlete. Chad played basketball at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., from 1992 to 1995, per the team’s roster. After graduating, he worked as a golf professional at Rivertowne Country Club and Patriots Point, according to The Post and Courier.
Although Riley was a basketball and football star in high school, Chad initially thought Riley would follow in his footsteps.
“I never pushed him to play basketball, but I always kind of thought he would end up playing basketball in college,” Chad told the outlet in September 2023. “But then COVID happened, and the football offers he was getting he just couldn’t ignore.”
The dad of three had an instinct that his son had a different calling and felt “kind of relieved and excited” when Riley chose football.
“I felt for a long time that he had a quarterback’s body,” he said. “His personality was built for the quarterback position. He’s been a quarterback since he was little. The position comes natural to him.”
Chad added, “He’s a freak athlete and combine that his natural talent for the position and it’s a perfect fit.”
Heather graduated with a degree in special education from The College of Charleston. In an April 2011 interview with Advance Local, she revealed that, even as a “little girl,” she knew she wanted to be a teacher.
“I just couldn’t imagine any other career being as fun as working with children all day,” she said.
Heather went on to work at the Sylvan Learning Center as a director of education. She later left the role when she started a family but eventually returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher.
According to the publication, Heather was also involved with her sons’ school, serving as the vice chairwoman of fundraising for the Parent-Teacher Organization.
Riley Leonard of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates after defeating Penn State in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Jan. 9, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Megan Briggs/Getty
As a kid, Riley played various youth sports, with his dad often serving as one of his coaches, according to The Athletic. Riley recalled to the outlet what it was like having him as his T-ball coach, including the mixed reactions he’d receive from his father.
“If I was ever in the outfield, he’d be behind the outfield fence just screaming at me,” Riley said. “But it’s funny because right after the game, my dad is like the most supportive person ever.”
Chad also opened up to ABC57 about what it was like to see his son’s career take off, and he reminisced about simpler times.
“I miss those days so much, Saturday mornings at pee-wee football were a blast, but this is pretty good, too,” he said of his son’s college career.
Riley Leonard of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish throws a touchdown in a game against the Virginia Cavaliers on Nov. 16, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. Quinn Harris/Getty
There are two important words Riley’s mom texts him before every game and interview: “You suck.”
In a September 2023 interview with ESPN College Football, Riley shared the meaning behind the game day tradition. “I had a lot of expectations in high school. I think at some point it got to me because I started to listen so much to what other people had to think about me,” he said.
“I sat down with my parents, I was like, ‘Man, these expectations. I need somebody to tell me I suck sometimes,’ ” he continued, adding that his mom raised her hand and said, “Hey, I got you.”
“Ever since, before every game, before every interview, she texts me, ‘You suck. Don’t stink. Don’t screw up,’ ” the college football star explained. “If I can take it from her, I can take it from anybody.”
After sharing that Riley likes to “play with a little bit of edge” and “being the underdog,” Heather shared that her two-word tradition is a way of “telling him, ‘I love you, and I’m behind you, and I’m supporting you.’ “
He also wears the saying on a wristband as a “daily reminder” that’s “with me everywhere I go.”
