BOBCATS 125 - TOP 50: Les Leininger
7/31/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
Unassuming defensive end Les Leininger made big plays for the Bobcats in 1975 and 1976
We look at the 25 players that Bobcat fans and a blue ribbon panel of long-time MSU football observers ranked between 26th and 50th in the quest to determine the program's all-time players. In this segment of the countdown, players are listed alphabetically. You can find details here and a directory here.
Les Leininger, DE, 1973-76
ALL-TIME TEAM: 2000 Billings Gazette All-Time Team
HONORS: 1st Team All-America and 1st Team All-Big Sky in 1976
A CLOSER LOOK: The first thing one usually hears about Les Leininger is that he was a great football player from the tiny town of Westby, and grew up on a ranch at almost the exact place where Montana, North Dakota and Canada converge.
The second thing is that he described playing six man high school football using some version of the phrase, 'Get the ball and run like hell.'
And the third thing you hear is that, as one of the program's all-time great defensive ends, he made a lot of big plays. Really big plays.
As a senior in 1976, for instance, he intercepted three passes and returned one for a touchdown. He blocked two punts as a junior.
Leininger's big play reputation followed him into the 1976 National Championship game, and in the fourth quarter he cemented his legacy. Midway through the fourth quarter, after Akron had trimmed the Bobcat lead to 17-13, the Zips possessed the ball near midfield. On third-and-10, Leininger stepped in front of a pass for an interception, returning the ball to the Akron 35. On the sixth play of the drive, Tom Kostrba rambled into the end zone to clinch the win. (As a side note, after jumping for joy once or twice he handed the ball to a Bobcat offensive lineman, who enthusiastically spiked it to draw a penalty.)
Leininger was a tremendous player who was involved in some of MSU's biggest plays of all-time. As the only All-America from the team's 1976 National Championship squadm, he's also the answer to a pretty good trivia question. And he's part of the school's long line of amazing defensive ends, starting with Gary Gustafson (from Simms) and leading right to Brody Grebe (Melstone).
FROM TEAMMATE RICK VANCLEEVE: "We didn't have stats back then, but I do know he robbed me of tons of sacks. He was frustrating to play with because I'd have the quarterback in my sights and be right there and Les would get there first and have him. He was very unassuming, didn't look like a physical specimen, he'd be having an average game but when the money was on the line he'd make the big play.
"I remember our game against NAU, he stripped the ball from the quarterback and scooped it up and scored, they were about ready to score, and that was typical of Les. That turned the game, and we rolled them, but that was a big play. When Les picked up the ball (then-assistant coach Cliff) Hysell started running down the sideline with him, he ran from the 30 to the 30, but headphones had cords then and his cord was wrapped all the way around his neck and his shoulders. He made it to the end of the cord and his feet went straight up in the air and he landed on his wallet. We thought maybe we'd lost him for a minute."
Les Leininger, DE, 1973-76
ALL-TIME TEAM: 2000 Billings Gazette All-Time Team
HONORS: 1st Team All-America and 1st Team All-Big Sky in 1976
A CLOSER LOOK: The first thing one usually hears about Les Leininger is that he was a great football player from the tiny town of Westby, and grew up on a ranch at almost the exact place where Montana, North Dakota and Canada converge.
The second thing is that he described playing six man high school football using some version of the phrase, 'Get the ball and run like hell.'
And the third thing you hear is that, as one of the program's all-time great defensive ends, he made a lot of big plays. Really big plays.
As a senior in 1976, for instance, he intercepted three passes and returned one for a touchdown. He blocked two punts as a junior.
Leininger's big play reputation followed him into the 1976 National Championship game, and in the fourth quarter he cemented his legacy. Midway through the fourth quarter, after Akron had trimmed the Bobcat lead to 17-13, the Zips possessed the ball near midfield. On third-and-10, Leininger stepped in front of a pass for an interception, returning the ball to the Akron 35. On the sixth play of the drive, Tom Kostrba rambled into the end zone to clinch the win. (As a side note, after jumping for joy once or twice he handed the ball to a Bobcat offensive lineman, who enthusiastically spiked it to draw a penalty.)
Leininger was a tremendous player who was involved in some of MSU's biggest plays of all-time. As the only All-America from the team's 1976 National Championship squadm, he's also the answer to a pretty good trivia question. And he's part of the school's long line of amazing defensive ends, starting with Gary Gustafson (from Simms) and leading right to Brody Grebe (Melstone).
FROM TEAMMATE RICK VANCLEEVE: "We didn't have stats back then, but I do know he robbed me of tons of sacks. He was frustrating to play with because I'd have the quarterback in my sights and be right there and Les would get there first and have him. He was very unassuming, didn't look like a physical specimen, he'd be having an average game but when the money was on the line he'd make the big play.
"I remember our game against NAU, he stripped the ball from the quarterback and scooped it up and scored, they were about ready to score, and that was typical of Les. That turned the game, and we rolled them, but that was a big play. When Les picked up the ball (then-assistant coach Cliff) Hysell started running down the sideline with him, he ran from the 30 to the 30, but headphones had cords then and his cord was wrapped all the way around his neck and his shoulders. He made it to the end of the cord and his feet went straight up in the air and he landed on his wallet. We thought maybe we'd lost him for a minute."
Players Mentioned
DE
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